Which band was more widely known, Green River or Billy Talent?
Green River (band):  Although the band had little commercial impact outside of its native Seattle, it proved to have significant influence on the genre later known as grunge, both with its own music and with the music its members would create in future bands including Pearl Jam and Mudhoney. Billy Talent:  In the 24 years since their inception, Billy Talent sold well over one million albums in Canada alone and nearly 3 million albums internationally.
Billy Talent