The cream always rises, but it’s a paradox. When a band makes great songs inevitably those songs get over exposed and some fans get tired of hearing them. Here’s the thing, though. There’ve been many talented bands besides the giants. Below are 20 classic-rock era bands, in my opinion, more fans should know.

SILVERHEAD

Sublimely sleazy and slinky. Featuring future Robert Plant guitarist Robbie Blunt and frontman deluxe Michael Des Barres, later of Detective, another must-know classic combo, on Zep’s Swan Song Records label.

HEAVY METAL KIDS

Pub-rock-gone-glam. Prescient band name for a group that released their debut in 1974.

STRAY DOG

Texas-style, barbecued hard-blues.

STARCASTLE

If you always wanted Crosby, Stills & Nash to go prog, prepare to be happy.

FANNY

Before there was the equally kickass Runaways, there was the all-gal band Fanny. Pop songcraft plus greasy lead guitar.

ROSE TATTOO

People who’ve read the liner notes for “GN’R Lies” know Guns N’ Roses covered a Rose Tattoo tune, “Nice Boys.” But this Australian band is much more. Bare-knuckle thrust with slipper slide guitar and bar-leveling grooves and nightcrawler songs.

COWBOY

Anchored by Scott Boyer and Tommy Talton, Cowboy spun mellow Southern rock tapestries, as heard on signature song “Please Be With Me,” featuring Duane Allman on slide guitar. That song was later covered by Eric Clapton for Slowhand’s sophomore album, “461 Ocean Boulevard.”

UFO

As a fan of taste-making radio-and-”That Metal Show”-legend Eddie Trunk, I’m contractually obligated to feature his fave band, UFO. Kidding! Tuneful clang doesn’t get better. UFO’s track “Doctor Doctor” has been Iron Maiden’s intro tape for eons, and the band’s “Strangers in the Night” is a live album for the ages.

SUPERNAUT

Named for a Black Sabbath song, Aussie outfit Supernaut did lurid, metallic glam.

DUST

Nimble power trio from New York. Featuring bassist Kenny Aaronson, later employed by artists ranging from Joan Jett to Bob Dylan (plus a supergroup toplined by Sammy Hagar and Neal Schon), and drummer Marc Bell, would go on to join punk notables Richard Hell & the Voidoids and eventually, rechristened as Marky Ramone, the Ramones.

DEATH

The seeds of punk were sown by Death. This all-Black band was comprised of three siblings from Detroit.

CAPTAIN BEYOND

Head-banging, jammy rock. Los Angeles band Captain Beyond featured on quintessential Southern rock label Capricorn Records.

AXIS

Quicksilver, Louisiana hard-rock, powered by drummer Vinny Appice, later of Dio and Black Sabbath.

STARZ

Nikki Sixx and Jon Bon Jovi know what’s up. They’re among several ‘80s rock gods to cite New Jersey band Starz’s slamming power-pop as an influence.

TASTE

Think Cream without the acid-trips. Scrappy, Irish heavy-blues led by underdog guitar-god Rory Gallagher.

PIPER

Led by a pre-solo-career-fame Billy Squier, Piper was signed to the same management company that steered to fame Kiss, for whom they served as an opening act.

THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND

Shaggy riffage and outsider strum, straight outta Glasgow, Scotland.

GIRL

Girl gave the world Phil Lewis, the heavyweight howler who’d front L.A. Guns, and Phil Collen, a guitarist since toiling in obscurity with Def Leppard. The band’s 1980 debut album “Sheer Greed” is a hard-glam opal.

CACTUS

Barbwire guitar-and-drums Eddie and Alex Van Halen learned back when they were playing backyard keggers.