[quote=Tokolosh]
4) Igor Stravinsky: Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring" caused riots when it was first performed. These days you can't even get enough people to attend a classical music performance to get a decent fist-fight started. Boy, how times change. Sonic Youth have used enough mind-numbing feedback and played enough shows where they seem to be baiting their audience into some sort of violent freakout. But their fans are usually too schooled to fall for such things. I don't have the actual numbers in front of me, but I'd wager that SY have the most "Fans with Graduate Degrees from Bard College" than anyone this side of
Steely Dan.
3) The Velvet Underground: While the Velvet Underground will always be seen as one of the first "alternative" groups in rock n' roll--that is, a band that sold no records in its time but went on to become a major influence on others--they were really an incredibly diverse band that played all types of music but always slightly out of step with the times. That and initial bad luck ensured them a permanent cult legacy. Sure, everyone figures Sonic Youth memorized "Sister Ray," but they certainly also could appreciate "Who Loves The Sun." Even tough guys get tired of hitting themselves on the head with a hammer, after all.
thats funny, if anybody remembers the doc, PUT THE BLOOD IN THE MUSIC, sy is talking to john cale, and he says something along the lines of "well if you really wanted to you could say the first rock 'n" roll ever was stravinsky's rites of spring when it all breaks down into pure rhythm" and thurston sorta goes like "yea..um...we wouldnt really say that." its funny.
so that stravinsky influence seems a little weird, but i suppose it doesn't have to be concious. the television, ramones, and other stuff people mentioned seems a much more obvious choice.