# Band names easily confused for one another **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977 "2009-09-29T15:18:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/21 "2009-09-29T16:59:03Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Black Crowes and Counting Crows. That’s one of the ones I always have to think about (even though I like one considerably more then the other). A few years ago a friend excitedly told me that she just got tickets to see the Crowes, my response…“Counting or Black?” (BTW Black Crowes with Jimmy Page was amazing). ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/22 "2009-09-29T17:06:02Z")
Different eras, but **[Doll by Doll](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3664428/British-rocks-lost-masterpiece.html)** and **[The Dresden Dolls](http://www.dresdendolls.com/bio/bio_theband.htm)** ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/23 "2009-09-29T17:14:23Z")
ELO and ELP. Though, if you spell the names out, probably not as confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/24 "2009-09-29T17:17:09Z")
There’s an awesome deathcore band from the UK called **Architects** , and I constantly find their CDs mixed in with a US pop/punk band called **The Architects**. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/25 "2009-09-29T17:20:54Z")
> [@BKReporter](#): > > The Verve and the Verve Pipe, even though their music styles are very different. Funny how they were popular at the same time, weird coincidence, I guess. I used to think [The Arrows](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arrows) and [The Arrows](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arrows_(Canadian_band)) were the same band! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/26 "2009-09-29T17:25:05Z")
> [@Indyellen](#): > > My favorites in this category are _Three Days Grace_, _Three Doors Down_ and _Third Eye Blind_. Similar styles, although not identical. They also all became popular at roughly the same time. They all copied Three Dog Night. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/27 "2009-09-29T17:26:00Z")
[Nirvana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(band)) and [Nirvana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(British_band)). Also, [The The](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_The) is easily confused for a typographical error. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/28 "2009-09-29T17:26:38Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > ELO and ELP. Though, if you spell the names out, probably not as confusing. You mean “Emerson, Lake, and O’Toole” and the “Electric Light Philharmonic”? ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@Clark\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_K)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/29 "2009-09-29T17:35:35Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > There’s **Dream Synicate** , **Dream Theater** , and The **Dream Academy** (not to mention **Dreams So Real** , **Tangerine Dream** , and **Eleventh Dream Day** ). > > I’m off to listen to some REM Speedwagon… For some reason (it’s the fruit connection, I guess) I always get Tangerine Dream mixed up with Depeche Mode. And I know someone who actually did think there was a band called REM Speedwagon. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/30 "2009-09-29T17:41:22Z")
Not my brain fart but several months ago I went to see The English Beat. Bad Manners was opening for them. Prior to the concert the boyfriend kept remarking what an odd pairing of bands it was. I had only the vaguest memory of Bad Manners but was pretty sure it was ska. Then he’s asking why they’d mix bands from two totally different eras. Huh? All this time he thought we were going to see Bad Company:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/31 "2009-09-29T17:46:37Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Splitting hairs. That’s about the same time, assuming you’re older than 18. For someone not really into music, 1997 is like 2000, and 2000 is like 2003, but there’s no way 2003 is like 1997. Was 1973 like 1967, musically? 1983 and 1977? 1993 and 1987? ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/32 "2009-09-29T17:47:00Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > In the days of hair bands there was White Snake, White Lion and Great White. Not being a fan of the genre I could never tell them apart. I think one of them might have been foreign. I always just call all of those shitty hair bands Great White Lion Snake. That includes Warrent, Quiet Riot, and all the others. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/33 "2009-09-29T18:02:41Z")
The most frustrating one is Opeth and Otep. The first one is a truly brilliant Swedish Progressive Death Metal band that has done a lot to influence the metal scene. The other was better known for a while and, well, they really weren’t any good . It was frustrating mentioning Opeth, having someone confuse them with Otep, Another one that bugs me is that both My Dying Bride and Dave Mathews Band are both probably equally well known by their initials MDB and DMB. Fortunately, they don’t do remotely similar genres, so it was really only confusing to me when a friend would mention DMB and I’d wonder why a hippy would would be into Doom. And while we’re on other metal bands: Novembre, November, and Novembers Doom; Soil and Soilwork; Emperor, Empyrium, Empire. And, really, why the hell do so many metal bands have to have “Dark” in their name? Dark Suns (awesome band, btw), Dark Tranquility, Dark Fortress, Dark Age, Dark Horizon, Darkane, Darkest Hour, Dark Side, Dark Throne… ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/34 "2009-09-29T18:05:38Z")
Speaking of November, I always confuse Thursday with Taking Back Sunday. I’ve even seen one of them in concert (opening for another band) and I can’t remember which one. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/35 "2009-09-29T18:20:11Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Black Crowes and Counting Crows. Not to mention Sheryl Crow ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/36 "2009-09-29T18:28:27Z")
Cameron Crowe, Gregory Peck… ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/37 "2009-09-29T18:30:48Z")
The line toward the end of You Only Get What You Give always made be double take because it said “Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson”. Beck’s name is Beck Hansen. So whenever anyone mentions Hanson I think of Beck. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/38 "2009-09-29T19:24:41Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The latter group was from the UK, so was billed in the US as “English Gypsy.” I wouldn’t be surprised if the name confusion hurt their careers. This happened a lot in the '80s. “Wham!” was briefly known by the awkward “Wham! UK” and “The Beat” was known as “The English Beat,” which is actually a cooler name. OK, so that’s not a lot of examples, but I vaguely recall there were many others. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/39 "2009-09-29T20:10:03Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > This happened a lot in the '80s. “Wham!” was briefly known by the awkward “Wham! UK” and “The Beat” was known as “The English Beat,” which is actually a cooler name. OK, so that’s not a lot of examples, but I vaguely recall there were many others. And Yazoo which was simply “Yaz” in the US ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977/40 "2009-09-29T20:53:15Z")
I too preferred The English Beat to just The Beat. Same for Charlatans UK versus The Charlatans. Not sure about Yaz vs Yazoo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-easily-confused-for-one-another/511977.md?page=3)