10 Most Underrated Bands Of The '90s

By the start of the '90s, hair metal was pretty much breathing its dying breath. While Nirvana had not exactly set the world on fire just yet, the era of big hair and power ballads had been wearing out its welcome for about 3 years longer than it should have been. Though main offenders like Warrant and Bang Tango might not have lit up the charts, Extreme managed to at least notch up a few hits before fading away.

Any dyed-in-the-wool hair metal fans would know the band's sappy acoustic ballad "More Than Words," but these guys were so much more than heavy metal crooners. Coming out of Boston, Extreme were actually a meatier rock act on their first two records, where they managed to blend hair metal grooves and intense shredding (courtesy of Nuno Buttencourt) with a funkier approach. It may have been strange at the time, but songs like "Get the Funk Out" still sound like what Van Halen if Eddie had played for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Though the band were able to score some spots on film soundtracks, they didn't have a prayer once the Seattle scene swooped in. Extreme may not be as active as they were in their heyday, but their first two records are worth digging up if you consider yourself a hair metal buff.