# Band Names: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 2, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043 "2006-05-02T02:29:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/41 "2006-05-02T17:48:47Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The best band name ever (espcially since they were a bar band): [Free Beer](http://tinyurl.com/ghhl3). Always drew a crowd That worked really well for Barenaked Ladies as well! > [@WhyNot](#): > > On the other side of the coin, Revolting Cocks is just too embarrassing to ask for in a record store. Hell no it isn’t! I’ve never heard of them, but I feel the need to go ask every record store in town for them now! Most of my favorites have been mentioned, but I have to throw in **My Chemical Romance**. I think that’s a great band name. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/42 "2006-05-02T17:56:12Z")
I want to play!! In no particular order: **Nashville Pussy** **It Bites** **Spock’s Beard** **Zilla** and a local Phoenix band, **Jesus Chrysler, Supercar** ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/43 "2006-05-02T18:07:12Z")
> [@fetus](#): > > _The Who_ is a great name because they could’ve gone through an entire career without spending more than 20 seconds coming up with a name for any one album. And you know the first time you heard of them you played a little Abbott and Costello routine in your head. Admit it. Yes, I wondered about Them (I mean The Band.) I wonder what their name is and I can’t Guess Who. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/44 "2006-05-02T18:07:32Z")
> [@ddgryphon](#): > > Broken English… Broken English was a national act in the early 80s. They did Eno-ish New Wave, with a Go4 bassline and muted guitar, minor chords on a Casio organ, female vocalist and suggestively random lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/45 "2006-05-02T18:24:23Z")
I like **Rusted Root** and **Poi Dog Pondering**. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/46 "2006-05-02T18:53:26Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > Broken English was a national act in the early 80s. They did Eno-ish New Wave, with a Go4 bassline and muted guitar, minor chords on a Casio organ, female vocalist and suggestively random lyrics. Really, were they American – maybe they went national? I’ll have to check on that, but they played locally in Louisville a lot in the late 70’s early 80’s. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/47 "2006-05-02T19:06:43Z")
Popped in again to mention one that I’m torn about: **Toad the Wet Sprocket**. I can’t decide if I hate it, or if it’s pure genius. Probably the latter. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/48 "2006-05-02T19:17:03Z")
> [@Othersider](#): > > I cannot stress just how much I would like to echo this exact sentiment. > Personally, I tend to like names that come from conversational snippets (e.g., Three Dog Night, Hootie & the Blowfish, Better Than Ezra). For some reason, they usually agree with me. Another one I like is Ben Folds Five, which I find quite amusing (since there were only three of them). I’d really like to find out how they settled on that name, just because of the apparently inherent contradiction. 😃 > > I’ve never liked the name Weezer. Something about it doesn’t sit right with me. I also don’t like band names you can’t say without pausing in the middle, or write without developing a hand cramp. Two examples that leap to mind: …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, and I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness. If you can’t fit it on one line of a normal marquee, it’s too long. I don’t care if anyone thinks it’s artsy or cool; most of the world thinks it’s terrible. > > And just because I can, I’d like to mention _again_ that Hoobastank is my number one candidate for “Ugliest Band Name.” Seriously, what were those dorks thinking? :smack: Hey, you stole my entire post. Another band name that I dislike is **Neutral Milk Hotel.** I tend to like simpler names, and one of the best, in my opinion, is **Cursive.** ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/49 "2006-05-02T19:51:17Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Yes, I wondered about Them (I mean The Band.) I wonder what their name is and I can’t Guess Who. You mean you Wonder Who their name is. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/50 "2006-05-02T20:06:02Z")
I liked Nirvana, both the band, and the name. IIRC, Cobain chose it, and it had a tragic relevance for him: one definition of the word ‘nirvana’ is ‘total peace after death’ and it’s derived from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘a blowing out’. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/51 "2006-05-02T20:14:07Z")
Completely OT: > [@F. U. Shakespeare](#): > > I liked Nirvana, both the band, and the name. > > IIRC, Cobain chose it, and it had a tragic relevance for him: one definition of the word ‘nirvana’ is ‘total peace after death’ and it’s derived from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘a blowing out’. Another quasi-literal translation is “extinction.” Nirvana might be my favorite word in any language because of those connotations. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/52 "2006-05-02T20:21:21Z")
Just for the sheer badassedness it’s hard to beat Black Flag. Also in the good column: Mayhem Motorhead Grand Funk Railroad High on Fire Public Enemy Helloween Brutal Truth Sick of It All The Bad: Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam Husker Du Right Said Fred Gorillaz The Ugly: A.C. (I’m not spelling it out, and you don’t really want to know) G.G. Allin and the Murder Junkies Pungent Stench Pissing Razors ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/53 "2006-05-02T22:16:55Z")
> [@ddgryphon](#): > > Really, were they American – maybe they went national? I’ll have to check on that, but they played locally in Louisville a lot in the late 70’s early 80’s. Well, I can’t think of any reason why you’d lie. I just remember hearing them on a late-night “Import/Export” radio show when I was 14 or 15. Could evry well be two bands with the same name. I was just talking to an old friend, and was reminded that she used to date a guy named Thing, who looked like a cross between Grog from B.C., Animal from The Muppet Show, and Charles Manson from, well, Corcoran State Prison. He was in a band with his brother (sometimes called Thing2) called **The Fertility Rite Brothers**. ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/54 "2006-05-02T22:17:19Z")
British folk bands: Deaf Shepherd Edward II and the Red-Hot Polkas The Barley Works Three Men and a Dog ---
**Author:** ![david973](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/258eb7/32.png) [@david973](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/david973)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/55 "2006-05-03T02:56:11Z")
The studio my band rehearses at had three sheets of paper posted at the front door. . .“If you haven’t picked a name for your band yet, remember that these are taken:” My few favorites: Honest Bob and the Factory to Dealer Incentives Kathleen Turner Overdrive Fat Chick From Wilson Philips Hornets Attack Victor Mature The Dancing French Liberals of 1848 Names we came up with, but rejected: High Atop Gary Coleman Low Toner and the Feed Jam Save Your Fork There’s Pie The one we went with: Suburban Genius. Not in the band anymore, but those names stuck with me 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/56 "2006-05-03T04:23:03Z")
Some I like: Bright Eyes The Books The Folk Implosion (the opposite of Jon Spencer’s Blues Explosion, I think) Taproot Sun Kil Moon ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/57 "2006-05-03T06:32:22Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] The Who is another great simple name. The Beatles. ABBA for being an acromyn and a palidrone. [/QUOTE] I think The Who is one of the all time names. Simple, short, and a bit of a mindbender. It requires an out of the box thinking to recongnize that this might be something besides a verbal mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/58 "2006-05-03T08:24:24Z")
I really like Rasputina. It’s pretty, it memorable and it fits their music well. Spinal Tap also works really well as a band name. ---
**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:** [May 3, 2006, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/59 "2006-05-03T08:57:18Z")
I have too many of these to list, but I will echo the sentiment that **Hoobastank** is one of the all-time worst band names ever. I will also agree that **Slayer** is one of the best band names (and one of the best bands) ever. As John Fishman put it in **Phish** ’s video _It_ (another great band name, btw), “if you are going to call yourself something like **Slayer** , you must slay… and they do!” Band’s I used to see and love when I lived in Tallahassee had great names: **Darth Vader’s Church** (they were forced thru a lawsuit from Lucasfilm to change the name to **DVC** ) **Magic Juan** **The Giving Heads** **I Cheated Death** **Gothic Playground** **The Casual Ts** **Gruel** Heck, even the clubs in Tallahasse had great names: **Late Night Library** **The Milkbar** **The Wherehouse** **The Musical Moon** **The Grand Finale** **Cowhaus** and of course, I love the name of my own project band for rock and roll mayhem: **Pittman Wash**. ---
**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:** [May 3, 2006, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043/60 "2006-05-03T09:09:30Z")
[QUOTE=duffer] GWAR. (A bunch of frat guys from Connecticut (?).) Beats the shit out of Hootie and the Blowfish in non-sensical band names. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Actually, they’re from Virginia. And depending on who you listen to, **GWAR** is either a nonsense word, or an acronym for **G** od **W** hat an **A** wful **R** acket or **G** ay **W** omen **A** gainst **R** ape (as seen in a panel of the _Watchmen_ comic book). The band was first concieved as an experiment in marketing strategy by a group of students at VCU, and thanks to a ridiculous and over-the-top stage show, quickly grew to epic proportions. You can read more about them [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwar). Having met them on several occassions, I can tell y’all that they are a bunch of fun and funny people. They are almost as entertaining in real life as they are on stage, although there is less fake blood spurting everywhere when they are not on stage (real life can be _so_ mundane). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/355043.md?page=4)