[Washing Machine]

I think your on to something there dude! Although I wouldn't say THE greatest, I would say ONE of the greatest bands of the past 20 years. If Thurston's original objective was to reinvent how we view popular music. I think they certainly have done that.

The interesting thing about Sonic Youth is that their music is highly engaging in a whole new way. A lot of their ideas shouldn't work but do. Their music is chaotic and abrasive but at the same time beautiful. You find you are as much engaged in the 'Noise' parts as the more songform based parts. They never rejected the past (as many progressive art movements often do) but subverted it. Why SY has succeeded in my opinion is because they are impossible to pin down. In their noiser moments they were far more interesting than the rest of the pack, but when trying to call them a noise band you realise in their 'Tuneful' moments they were more tuneful and catchy they most indie bands could ever be. One only has to look at the amount of different views on their music on this forum to appeciate, how they permutrated the fanbases of so many different genres. Most importantly though, they are a standing example that music does have new places to explore. When the musical history books are written im sure SY will have a rather large chapter.