Fresh Cream and the Top 10 Power Trios of All Time
4. Blue Cheer
Before Black Sabbath first stumbled onto the devil's interval, Blue Cheer had already perfected the excruciatingly loud sound of acid-fried blues rock. The trio of Dickie Peterson, Leigh Stephens and Paul Whaley never quite found the massive success of the imitators who followed, but their punishing, psychedelic sound was inventive enough to help inspire heavy metal, punk, grunge and all your other favorite strains of sonic violence.
3. Rush
For decades, Rush fans whined that their favorite trio of Canadian nerds never got their due, but with the group still drawing huge crowds and now headed for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it's increasingly hard to argue that they've been denied a place in the rock pantheon. In its longevity, Rush gets bonus points for wearing out a variety of musical styles over the years, from hard rock to prog and even '80s synth-pop. Amazing what you can achieve when you cram three rock virtuosos into the same band.
2. ZZ Top
It's OK not to like ZZ Top. Just know that by shunning them, you're rejecting your musical birthright as a Houstonian. The little ol' band from Texas has every element of a classic power trio in spades: crushing blues riffs, an abundance of personality and a healthy does of WTF weirdness. If you can't get down to "Jesus Just Left Chicago," we can accept that. Just do us a favor and keep your mouth shut on the subject, Yankee.
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