Listening to some Mudhoney right now. If I had to pick a band to define a particular grunge "sound" it would be them. Though if I had to reorder that list it would be
Soundgarden > Alice In Chains > Nirvana > Pearl Jam > Mudhoney > Stone Temple Pilots
Hmmm. I guess it might be right but even in the movie Hype!! which interviewed the sub pop leaders said it was released in 88. But I happen to trust sub pop so it might be right.
Early Mudhoney with their Iggy Pop and the Stooges style proto punk influences were a very good band with plenty of attitude, but even by the first album proper they seemed to have the life sucked out of them and despite one or two decent albums ince its been largely downhill for Mark Arm and the gang.
i suppose if you're just going to judge them on their singles and how they charted that's pretty fair. the rest of the material on the albums was usually pretty good though and not just more of the same.