sides
We were rambling tonight during the podcast and Matt flippantly said – “On June 9th we are going to see the best 3-piece band of all-time.”
To which Chris said – “ZZ Top!”
To which Matt and I looked at each other in complete humiliation. “Uh…how about the 2nd?”
Then Chris said “Buddy Holly and the Crickets?”
Which of course got us thinking about all the 3 piece bands. To be fair – we eliminated any 3 piece that added a vocalist. Here’s what I can come up with so far – can you add any others?
Then…who would make your top 5 of all-time? My top 5 are the first 5…in order.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
ZZ Top
The Police
Cream
Buddy Holly and The Crickets
Rush – although they used keys in the studio
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Genesis – see Rush comment
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Glass Harp – of Phil Keaggy fame
Grand Funk Railroad – debatable..started as 3 piece, then morphed to 4.
Los Lonely Boys
John Mayer Trio
Greenday
Trios that WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE…
Destiny’s Child
Bee Gees
The Fat Boys
Run DMC
Cheetah Girls
Dixie Chicks
[tags]music, power trios[/tags]
75 responses so far ↓
1 Mike R. // Feb 15, 2007 at 4:37 am
King’s X
Cream
Jimi Hendrix & the Experience
Nickel Creek
Rush
2 Big Tom // Feb 15, 2007 at 5:09 am
How about the Kingston Treo
or
the Three Tops
Oh well,another day…
3 Paul // Feb 15, 2007 at 5:37 am
Gotta go with Kings X!
4 Tommy // Feb 15, 2007 at 6:27 am
I’ve lurked here for a while but this post “brought me out”.
I thought I would be the first, if not the only one, to say King’s X. It is good to see that there are other fans of this most excellent band even though they get almost no commercial recognition. For a live show there is no band better.
Then:
U2 – three piece with a voice (do they count?)
Below that I have nothing original …
5 Mike R. // Feb 15, 2007 at 6:35 am
“I thought I would be the first, if not the only one, to say King’s X.”
I’ve been a huge fan since about 1990. I know Greg Fielder would have included them if he commented on this post, I was just beating him to the punch. Good to know there are other fans out there.
“For a live show there is no band better.”
You said it. If King’s X comes to your town, go see them. And be sure to hang out after, they love talking to their fans.
6 H // Feb 15, 2007 at 6:40 am
Cream
Jimi Hendrix Experience
ZZ Top
Grand Funk
ELP
Cream’s Wheels of Fire, JHE’s Electric Ladyland, and GFR’s Live Album are 3 of the best all-time double album/disc sets. Of course The Beatles’ “White Album” is numbero uno in that category!
7 MikeS // Feb 15, 2007 at 7:00 am
In no particular order – my depends on my mood at the time
Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble
ZZ Top
Cream
Jimi Hendrix Experiment
The Police
You do realize that Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Holly, and ZZ Top are all Texas boys, don’t ya?!
8 MikeS // Feb 15, 2007 at 7:09 am
Oh…and another thing – why in the freakin’ world are you up at 1:13 in the morning? I must be gettin’ old. Let me rephrase that, I am old.
9 kris-k // Feb 15, 2007 at 9:26 am
police. end of discussion.
10 Grant // Feb 15, 2007 at 10:30 am
How the heck did I forget about Kings X???? My fault entirely – they don’t make my top 5 but should definitely be in the mix.
Tommy – that exactly was the struggle – do you include bands that are a 3 piece with a vocal or not??
Ultimately I decided to save that for another post!! u2 is without a doubt the number 1 on that list.
11 MikeS // Feb 15, 2007 at 10:47 am
Ok – what about crosby, stills, and nash? Not in my top 5, but strong accoustics and incredible harmony.
12 Paul Oyler // Feb 15, 2007 at 10:55 am
Rush
ZZ Top
Stevie Ray
Gov’t Mule
Cream
Followed closely by
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Beck, Bogert, and Appice
Grand Funk
Hot Tuna
Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush
Triumph
King’s X
Robin Trower Band
Johnny Winter’s Progressive Blues Experiment
Cactus
The Police
Nirvana
ELP
Glass Harp
Blue Cheer
North Mississippi Allstars
13 Paul // Feb 15, 2007 at 11:07 am
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the most obvious trio out there.
What about Hanson!
14 Paul Oyler // Feb 15, 2007 at 11:13 am
Ya know, I just knew there was someone I left off my list!
15 Episode 10 - The Valentine Version at student parking // Feb 15, 2007 at 11:15 am
[...] Train Geek.com Amazing Grace Movie Grammy Awards Survivor and Amazing Race Greatest 3-Piece Bands of All Time The Police Tour Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [...]
16 Paul Oyler // Feb 15, 2007 at 11:32 am
A few others that could have made the list somewhere:
Hüsker Dü
Dinosaur Jr
Budgie
Over The Rhine (depending on which version was together at a given point)
17 britton // Feb 15, 2007 at 11:45 am
DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cheetah Girls ROCK!
18 SteelerDirtFreak :: 21st Century Missional Redneck Geek » Best/Favorite Rock Trio? // Feb 15, 2007 at 11:53 am
[...] Over at The G sides, there is an interesting discussion on who the best rock trios of all-time might be. [...]
19 Jim Stallings // Feb 15, 2007 at 11:57 am
Have to go with some Hendrix…Mayer’s pretty beastly though.
20 Revwat // Feb 15, 2007 at 2:24 pm
1. King’s X
2. Rush
3. Cream
4. ZZ Top
5. SRV and Double Trouble
21 greg // Feb 15, 2007 at 4:05 pm
I’ll second (or third, fourth, whatever) King’s X as well as Triumph.
22 Nelson // Feb 15, 2007 at 4:21 pm
I’d have to echo Mr. Stallings. Besides Hendrix and Mayer, the only other worthy candidate would be the Police. There shouldn’t even be a top five. These 3 pretty much sum up the entire thing.
23 Mike R. // Feb 15, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Chuck Norris should be listed since it takes 3 people to rock as hard as he does.
24 clay // Feb 15, 2007 at 6:15 pm
well destiny’s child may not count as a three piece band, but they are definately the best looking trio you have listed.
25 Kelsey // Feb 15, 2007 at 6:52 pm
1. Squad Five-O (they became a 5 piece later, though)
2. Ben Folds Five
3. Everclear (10 years ago, before they sucked and added a bunch of random new members)
4. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. Beastie Boys
26 Adwire Guy // Feb 15, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Cream – did it all live – got it right the FIRST time before anyone else. Want to know where Van Halen came from? Just listen to any live Cream.
ZZ Top – did it all live, played with tapes, then went back to playing it all live
Rush – did it all live, added keys and foot pedals and still did it live, then went with a hired gun under the stage – DISQUALIFIED!
ELP – Contains the best rock keyboard player ever – by a longshot – nobode else in the same category.
TED NUGENT – plays as a 3 piece now, and sounds better than ever.
SRV – expanded to 4 piece, blues, but still great.
HEY – THIS IS AN EXCEPTION – BUT TAKE OUT THE SINGERS AND WHAT ABOUT THE DOORS!!!!! LED ZEPPELIN, VAN HALEN, THE WHO, U2.
I guess the Police. I like them ok, just never was obsessed with them.
27 britton // Feb 15, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Here’s a power trio for you:
Recorded live in 1979 this trio contained Dave Brubeck on piano, Jerry Bergonzi on tenor sax/bass, and Butch Miles on drums. Great jazz trio on the Brubeck album, “Back Home”.
28 H // Feb 15, 2007 at 10:08 pm
EEEEK….adwire guy……i saw both ELP and Yes. Keith Emerson is great, and I love his stuff, but Rick Wakeman of Yes is definitely the best keyboardist of that genre.
29 Dayne // Feb 16, 2007 at 10:44 am
Tonic…Ben Folds Five…Gotta love it!!
30 Iron Chef Klingon // Feb 22, 2007 at 12:09 pm
1. King’s X
2. Rush
3. Cream
4. The Police
5. SRV
31 Matt Sellers // Mar 5, 2007 at 2:01 am
1. RUSH
2. Kings X
3. Hanson (post MMM bop)
4. The Presidents of the United States of America
5. Primus
32 Mr. Wilson // Mar 25, 2007 at 12:57 am
KING’S X
Rush
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Stevie Ray
Cream
ZZ
33 jackson // May 12, 2007 at 7:17 am
muse is a much better 3 piece than hanson i cant believe people even brought up hanson
34 -miT // May 18, 2007 at 6:08 pm
SRV!!! all the way nobody can match the tones he gets and the diversity out of the Texas blues 3 piece.
-miT
35 DAS // Jun 10, 2007 at 1:27 am
Silverchair goes unmentioned? Blasphemy takes residence in this crazy string…
36 DAS // Jun 10, 2007 at 1:30 am
…Sublime for Christ’s sake
37 Ruben // Jul 4, 2007 at 7:54 am
What’s with adwires guy’s accusation about the hired gun under the stage for Rush? Is that guy crazy! They are the best ever!
38 Ruben // Jul 4, 2007 at 7:56 am
Taking out the singes does’t count!
39 Ruben // Jul 4, 2007 at 7:56 am
Taking out the singers doesn’t count!
40 asfasf // Jul 16, 2007 at 4:37 pm
cool
The best of the bunch in my opinion is Hendrix, Buddy Holly, and Nirvana. Most of those other ones are good though too, but those three bands where epic.
41 RJ // Sep 20, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Robin Trower
Pat Travers
Leslie west
42 RyanStoneMusic // Nov 8, 2007 at 11:05 am
THE OUTFIELD!!!
I cant think of another band that quite captures melody the way they did.
Call it cheese whiz or whatever…but most bands couldnt play that if they tried!
As far as great 3 piece bands go…there are a few that come to mind.. The Police, Rush, Green Day, Hendrix ect…but The Outfield’s Play Deep… in its simplicity is far reaching into my influence…even if it was subliminal!
43 Craig // Nov 14, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Muse, and No One Goes Home
44 giuseppe // Mar 2, 2008 at 11:12 am
blink 182 anyone…
45 Ian // Mar 8, 2008 at 8:19 pm
The Jam. Fantastic English band in the late 70’s,early 80’s. Much, much better than anything I see listed above.
46 tony // Mar 15, 2008 at 6:59 am
gotta go with
GFR , 68-70
they got it from blue cheer cream and henrix
hey what about
Crazy Horse? dude they rock
and yeah hot tuna can cook
los lonely boys are good stuff
47 Hatter // Mar 29, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Muse
48 Jake Matthews // Apr 30, 2008 at 7:49 pm
1. Primus – A++ Chemistry, own genre, Hallucino-Genetics, maybe not the most talented on the list, but as a 3 piece no one has more power and energy in their game. Every show is like going to a religious gathering cuz of the energy.
2. Rush – 24 gold albums, 40mil records sold, Geddy Lee
3. ZZ Top – 50mil record sales, R&R Hall of Fame, Billy Gibbson
4. Cream – #16 Greatest band on VH1, 35mil records sold
5. The Police – 50mil records sold, 6 Grammys, Stewart Copeland
49 big bron // Jun 2, 2008 at 10:14 pm
WOLFMOTHER silverchair!
50 big bron // Jun 2, 2008 at 10:15 pm
eskimo joe
51 travis // Jun 8, 2008 at 6:28 am
for the love of god why have youl left out motorhead!!!
52 Monument // Jun 8, 2008 at 7:21 am
i was doing some research on trio’s for my upcoming podcast and stumbled onto this discussion. i wanted to mention a few others considering everyone is throwing out similar names, and i agree with most of them.
(no top favorites for me though, because it’s impossible to judge.)
here’s a few going in a different direction to get you thinking.
High on Fire
Lost Goat
Melvins
Unsane
Zeke
Los Natas
Motorhead
The Minutemen
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Fudge Tunnel
Shellac
53 Clint Moore // Sep 22, 2008 at 12:59 pm
MUSE is definitely up there!
54 Bob Steinbrecker // Oct 13, 2008 at 7:48 pm
1. primus
2. medeski, martin & wood
3. motorhead
4. cream
5. jimi hendrix experience
honorable mention: rush
55 Bob Steinbrecker // Oct 15, 2008 at 12:35 am
more honrable mention:
nirvana
the police
kingston trio
sausage
oysterhead
56 Tom C // Jan 11, 2009 at 8:40 pm
There were 3 Cricketts add Buddy Holly and you have a quartet. Same with double trouble, SRV bass, drums and keys. To trio bands:
1. Cream- short lived but wow
2. ZZ Top- that lil ol band from Texas
3. The Police
4. Jimi Hendrix Experience (much better band than Band of Gypsys)
the top 4 are all R&R HoF members
5. Rush- they should be in the HoF soon
4 Rush
57 drew // Feb 5, 2009 at 3:56 am
NIRVANA
leave it at that
58 Mongo // Feb 9, 2009 at 11:27 am
How can anyone not mention The Rev?
59 No_Direction // Mar 15, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Ridiculous it is that Nirvana and their modern day protoges Biffy Clyro were not included in the original line up.
60 Els // Apr 23, 2009 at 3:44 pm
MUSE MUSE MUSE
Why does nobody ever mention muse!!!!
Amazing vocals, fantastic guitar and some of the most awesome basslines of all time all held togethor with tight as drumming.
61 Rob Inglis // May 15, 2009 at 8:43 am
Although I haven’t read all of the blog, I did read earlier a comment about Rush using Keys in the studio. Actually as a live performance, all Rush song with ‘keys’ were written so the Geddy lee could play bass and keys simultaneously! Undoubtedly the greatest 3 piece band of all time, voted best bassist on planet rock, voted best percussionist/drummer in many consecutive years by American Music Organisation, and a truly underated guitarist
62 Anthony Severe // May 19, 2009 at 3:21 am
1. The Police
2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience
3. Green Day
4. Nirvana
5. The Reverend Horton Heat
63 Dom Mrozek // Jun 6, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I like to add the underrated band RAVEN to the list
64 Matt Repchak // Jun 9, 2009 at 1:50 pm
MUSE.
65 malinda // Jun 9, 2009 at 9:12 pm
You folks REALLY need to check out this three piece band from rural Mississippi….famous for its musicians….Keep in mind it is an amateur video…..enjoy!!!
66 veedgo // Jun 11, 2009 at 12:46 am
Not necessarily outstanding, but a couple of worthy mentions:
Zebra
FM
Klaatu (great music)
67 pancake // Jun 23, 2009 at 11:37 am
SUBLIME!
How were they not mentioned?
68 Mikey G // Jun 25, 2009 at 8:23 pm
SRV for sure. and Sublime was amazing. im a huge Black Label Society fan too…..Zak Wylde is the best guitar player next to SRV ever
69 READ THIS!!!!!!! // Jul 14, 2009 at 12:47 pm
I cannot believe no one has mentioned TASTE!!!!!! Or RORY GALLAGHER, go right now and look him up, your mind will be blown and your lists will Be changed.
70 johnygoatzyn // Sep 19, 2009 at 1:12 am
RUSH
MUSE
CRASH KINGS
LOS LONELY BOYS
BLINK 182
71 JakeV // Oct 24, 2009 at 8:20 pm
1.Cream
2.ZZ Top
3.Jimi Hendrix Experience
4.Nirvana
5.The Police
72 Joe Atkinson // Nov 13, 2009 at 11:33 am
Easily
1. Nirvana
2. Jimi Hendrix Experience
3.the jam
4.Cream
5.the wipers
6.the police.
Does Crosby,still and nash count?
73 Luca Martin // Nov 28, 2009 at 2:00 am
The Police (1,2,3,4,5, and more)
No contest.
5 years, 5 albums (ignore 1st “project”), amazing music, influence and legacy + ,
take Outlandos (1st official album) and then listen to Synchronicity (their 5th)
2 great albums that sound as if produced by two different group of guys (+ everything in between)
That’s a band ( a trio) exploring, evolving, and showing their true worth, as opposed to tireless “numbers” coming up with the same un-original, un-imaginative stuff over, and over, and over…
74 David // Dec 14, 2009 at 6:58 pm
1. THE JAM would have to be. Paul Weller like him or not is one talented muscian songwriter who is still relevant today. Extremely influential band.
2. Jimi Hendrix Experience
3. Cream
4 Nirvana
5. Beastie Boys
75 Joe // Jan 29, 2010 at 10:27 am
Chevelle, great 3 piece
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