16 Best Power Trios of all-time:

[blind-fitter]

But seriously....

Queens Of The Stone Age must be worthy of consideration, surely?

If I were to make such a list they'd be right near the top of mine.

[Farin]

the only thing that could speak against them is that they're not really a trio

but otherwise you're completly right

[blind-fitter]

Well they were when I saw them. And they kicked ass.

[blind-fitter]

I concede that recent QotSA albums have seen more guest musicians and "auxiliaries" coming on board to swell the ranks, but hasn't there always been a "core trio"? If not, I've been a real Dummkopf, haven't I?

[Farin]

well, the only persistant member is founder Josh Homme, and from the other (currently) three, two have been with them since 2002 and the other one since 2005...

and when you look at the Lineup. you can see that there wasn't a long-time trio at all, the only who spent quite some time with the band (6 years) was Nick Oliveri, but he got fired because of drugs or violence (I don't remember it really)

now it would be interesting, of course, to know when you saw them? if I may ask

[blind-fitter]

It was the year they played "the tent" at Leeds Festival in Temple Newsam Park. They weren't even big enough to make "Stage 2", let alone the Main Stage. It was probably the summer of "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer", 2001??? Rated R came out in 2000, so it could have been either 2000/2001.

They were deffo a trio back then, and as far as I know, also for the preceding album. Now, if they've expanded since then...well, so have I. I've been bringing up 3 kids throughout the early part of this decade; how can I be expected to keep up-to-date with that kind of detail?

P.S. Nick Olivieri was definitely in the line-up. He was their most compelling feature, in fact. He rocked like a bastard.

[blind-fitter]

If I were a stickler for detail, I could have pointed out at the off that although the classic line-up of Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke and Philthy Phil "The Animal" Taylor were a trio, Motorhead have now been a four-piece band for much longer than they ever were a threesome. But the classic trio definitely deserves its place on this list, if only for "Ace Of Spades" (2 min. 54 sec. of headbanging perfection) and possibly the definitive 'live album', "No Sleep Til Hammersmith".

[TheLizard]

Wait... no Rush?

[PaulEdwardWagemann]

Rush was tied for 16th I believe...werent they?

[TheLizard]

You're right. Sorry.

[Farin]

Top 15 Power Trios

[RonJonSurfer]

Any list that includes Blue Cheer is OK with me.

[Sweet Jane 61]

Triumph and Cream...oh yeah!

[TheLizard]

I actually can't think of any reason to complain about that list, except maybe that Wolfmother was too high.

[Tony Baloni]

Triumph was a trio?! I've only ever heard them a couple times on the radio, but man, they certainly rock.

Whhhhhaaaaaa? I had to scroll through that list 3 times, cause I thought I was just blind, but there is NO EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER ON THERE! Wtf, man, wtf...

[TheLizard]

Ah, there's a good complaint. Yeah, replace Wolfmother with ELP.

[Levis]

I was in shock to see everyone so happy with the list.

Thanks, Tony

[Foolonthehill]

Haha yeah Tony that's just what I was thinking. You don't hear many bands more powerful than ELP, let alone trios. Maybe they're not being counted because they lack a consistent lead guitarist.

[Tony Baloni]

Yeah ELP defines power.

[TheLizard]

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure to be a "power trio", you have to be guitar, bass, and drums. So that would make ELP a trio that is powerful, but not a power trio.

[Farin]

The power trio is a rock and roll band format popularized in the 1960s. The traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard often featured in other rock music.

In more recent years, the term has become generally applied to any sort of three-person band.

[Foolonthehill]

yeah I was wondering about that. oh well.