Some of the greatest power trios in the history of rock & roll never needed traditional band assignments.

The quartet dynamic might’ve worked for the Who, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles. However, the three-man formula has produced its fair share of legends.

Whether it was a trailblazing group like Cream or some of the most influential bands of the alternative rock scene during the 1990s, power trios have populated all corners of the rock universe for decades.

Many of them have simplified rock music in a way that some of their contemporaries couldn’t. Most featured just an electric guitarist, a bass guitarist, and a drummer/percussionist. The dynamic allows for one (or in Cream’s case two) singer(s) to take control.