Extreme was one of the most successful hard rock bands of the late ’80s and early ’90s, selling more than 10 million albums worldwide. ∙ The band formed in 1985 when singer Gary Cherone and drummer Paul Geary joined with guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and bassist Pat Badger. ∙ They chose the name Extreme as a play on “Ex-Dream,” a reference to Cherone and Geary’s previous band, The Dream. ∙ In 1988, they won Best Metal Act at the Boston Music Awards. ∙ “Play With Me,” from their self-titled debut album, can be heard during the “mall chase” scene in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. ∙ 1990’s Pornograffitti sold nearly 2 million copies, and its smash single, “More Than Words,” topped the Billboard 200 chart. ∙ After Extreme disbanded, Cherone—whom Eddie Van Halen described as a “musical soulmate”—replaced Sammy Hagar in Van Halen and sang on 1998’s Van Halen III.