Billy Corgan has stated that The Smashing Pumpkins are “one of the most misunderstood bands in rock history.” The frontman appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast (The Joe Rogan Experience), where he spoke about how some bands only receive recognition much later.
To illustrate his point, Corgan cited Nickelback and Creed: “You’ll see, soon they’ll have their golden age. They survived all the hate, and now we’ve reached that inevitable moment where people start saying, ‘They were good’ and ‘They wrote a lot of great songs.’”
According to him, the same thing will happen to the Smashing Pumpkins: “Time will tell my story better than I ever could.”
Corgan also reflected on the relationship between Generation X and the media, admitting that he has always approached his career in a provocative way, comparing himself to Andy Kaufman and Bob Zmuda. “I treated everything like a game because I thought it was fun,” he explained.
The musician revealed that many people in the music industry advised him to give the audience what they wanted so he could “have a better life and make more money.” But his response has always been the same: “I don’t give a damn. I’m here because I’m a freak, and I won’t change for anything in the world.”