Led by brothers Matthew & Gunnar Nelson, Nelson brought Rick Nelson's sons a lot of exposure in the early 1990s. Like that celebrated '50s icon, Matthew and Gunnar went for a polished, boy-next-door image – wholesome sex symbols, if you will – but their music didn't sound anything like their father…

A major change of direction for Berlin, Count Three & Pray was an artistic triumph but a commercial disappointment. After making a name for itself playing very European-sounding synth pop, the L.A. trio recruited producer Bob Ezrin (known for his work with Alice Cooper and others) and unveiled a more hard-edged, guitar-oriented sound…