While grunge’s vanguard was attempting to topple the rock-god myth in the early ‘90s, Stone Temple Pilots came along to assume the mantle. Led by the mercurial, magnetic Scott Weiland, the San Diego quartet formed in 1989 and began crafting a sound—and fashion sense—inspired by rock idols The Doors, David Bowie, and Aerosmith. Brothers Dean (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass) slipped in hints of ragtime and rhythm and blues, while drummer Eric Kretz kicked up the speed with John Bonham-influenced footwork. Together, they were “alternative rock”—if only in their angst. Otherwise, STP oozed sex and swagger—far more than any of their contemporaries—and their 1992 debut album, Core, came loaded with blistering guitars (“Sex Type Thing”), decade-defining riffs (“Plush”), and Weiland’s distinctive wail, which teetered between menacing and melancholic (“Creep”). The band went on to rule the ‘90s, defining “alternative” on their own terms: They flexed hard on heavy hitters “Vasoline” and “Interstate Love Song,” stripped down with devastating power ballads like “Big Empty,” glammed up on “Big Bang Baby,” and tossed in elements of psychedelic rock, shoegaze, jazz, and metal in between. Heading into the 21st century, the cracks began to show, though. The band dissolved in 2003 but reunited again in 2010 for their self-titled sixth album—their final release with Weiland. Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington took over the mic in 2013 then departed in 2015, just before STP and their fans experienced a crushing blow with the death of Weiland. The band picked up again with vocalist Jeff Gutt and experiments like 2020’s all-acoustic Perdida, but they’ve already long cemented their legacy in the rock-god pantheon.