Cheap Trick were arguably one of the first power pop bands. They occupied an interesting niche, being too pop for the rock fans and too rock for the pop fans. Despite that, their musicianship, eye-catching styles and awesome live shows helped enshrine their place in history.

If you were seeing Cheap Trick for the first time, you’d probably ask yourself “What on Earth am I looking at?” Robin Zander and Tom Petersson look like typical rock stars, while Rick Nielsen’s wide eyes, upturned baseball cap, and bowtie make him look like a nerd in an old movie, and Bun E. Carlos wouldn’t look out of place on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

Looks aren’t everything though, and Cheap Trick put out some rockers in the 1970s, as well as one of the best live albums ever. Check out these photos and ‘surrender’ to the band that helped put power pop on the map.