Like contemporaries such as R.E.M., The Replacements and The Minutemen, Hüsker Dü helped define the sound of 1980s independent rock music. Now classic albums such as Zen Arcade and New Day Rising were groundbreaking blasts of punk and alternative rock that existed deep beneath the surface of the decade's slick mainstream pop. As college radio's influence expanded over the years however, the Saint Paul, Minnesota-based band developed a strong following and eventually found itself signed to Warner Bros. Records. The band found some minor success with a wider audience, but creative differences between co-songwriters Bob Mould and Grant Hart caused Hüsker Dü to call it quits in 1998. Its strong influence on followers such as The Pixies and Nirvana makes it one of the most important groups in punk and indie rock history.
