Extreme

Their debut album, Extreme, was released in 1989. The first single, "Kid Ego", is a song that Cherone later admitted caused him some discomfort. The last track of the album, "Play With Me", was used in the mall chase scene in the movie Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and also appeared in the video game Guitar Hero.Although the sales of the first album were moderate, they were enough to justify a second release. Michael Wagener, known for his work with Dokken and White Lion, produced Extreme II: Pornograffitti in 1990.The album showed Bettencourt's guitar skills, combining ambitiously and complexly elements of funk, pop, and Glam metal.

The album presents a loose concept about a decadent and corrupt society. The singles "Decadence Dance" and "Get the Funk Out" were released, with the latter becoming a hit in the UK by reaching position 19 in June 1991. Although it did not enter the US charts, the album had already begun to decline in popularity when A&M released the third single to several radio stations in Arizona. The acoustic ballad "More Than Words" entered the Hot 100 on March 23, 1991, at position 81, and later became a major hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The next single, "Hole Hearted", was also a hit, reaching fourth place on the Billboard charts.In 1992, the band began working on their third album.

However, their participation in the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in April of that year interrupted the recording sessions, although it gave them the opportunity to perform alongside renowned bands such as Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, and Metallica.On September 22, 1992, they released III Sides to Every Story, a complex, eclectic, and ambitious album. Although sales were not outstanding, it received good reviews. The video for the first single, "Rest in Peace", was inspired by a short film from the National Film Board of Canada titled Vecinos. The band faced a lawsuit, but was quickly acquitted and released a new version of the music video.

The album includes songs with Christian references, possibly influenced by Cherone, who has shown interest in evangelical preachers in interviews. The following singles were "Tragic Comic", whose video was quite humorous, and "Stop the World". The record label expected another successful ballad like "More Than Words", but the group chose not to repeat the formula and sought to refresh their sound, achieving one of their best works despite the sales.