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Extreme’s breakthrough single wasn’t supposed to be the one – at least, not according to their record label. In fact, the band fought A&M Records to release 1991's More Than Words, complete with its iconic black-and-white music video.
Nuno Bettencourt even went as far as to quit the band at one point over his frustration that the label didn’t believe in the song simply because it was an acoustic track.
“Our label at the time [A&M Records] didn't want to release More Than Words as a single because there was nothing on the radio like that at the time,” he told Billboard in 2016. “The label said, ‘Who's going to play it?’ Everybody was doing big power ballads at the time, and this was more like an Everly Brothers or Beatles track. But we fought for it.’”
Fast-forward to 2026, and in the midst of Extreme supporting Def Leppard on tour for the first time, Bettencourt reflects on the song that changed everything… and the Leppard song he wishes he’d written.
“Oh my god. It’s kind of upsetting to think about,” he tells Classic Rock. “When we came out, bands like Def Leppard and Guns N’ Roses might have their ballads, but they always broke with a rock song.
“Extreme was not like that. We had More Than Words, which was a blessing and a curse. But absolutely, we’ll take it. Without that song, I might be working at Burger King right now. With Def Leppard, it was rocker after rocker, all with great lyrics, melodies, and vocals.”
In last year’s interview with Guitar World, Bettencourt admitted that, for most of their career, Extreme were almost considered a one-hit wonder, especially when it came to the mainstream.
“We were the band that had More Than Words. We were the band that had a guitar player, but there was always something that was a little disconnected. We never had proper respect.
He continued, “A lot of people are saying that it wasn’t until Six [the band’s 2023 release] that – as a band – we’re finally being respected as a rock band with a guitar player who legitimately had a great album.”
And, in case you're looking for your next favorite guitarist, Bettencourt recently named the up-and-coming player who has blown his mind.
