Retrospectively, rock's most celebrated names often appear inevitable, but several now-legendary bands actually started as niche underground acts. Joy Division, despite becoming essential to post-punk and generating iconic imagery, remained largely confined to underground circles during their 1970s–80s heyday. The Velvet Underground similarly attracted only counterculture and art rock enthusiasts initially, with their seminal album selling merely 30,000 copies in its early years, yet they would become one of rock's most frequently referenced influences.

The Stooges exemplified this pattern equally—their aggressive, raw aesthetic established punk's foundation whilst earning negligible mainstream recognition in their era. Though their sound seemed commercially ahead of its time, it proved historically invaluable. All three bands ultimately achieved greater significance through their underground legacies than immediate popularity would have granted, becoming touchstones that shaped rock's trajectory across generations.