10 Perfect Hard Rock Power Trios

The alt rock explosion wasn't something that just happened overnight. As much as people were getting sick and tired of the hair metal bands making their way across MTV, it was going to take a little bit before we really figured out what the next wave of rock and roll was going to be. And once we found 3 guys from Seattle, all bets were off for the rest of the decade.

Then again, most people tend to think that over half of the magic of Nirvana comes back to Kurt Cobain, and they aren't necessarily wrong in saying that. Whether he knew it or not, Kurt's gift for melody is one of the strongest the rock world had ever seen, and probably would have been giving us more classics had he not taken his own life.

The rhythm section wasn't a slouch though, with Krist Novoselic having some of the most singularly odd basslines ever created, from the heavy grimey tone of Heart Shaped Box to the slinky sound at the intro to Lounge Act. Also, as much as people love Smells Like Teen Spirit, the seeds of the alt rock explosion aren't firmly planted until Dave Grohl comes in with his massive drum sound. In a world where most rock and roll was relying on a lot of flash, Nirvana blew everyone away and announced the new regime of rock.