# Bands with letters in their names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776 "2017-03-22T17:36:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [March 22, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/41 "2017-03-22T20:37:01Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Though it never really got off the ground, there was, briefly (late 1980-early 1981), a supergroup entitled [XYZ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XYZ_%28UK_band%29), for “Ex Yes and Zeppelin”; it featured Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin (Robert Plant was invited, but opted out after one rehearsal), and Chris Squire and Alan White of Yes. Somewhat more successful were the side projects **Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe** (ABWH) and the currently touring **Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman** (ARW). > [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > GTR - their name was an abbreviation of “guitar”; their album infamously received a review that read, in its entirety, “SHT.” There was a concert review for the band **GWAR** which simply read: “GWHY?” However, the members of GWAR claim that their name doesn’t stand for anything. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/42 "2017-03-22T20:49:16Z")
[STRFKR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoX9WIM6OoY), formerly Starfucker but changed so their name wouldn’t run afoul of the FCC and limit their marketing reach. Pronounced as the individual letters by DJs and as “starfucker” by most everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/43 "2017-03-22T20:54:22Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Y&T (Yesterday and Today) Heh. I was going to mention them. My sister was a groupie of theirs. [ABC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNEdxZURTaI) ---
**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:** [March 22, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/44 "2017-03-22T21:00:56Z")
Everyone forgot **OMC**? How bizarre. Anyway, it stood for “Otara Millionaire’s Club”, apparently. Who knew. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/45 "2017-03-22T21:13:26Z")
Do The Bee Gees count? ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/46 "2017-03-22T21:31:28Z")
Everyone’s already forgotten [LMFAO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8)? ---
**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:** [March 22, 2017, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/47 "2017-03-22T21:33:27Z")
Alas, none of them can play at [CBGB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBGB) any longer, as it closed in 2006. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/48 "2017-03-22T22:40:57Z")
**Drive-By Truckers** are also known as simply **DBT**. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/49 "2017-03-22T22:53:56Z")
Teddybears was once known as Teddybears STHLM (for Stockholm). > [@Pixel\_Dent](#): > > OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark) I’ve never listened to them much, but it was an embarrassingly long time before I realized that this wasn’t referring to two different groups. > [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > Everyone’s already forgotten [LMFAO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8)? Unfortunately, they just won’t fade into obscurity. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/50 "2017-03-22T22:57:26Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Mentioned in the OP. Duh, sorry I must have read right over that because I was so surprised in the other posts that it hadn’t come up! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/51 "2017-03-23T00:11:26Z")
Does Notorious B.I.G. count? (Individual not a band.) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/52 "2017-03-23T00:19:37Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Do The Bee Gees count? They should count, since BG originally stood for the Brothers Gibb. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/53 "2017-03-23T00:20:35Z")
Who can forget one hit wonders M with [Pop Musik](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPoiv0sZ4s4). There’s also M People. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/54 "2017-03-23T00:25:59Z")
[UFOmammut](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb-sirShJKw) (epic stoner sludge from space) [YOB](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AanI4VZe-E) (epic stoner doom from Oregon) [CL](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o4Zj98FeX4) (epic gangsta K-Pop) [Drain STH](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7thNPgvU6M) (Swedish headbangers) [M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPoiv0sZ4s4) (Pop music) [PSY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0) (K-Pop music) [HEX](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyyio-A0qq8) (epic J-Jazz) How about bands with numbers? I got [54●40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r1J0JY0bOo) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/55 "2017-03-23T00:33:56Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPoiv0sZ4s4) (Pop music) Beat ya to it. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/56 "2017-03-23T00:40:26Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > They should count, since BG originally stood for the Brothers Gibb. [A legend](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_Gees#1955.E2.80.931966:_Music_origins.2C_Bee_Gees_formation_and_popularity_in_Australia). The three original members were Barry Gibb, Bill Gates & Bill Goode. They all had the initials BG. It was Gates that named them. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/57 "2017-03-23T00:50:46Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > There was a concert review for the band **GWAR** which simply read: “GWHY?” However, the members of GWAR claim that their name doesn’t stand for anything. God What A Racket (another urban legend) 😃 As well as SLAYER (Satan Laughs As You Eternally Rot) WASP (We Are Sexually Perverted) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mr.Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Me)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/58 "2017-03-23T03:00:11Z")
[X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_(American_band)) [HSAS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagar_Schon_Aaronson_Shrieve) [Flim & the BB’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flim_%26_the_BB%27s) [Z](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shampoohorn) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/59 "2017-03-23T03:17:11Z")
How about a triple bill with [DA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Amos), [The dB’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dB%27s), and [dc Talk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Talk) ---
**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:** [March 23, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776/60 "2017-03-23T03:38:58Z")
[Charged GBH,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charged_GBH) often known as GBH, which is short for “Grievous Bodily Harm”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-letters-in-their-names/782776.md?page=4)