10 '90s Bands Everyone Forgets About

10. Extreme

As the '90s first started to unfold, it became abundantly clear that hair metal was on its way out the door. I mean, when you have a song like Cherry Pie by Warrant as the calling card for your genre, it's about time to pack it in for good. Then again, Extreme was at least one last opportunity for the era of big hair and mammoth riffs to bow out gracefully.

Unlike their poofy-haired counterparts, there were some serious chops on every one of these musicians, with Nuno Bettencourt going to the Eddie Van Halen school of shredding. Across albums like Pornograffiti, they even managed to bring in more adventurous material into their sound, almost creating a cross between traditional sleaze rock and an almost funky foundation on songs like He Man Woman Hater.

Granted, they'll probably always just be known for their sappy ballad More Than Words or the fact that their singer almost ruined Van Halen when he stepped behind the mic in the back half of the decade.

Regardless, Bettencourt is still a powerhouse behind the fretboard and has even gone on to become the go-to session guitarist for acts like Rihanna over the years. For a genre that never had that much self respect in the first place, Extreme's brand of kickass is how you truly go out on a high note.