You could call Uncle Tupelo the "Velvet Underground of the ‘90s alternative country scene". It’s often been said that VU didn’t sell a lot of albums, but everyone who did buy one started a band (or became a critic). The same could be said about Uncle Tupelo.
Anodyne was simultaneously the Uncle Tupelo's apex and swan song. This was the jump to the majors for Uncle Tupelo where all that was tantalized came to fruition.