Right here’s How 40 Iconic Bands Bought Their Names

Dave Grohl Went Full Conspiracy Theorist With The Foo Fighters

Nerds and conspiracy theorists love the Foo Fighters as a result of they’re named after UFOs. Allied pilots used the time period “foo fighters” to explain mysterious plane that they could not ensure was the enemy.

Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl started the band as a solo undertaking in 1994 after Kurt Cobain’s premature demise. Grohl has stated he was actually into studying about UFOs and that the books had a “treasure trove” of band names. He selected Foo Fighters as a result of he thought the plural would possibly make individuals assume it was extra than simply him within the band.

The Intercourse Pistols Have been Named After Their Sponsor

Like many different bands, The Intercourse Pistols title advanced slowly over a number of years. The unique core of the band was shaped in 1972 and named The Strand. In between exhibits, the group spent a number of time at an “anti-fashion” S&M clothes retailer owned by Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood known as Intercourse.

In 1974, McLaren grew to become the band’s supervisor. McLaren renamed the group after the store’s title and added Pistols to the tip as a result of he stated he simply favored the sound of it. The title caught and the band embodied the alt-rock punk vibes that it lends itself to.

30 Seconds To Mars Bought Philosophical

Various rock band 30 Seconds To Mars are smarter than they give the impression of being. The title got here after the band members seen an fascinating phrase in a thesis paper the place the writer stated that humanity was shifting so quick that they have been principally “thirty seconds to Mars.”

Nicely, the band favored the phrase and used it to symbolize a bunch of concepts. Through the years the band members have associated the title to Mars because the god of battle and stated in an interview that the title is “lyrical, suggestive, cinematic, and full of immediacy” identical to their songs.

Frankie (Blue Eyes) Goes To Hollywood

British new wave group, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, started because the Hollycausts however determined they wanted to tone down a number of the controversies. The band stated they practiced in a room the place there was a reducing from the entrance web page of The New Yorker hanging up. The headline on it stated “Frankie Goes To Hollywood” in reference to Frank Sinatra, and the remainder is historical past.

Nicely, sort of. The band caught with that title and that story for a few years till lately when a number of band members stated that “Frankie” was impressed by British singer Frankie Vaughan.

Jane’s Habit Was Truly About Jane’s Habit

In probably the worst tribute ever, rock band Jane’s Habit was really named after an actual particular person named Jane with an actual drug habit. The band’s founder Perry Farrell had a roommate named Jane Bainter. In keeping with Farrell, when one thing went incorrect in the home, the operating joke was accountable it on Jane’s habit.

The band additionally used her in for a track, “Jane Says.” The track describes Jane’s real-life issues, her heroin habit, and abusive drug-dealing boyfriend. Jane even lent her handwriting to the band’s album art work. For all that inspiration, the actual Jane by no means even noticed a dime.

Daft Punk Loves Their Critics

It is a bit stunning to listen to that one in every of electronic-pop duo Daft Punk’s most vital influences is The Seashore Boys. The pair beloved them a lot that they started their profession beneath the title Darlin’, which was a Seashore Boys single in 1967.

They started releasing their groundbreaking music within the early Nineteen Nineties, and never everybody favored it. One evaluate in journal Melody Maker trashed the duo and dubbed their music to be “daft punky thrash.” They thought the commentary was hilarious and selected to run with it and win a bunch of Grammys. Let the haters hate.

Alice Cooper Needed To Throw Off The Followers

“Godfather of Shock Rock” Alice Cooper selected his stage title properly. Born Vincent Damon Furnier, the singer initially selected the title to entrance the band. Tales have claimed that the spooky group was named after a ghostly spirit that they “met” throughout an Ouija board session.

Cooper himself says that is an city legend that folks solely believed due to the band’s picture. Cooper stated that they wished a reputation that did not match with how they sounded. To them, a reputation like Alice Cooper appeared like a grandmother greater than a shock rock band.

Blink-182 Simply Wanted To Keep away from A Lawsuit

Blink-182 bought their title the best way a stunning quantity of bands do: to keep away from a lawsuit. The band recorded their first album beneath simply the title Blink, however sadly for them, an Irish band had the identical title and had launched an album simply months earlier than them.

Blink was pressured to alter and added the “182” to the tip. An city legend says that the 182 stands for the variety of instances Al Pachino drops the f-bomb in Scarface however it has by no means been confirmed. By all accounts, the “182” is fairly meaningless.

The Velvet Underground Have been The Unique 50 Shades Of Gray

The Velvet Underground wasn’t very well-known throughout their authentic run between 1964 and 1973 as a result of, in all truthfully, they have been approach forward of their time. The band blended rock with the Avante-Garde, which wasn’t stunning since Andy Warhol managed them for a number of years.

Their title is as stunning and Avante-Garde for the time too. The band was impressed by a novel known as The Velvet Underground, which explored many grownup themes. In 1967, that was not going to endear the general public, however within the Nineteen Nineties, they’d change into worshipped as pioneers in different music.

Jethro Tull Modified Their Identify Every Week

One-of-a-kind blues-rock band, Jethro Tull, bought their title as a result of they could not e-book a repeat present. The group was struggling to get invitations again to a venue and started to assume up a brand new title every week in order that bookers would not realize it was the band who performed the weekend earlier than.

They ended up hiring an agent to e-book their exhibits till sooner or later that agent booked the band beneath the title Jethro Tull, after the 18th-century British farmer who invented the horse-drawn seed drill. Tull won’t precisely be the face of rock music, however beneath that title the band booked their first repeat gig and noticed it as an indication to maintain the title.

KISS Is not An Acronym

Anybody that grew up with KISS has a distinct concept of what it might stand for. The preferred concept is that it is an acronym for “Knight’s In Devil’s Service.” Others assume it might stand for “Preserve It Easy, Silly.”

The band members have denied all guesses that the phrase is an acronym. The extra seemingly model is that they named the band KISS after assembly a member of a band named Lips. Nobody is bound why they selected to capitalize the phrase, however all it has completed was open up the band to 1000’s of hypotheses.

Queens Of The Stone Age Need To Rock With The Girls Of The World

The choice rock group, Queens of the Stone Age, are notable for interesting to a number of completely different populations. From the midwest bluegrass to ’70s energy rockers, all of the band was lacking was the feminine demographic. In keeping with the band’s lead singer Josh Homme, their title was a aware alternative as a result of “Kings could be too macho.”

The band wished a reputation that will be “heavy sufficient for the boys and candy sufficient for the women.” Not precisely essentially the most inclusive, however we won’t blame them for attempting. It should have labored although as a result of they have been even praised by Rolling Stone for his or her capacity to enchantment to the plenty.

The Weeknd Left House Perpetually On A Weekend

Chart-topping R&B singer, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye modified his title to The Weeknd for a fairly sentimental motive. The singer instructed a Reddit Ask Me Something that he adopted the title when he was 17 and dropped out of college then left house for good on a weekend.

What concerning the lacking E although? As standard with singers, it was dropped due to a copyright subject. A Canadian band already existed known as The Weekend, so as an alternative of getting to brainstorm a brand new title he simply dropped the E. With out the E the title seems to be approach cooler, so it labored out in his favor.

Individuals Thought Pleasure Division Have been Nazi Sympathizers

It is a shock to many after they hear that Pleasure Division named themselves after part of Nazi focus camps. In WW2, the “pleasure division” of a camp was what Nazi’s known as the world of focus camps the place all of the youthful girls have been held in. It’s because most of the officers would go to the world to assault the younger girls.

The band stated they wished a reputation that associated to WW2 as a result of a number of their mother and father fought throughout it, and so they wished to pay homage to the battle, however selecting Pleasure Division actually would not appear to be it was the most suitable choice.

Bob Dylan Simply Knew His Actual Identify Would By no means Take Off

Solely the die-hard Dylan followers will know that his final title is not really Dylan. Born Robert Zimmerman, the singer-songwriter started performing in his late teenagers beneath his authentic title. His biographer wrote that the singer was a giant fan actor Matt Dillon and selected to undertake his final title. The title was modified from Dillon to Dylan after the singer learn the works of poet Dylan Thomas.

Dylan has at all times been sincere that he knew the title given to him was not suited to him. And, let’s be sincere, Robert Zimmerman would not have the identical ring to it so it was a superb name to undertake the title change.

The Barenaked Girls Can Thank Bob Dylan For Their Identify

Even when you do not know concerning the treasure of Canadian alt-rock, everybody seems to be twice after they learn this band’s unusual title. Steven Web page and Ed Robertson, the 2 founders of the Barenaked Girls, have been attending a Bob Dylan live performance in Toronto in 1988. The 2 bought bored and started brainstorming some band names to move the time.

Quick-forward a number of months later, Robertson entered right into a battle of the bands and needed to give you a reputation for his makeshift title on the fly, and “Barenaked Girls” stood out in his reminiscence from the Dylan live performance. Web page could not imagine Robertson really used that title, however it has served them properly. I imply, what different bands commonly function an electrical double bass and may pull it off?

Stone Temple Pilots Reverse-Engineered An Acronym

Generally it is not the title that comes first, however an acronym. The grunge-rock band signed to their first document deal beneath the title Mighty Joe Younger however the document label wished them to alter it. In keeping with the band members, they have been impressed by STP Motor Oil and beloved the initials, however wanted to connect some phrases to it.

They performed round with a bunch of choices together with “Shirley Temple’s [expletive]” and “Stereo Temple Pirates” and Pungent Rest room Paper” till they lastly landed on Stone Temple Pilots. So as to add some extra enjoyable, STP can also be a slang time period for a psychedelic drug.

Weapons N’ Roses Have been Simply Plain Lazy

The legendary rockers could have had some fairly artistic and masterful songs, however their band title was fairly uncreative. Lead singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin have been within the band Hollywood Rose. Stradlin had a roommate in a band known as L.A. Weapons who wanted a brand new lead singer.

The 2 bands joined forces and mixed the names in Weapons and Roses. They finally determined the “and” was too wordy and adjusted it to Weapons N’ Roses. Combining the 2 names might sound lazy however their different concepts weren’t superb. Some rejected names have been “AIDS” and “Heads of Amazon.”

Duran Duran Was Named After A Horny Sci-Fi Movie

Duran Duran shaped in 1978 and started performing small gigs round England. One membership that they performed at typically was known as Barbarella’s, which was named after a 1968 sci-fi movie. Within the movie, Jane Fonda (sure, Jane Fonda) performs Barbarella, a horny house adventurer who’s tasked with discovering the mad scientist who invented a superweapon laser.

That scientist was Mr. Durand Durand. He wasn’t the nicest man and at one level even tried to kill Barbarella by putting her in a machine that kills the particular person with “deadly sexual pleasure.” Perhaps Duran Duran was simply attempting to present the world extreme pleasure of their music.

Linkin Park’s Identify Was A Matter Of Practicality

Linkin Park’s iconic title really finds its origins in California. The platinum-selling artists named their band after Lincoln Park in Santa Monica. The title was created by Chester Bennington, the beloved lead singer who sadly handed away in July 2017.

Chester would drive previous Lincoln Park on his option to the studio however came upon that the online area for Lincoln Park was already taken. As a substitute, they altered the spelling. It was merely a matter of practicality.

Arcade Hearth Bought Their Identify From A Literal Arcade Hearth…Perhaps

Arcade Hearth’s title is nearly as impossibly hip because the band’s reside exhibits. Keep in mind after they wished to set a costume code for a rock efficiency? Why not? Frontman Win Butler admitted that he named his stadium indie rock undertaking after a literal hearth in an arcade. Butler isn’t positive whether or not or not the story is a real one, however in his thoughts, this arcade positively lit up.

“It’s based mostly on a narrative that somebody instructed me. It’s not an precise occasion, however one which I took to be actual. I might say that it’s most likely one thing that the child made up, however on the time I believed him,” he instructed Pitchfork.

What The Heck Does Chumbawamba Imply?

Chumbawamba dominated airwaves with their 1997 hit “Tubthumping.” It was sufficient to boost a band constructed on punk beliefs to mainstream success – if just for a second. Tubthumper hit quantity three on the Billboard 200 and bought over 3.2 million information, however the band left many ’90s kids questioning, “what the heck does that title imply?”

Chumbawamba’s title could also be one of many largest mysteries of the ’90s, however it’s really fairly easy. It’s pure nonsense that was used to label bogs in a membership. The ladies’s room was “wamba” and the boys’s was “chumba.” Chumbawamba featured vocals from women and men, so it is smart.

Vampire Weekend Was Initially The Identify Of A Movie Challenge

The indie rock band that principally outlined Pitchfork’s sound desire for the higher a part of the early 2000s shaped at Columbia College. It additionally took that Ivy League sense of dedication to give you a reputation. Whereas in school, frontman Ezra Koenig was engaged on a movie undertaking titled Vampire Weekend (this was again when Twilight was tremendous fashionable and vampires have been the “it” monster).

The movie adopted a person named Walcot who needed to save Cape Cod from a vampire invasion. Koenig by no means completed his movie, however he did borrow the title for his model new band. Walcot even bought his personal track.

Daft Punk Impressed Phoenix

Should you like Phoenix, you need to be kissing the bottom Daft Punk walks on. Although the bands sound nothing alike, Phoenix couldn’t have existed with out the French digital duo – at the very least not the title. Earlier than Phoenix launched their first album, guitarist Lauren Brancowitz was in a band with Daft Punkers Thomas Bangalter and Man-Manuel de Homem-Christo known as Darlin’.

Darlin’ finally broke up and lead Bangalter and Man-Manuel to idiot round with digital music. Brancowitz went on to kind an unnamed indie rock undertaking. When Daft Punk launched Homework, the track “Phoenix” impressed Brancowitz and he adopted the title. Pheonix started releasing singles in 1999 and dropped their debut album United in 2000.

Eddie Vedder’s Grandma’s Jam Impressed The Identify Pearl Jam

Nineteen Nineties rock legends Pearl Jam haven’t been fully upfront over the best way they landed on their iconic title. Generally it’s reported that the band was named after the peyote jam Eddie Vedder’s great-grandmother used to make. It’s additionally reported that they’re named after NBA star Mookie Blaylock’s nickname. It’s additionally slang for male ejaculation, however Vedder completely denies that one. Vedder claimed they named themselves Pearl Jam merely due to how pearls are made.

“The title is in reference to the pearl itself … and the pure course of from which a pearl comes from. Principally, taking excrement or waste and turning it into one thing lovely,” he stated. This isn’t actually correct contemplating pure pearls are shaped when an irritant (like a parasite) finds its approach inside an oyster, however who’s going to inform him? He’s a musician, not a marine biologist!

Aerosmith’s Identify Was Rejected By Bandmates

Joey Kramer really got here up with the title Aerosmith earlier than he ever performed with Stephen Tyler or Joe Perry. He was listening to Harry Nilsson’s “Aerial Ballet” together with his girlfriend when the couple determined to ring off cool, fictional band names that had the phrase “aero” in them.

He stumbled upon Aerosmith however the band he was in on the time rejected his concept. As quickly as Kramer joined up with the poisonous twins, he satisfied them to make use of the band title, however he first needed to guarantee them that it didn’t have something to do with Arrowsmith, the Sinclair Lewis novel they learn in highschool.

The Identify Def Leppard Occurred Earlier than The Band Even Shaped

Def Leppard rose to fame with their 1981 album Excessive n’ Dry and shortly grew to become one of many bands to outline Eighties hair steel. Hysteria, the band’s fourth album, has been licensed platinum 12 instances and bought over 25 million copies worldwide. Like Aerosmith, the title Def Leppard occurred earlier than the band Def Leppard occurred.

Throughout English class, singer Joe Elliot wrote critiques of imaginary bands. One in all these imaginary bands was known as “Deaf Leopard.” The title sounds fairly darn heavy, so Tony Kenning, the percussionist within the band’s authentic lineup, urged altering the spelling to make it sound much less punk.

Chvrches Was Drained Of Competing With Jesus In Web Searches

Scottish indie pop band Chvrches is a reputation born within the Web age the place search energy is virtually foreign money. The band picked the title “Church buildings” for the very unglamorous motive many bands select their names – it simply sounds cool. Lauren Mayberry, the undertaking’s high-energy frontwoman, stated their title “has no spiritual connotation, [they] simply thought it sounded cool.” So the place did the “V” come about?

The band was “drained” of competing with Jesus on Web searches, and in Amy Burrows’ single art work for the band, the U already regarded like a V. One swap and so they have been immediately searchable on Google. Drawback solved.

The Rolling Stones Have been Impressed By Muddy Waters

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first met at major college in Dartford, England. Collectively, the pair went on to revolutionize rock music, however they didn’t begin out that approach. Earlier than the Rolling Stones ever existed, the band was known as Blues, Inc. They reduce a demo that was mercilessly rejected by EMI and drummer Tony Chapman left to go to artwork college.

It was round this time that the band determined to alter their title. Muddy Waters was a huge affect on the band’s blues-tinged rock ‘n’ roll. They determined to call their band after his track “Rollin’ Stone” — and the remainder is historical past.

P!ATD Took Their Identify From A Band Known as Identify Taken

Panic! At The Disco had a kind of names that epitomized Myspace-era emo – the random punctuation and the truth that it was nearly a whole sentence by itself. Some individuals imagine the title was taken from “Panic” by the ’80s British pop band The Smiths. This isn’t the case.

In keeping with singer Brendon Urie (who now stars in Kinky Boots on Broadway), the title comes from “Panic,” a track by the U.S. indie band Identify Taken. The lyrics go “Panic on the disco/Sat again and took it gradual/Are you nervous?/Are you shaking?” Relaxation assured, there’s no approach an artist as well-versed as Urie doesn’t see the irony in the truth that he took his band title from a band known as Identify Taken.

Fall Out Boy Bought Their Identify From The Simpsons

Earlier than Fall Out Boy ever thanked you for the mmrs, the band have been younger musicians with out a title. They’d the drive, they’d the songs, and so they even performed the exhibits, however the title was an afterthought. It wasn’t till they performed their second gig {that a} fan would rechristen them “Fall Out Boy” after a personality in The Simpsons.

The incident occurred when singer Pete Wentz had modified their title to one thing extra mental for his or her second gig. As quickly as the brand new title rolled off his tongue, a fan screamed, “[expletive] that! No, you’re Fall Out Boy!” It was what it was. Some issues are supposed to be.

Rivers Cuomo Has Bronchial asthma, Begins Weezer

Weezer’s title got here out swinging from the trenches of an elementary college playground. It was a kind of endearing insults kids so carelessly throw round earlier than they study that you simply shouldn’t make enjoyable of individuals (at the very least to their faces!).

Rising up, singer Rivers Cuomo suffered from bronchial asthma, and in consequence, his buddies (and sure a number of playground bullies) would name him “Weezer.” It was a nickname he was unable to shake and the proper title for a band so closely rooted in nerd tradition and school radio rock. Weezer proves {that a} bully’s insult might simply remodel right into a platinum-selling artist with a decades-long profession so long as you have got the fitting spin.

The 1975 Had Practically 10 Different Names

The 1975 went by means of a number of completely different incarnations since frontman Matty Healy assembled the band in 2002. Their most acknowledged former title is Drive Like I Do (and a pair music movies of beforehand launched, pre-1975 tracks are nonetheless floating round YouTube). Additionally they glided by Me And You Versus Them, Perpetually Having fun with Intercourse, Talkhouse, The Slowdown, and Bigsleep. As Drive Like I Do, the band commonly carried out Fall Out Boy covers and wrote a number of the 1975’s largest hits (that sounded barely much less like hits with out the label’s recording price range). The 1975 stumbled upon their eventual title in a e-book of beat poetry Healy bought from an artist.

“On the again web page there have been a great deal of suicidal messages and it was dated ‘1st June, The 1975’,” he instructed Fame Journal. “Using the phrase ‘The’ previous the date actually caught with me.”

Pink Floyd Combines The Names Of Two Blues Musicians

Pink Floyd is one other artist who’s gone by means of a litany of names. Some of the regrettable was “Tea Set” (yup, it will possibly at all times be worse). Again when Pink Floyd was known as Tea Set, they discovered themselves on a invoice with a band that had the identical title – what are the chances?

In a pinch, one of many members got here up with another: The Pink Floyd Sound. The title got here from two blues musicians – Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. The band flip-flopped between Tea Set and The Pink Floyd Sound till they lastly settled on The Pink Floyd. “The” wasn’t dropped till the ’70s.

System Of A Down Is Poetic

You don’t ever anticipate actual, real poetry to be flowing from a rap-rock band like System of a Down, however the band’s guitarist Daron Malakian is definitely a poet. He wrote the very poem that led to the band’s iconic title. The poem was known as “Victims of a Down.”

“It comes from a poem our guitarist, Daron [Malakian], had written known as ‘Victims Of A Down’. He introduced it to us and ‘System’ was chosen as a greater, stronger phrase as a result of it makes it into the ‘entire’ as an alternative of the individuals specifically. It’s the society,” stated singer Serj Tankian in an interview.

Chubby Checker Needed To Rival Fat Domino

Chubby Checker invented the twist, a dance transfer that’s saved alive on the dance flooring of weddings and bar mitzvahs. The Nineteen Fifties rocker’s dance strikes have been as soon as a official craze again within the days when Fat Domino dominated the airwaves.

Ernest Evans considered his title to rival his modern Fat Domino, who had eleven high 10 hits between 1955 and 1960. Evans already had the nickname “Chubby” and determined to present himself the surname “Checker.” It was a superb transfer which helped launch the artist into large success and pave the best way for contemporary rock ‘n’ roll.

Lana Del Rey Is not Her Actual Identify

Earlier than she was Lana Del Rey, she was Elizabeth Grant. However for Grant, she wished her music to evoke particular emotions, and her title needed to evoke these emotions too. So, the “Summertime Unhappiness” singer envisioned a reputation to form her music round.

“I wished a reputation I might form the music in direction of,” Grant instructed Vogue journal. “I used to be going to Miami rather a lot on the time, talking a number of Spanish with my buddies from Cuba – Lana Del Rey reminded us of the glamour of the seaside.”

Coldplay Was Virtually Known as Starfish

Coldplay is already an obscure title, however frontman Chris Martin wished the group to be known as Starfish. However when Martin’s fellow good friend and musician who was in a band named Coldplay ditched the title, Martin requested if his group might use it.

The unique Coldplay too their title from an anthology of kids’s poem known as Little one’s Reflections: Chilly Play. At the moment, the second Coldplay has bought greater than 72 million albums worldwide.

Film Subtitles Impressed !!! (Chk Chk Chk)

!!! is already one of many weirder band names on the market, prompting practically everybody to surprise how their title is even pronounced. Unsurprisingly, the origin of the band’s title is simply as obscure because the title itself.

The post-punk group bought their title from the ’80s South African film known as

The Gods Should Be Loopy. Within the fil, the Khoisan language was subtitled utilizing solely a collection of exclamation factors. The band thought it was fascinating and selected ‘!!!’ in consequence. For these questioning, it is pronounced “chk, chk, chk.”