Extreme

Best known for their chart-topping acoustic power ballad "More Than Words," Extreme are an American hard rock band that formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1985. By 1986, the group's roster had coalesced around vocalist Gary Cherone, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, drummer Paul Geary, and bassist Pat Badger, all of whom appeared on the Extreme's self-titled debut album in 1989. The record peaked at Number 80 on the Billboard 200, where the band's follow-up, 1990's double-platinum Extreme II: Pornograffitti, hit Number 10 one year later. Pornograffitti featured the hit song "Hole Hearted," which reached Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as "More Than Words," which hit Number 1 in America, Canada, New Zealand, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The gold-certified III Sides to Every Story followed in 1992 and was the last record to feature Extreme's classic lineup. Like Pornograffitti, the album reached Number 10 on the Billboard 200. Following the release of 1995's Waiting for the Punchline, Extreme disbanded and frontman Gary Cherone joined Van Halen for three years, appearing on the band's Van Halen III. Extreme reformed in 2007 with a new drummer, Kevin Figueiredo, and released Saudades de Rock in 2008. Although band member Nuno Bettencourt became Rihanna's touring guitarist shortly after the album's release, Extreme continued to tour sporadically and work on new material throughout the 2010s. By 2023, the group had completed a sixth album, Six, which was released that summer.