Yeah, I used to like them a bit back in the day myself and now I can't figure out why. They stink...and whenever I hear someone say how "pioneering" they were, I just cringe.
When I started playing guitar, every song I played sounded like Sonic Youth. So I figured, they must be great or else I suck. Turned out that I sucked.
More often than not people buy into marketing not the actual music, teenagers are obviously the easiest prey.
There's no single reason why a music video should cost 10 mio. US-dollars (inflation-adjusted), does anyone even remember how Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream" even sounded???
Bands like Sonic Youth were marketed to be super duper Alternative Indie Rock and if you wanted to be different, you had to get them. Of course nobody else got them because they suck. That made it easier to be part of the elite.
Another band I've outgrown is Nirvana. They're still good, but far from godlike. Simple, catchy tunes with partially great lyrics and vocals. Brett Michaels summed grunge up perfectly when he said that he didn't understand why those people aren't just having fun and make out with beautiful chicks. And yeah, why didn't they? Are they stupid???
I'll tell who I didn't outgrow: New Kids on the Block! Hangin' Tough is still in my alpha rotation playlist.