2001 marked the 10th anniversary of the release of "Nevermind," the album that broke alternative rock on non-college radio and MTV. Owing to disagreements among the interests that control the Nirvana legacy, the anticipated career-survey box set was never released. Instead, a single-disc greatest hits album came out last fall, more than a year behind schedule. Ultimately, it was compromised by the length -- less than an hour -- and the inclusion of only one new song, "You Know You're Right," which was the last thing Kurt Cobain recorded before he killed himself in April 1994.

In terms of enriching Nirvana's legacy, the album is worthless. It's simply a half-hearted marketing ploy to sell the band to a new generation of headbangers, who already think Creed smells enough like teen spirit.

Even less likely to benefit from the anniversary are the so-called alternative acts that rode Nirvana's coattails to stardom. Lollapalooza alumni like Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots have already hit a brick wall of drug overdoses and audience apathy. The only one still playing arenas on a regular basis is Pearl Jam, and you don't need any further proof of the irrelevance of alternative hard rock than the fact that PJ's artistic integrity and anti-rock star demeanor seem fuddy-duddy in an environment where groups like The Strokes and The Vines positively embrace their celebrity.