# Bands that are or became numerically inconsistent **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494 "2017-12-14T14:04:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/21 "2017-12-14T17:00:23Z")
Nine Inch Nails is basically just Trent Reznor, right? Foo Fighters started out as just Dave Grohl, but the name was always plural. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/22 "2017-12-14T17:28:48Z")
**Seven Mary Three** - had neither 7, 3, nor a band member named Mary. ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/23 "2017-12-14T18:09:02Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Last week there was a Pentatonix Christmas special where the group consisted of only four members. > > I missed the beginning, so there might have been an explanation, and the group still lists five members. > [@MrDibble](#): > > Maybe they recorded it between the [one guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avi_Kaplan) leaving (amicably) and the new guy joining. That would be between September and October… The new guy, [Matt Sallee](http://www.tubefilter.com/2017/10/18/pentatonix-matt-sallee-tour-album/), performed all (or most of) the songs with the group in the recent Christmas special. The other four members, without the new guy, were in all the “in-between” spots like riding in the car with Jay Leno, etc. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/24 "2017-12-14T19:41:35Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > [We Five](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Five) started as a quartet before adding a fifth member. They created further confusion when they showed up for a live TV performance with six members. As shown [in this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_f16t1JGHo), the surprised producers had to put the drummer in front of the main stage, with the rest of the group on the stage. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/25 "2017-12-14T19:51:03Z")
I think Pizzicato Five has three (sometimes two) members. Powerman 5000 is 4,995 members short. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/26 "2017-12-14T20:06:42Z")
[5 Seconds of Summer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Seconds_of_Summer) has only four members – and to forestall the obvious objection, there are roughly 7,884,000 seconds of summer. ---
**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:** [December 14, 2017, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/27 "2017-12-14T20:30:19Z")
Blink-182 UB40 13th Floor Elevators ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/28 "2017-12-14T21:01:03Z")
Avenged Sevenfold has only ever had 5 members at any given time. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/29 "2017-12-14T21:11:02Z")
X started with 3 members but never went as high as 10. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/30 "2017-12-14T21:14:21Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > [5 Seconds of Summer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Seconds_of_Summer) has only four members – and to forestall the obvious objection, there are roughly 7,884,000 seconds of summer. I’ve lived in San Francisco. I find their name quite accurate. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/31 "2017-12-14T21:17:21Z")
In October 1971 **The Allman Brothers Band** should have been renamed **Duane Allman’s Brother’s Band**. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/32 "2017-12-14T21:26:13Z")
Sammy Davis, Jr. says in his autobiography that he was billed as the Will Mastin Trio, Starring Sammy Davis, Jr. even after both his father and Will Mastin left. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/33 "2017-12-14T21:51:53Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The Thompson Twins have had anywhere from 3 to 7 members at various times. None of whom were named Thompson, btw. And none were twins. **The Righteous Brothers** weren’t brothers, and probably weren’t very righteous. **Heaven 17** was a trio. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/34 "2017-12-14T21:57:48Z")
Five for Fighting is one guy. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/35 "2017-12-14T21:57:56Z")
U2 (Junk text to meet min. post length.) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/36 "2017-12-15T04:46:08Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > **Seven Mary Three** - had neither 7, 3, nor a band member named Mary. Named after _Adam-12_’s call sign. ---
**Author:** ![Lorne\_Armstrong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@Lorne\_Armstrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorne_Armstrong)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/37 "2017-12-15T07:50:04Z")
Robert Berry replaced Greg Lake for one album and ELP became 3. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/38 "2017-12-15T07:58:12Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > … > **1000 Homo DJs** was fewer than 1000 people, none of them (to my knowledge) is gay and none of them are or were DJs. To be fair, Al Jourganson probably has 1000 different bands/projects. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/39 "2017-12-15T08:29:47Z")
Can’t remember on which album Assfactor 4 were just a three-piece. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494/40 "2017-12-15T10:25:18Z")
> [@Lorne\_Armstrong](#): > > Robert Berry replaced Greg Lake for one album and ELP became 3. At least they were still a trio. The modern-day prog band [3,](http://theband3.com/) however, has four members (though they did start out as a trio.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-are-or-became-numerically-inconsistent/804494.md?page=3)