10 Great Guitarists In Terrible Bands

Buckcherry always felt like a band that arrived at the party way too late. By the time they emerged onto the LA scene with their brand of sleazy hard rock, the grimy sounds of bands like Motley Crue and Guns N Roses had been in the rearview for a while. These guys could have easily been called a caricature act, but Keith Nelson was much more than just a by-the-numbers guitarist.

In the early years, Nelson was the heart and soul of the band alongside vocalist Josh Todd, but they were never really able to click with the hard rock crowd. Instead of being a pleasant nostalgia act, most of the songs on albums like 13 end up sounding like a cheap way to get exposure on rock radio. For as much as Todd's vocals got in the way, Nelson's guitar chops held up as pretty solid. While it wasn't as classic as his '80s influences, his breaks cut through the mix every time he fired off a solo.

While the songs may not have been masterpieces, the guitar work he laid down was enough to get Slash and Duff McKagan talking to him about potentially joining Velvet Revolver. Buckcherry may toe the line between hard rock band and nostalgia act, but whenever Keith Nelson took center stage, that '80s sheen ended up shining through for just a little bit.