Grant Hart

Husker Du and R.E.M. were the two American post-punk bands of the ’80s that changed the direction of rock & roll. While R.E.M. became a superstar band; Husker Du’s legacy is that of a hugely influential cult band. Indeed, their albums between 1981 and 1987 provided the sonic blueprint for the roaring punk-pop hybrid that crossed over into the mainstream in the early ’90s.

Not only did they shape the sound of the music, they shaped the way independent bands made the transition to the major labels; they showed other bands that it was possible to record uncompromising music on a major label without losing any integrity or creative control. From the Replacements to Nirvana, the Pixies to Superchunk, nearly every major and minor band that appeared in the alternative underground in the late ’80s and ’90s owed a major debt to Husker Du.