# Best rock& roll names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947 "2005-07-18T05:58:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/21 "2005-07-18T15:03:32Z")
I remember hearing some comedy segment on the radio called “Rock Minute with Ian St. Ian”. That has to go up there somewhere. (The only other thing I remember about the sketch was, “Rock Minute is brought to you by Gibson and Marshall. If you don’t play Gibson and Marshall, you’re a wanker!”) ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/22 "2005-07-18T15:11:28Z")
Nikki Sixx I second Alice Cooper. George Thorogood just _sounds_ good, but I’m not sure it’s spelled right. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/23 "2005-07-18T15:35:30Z")
> [@Snowboarder Bo](#): > > [Snakefinger](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455FDD6653B2DFC93&sql=11:2c8j1vajzzpa~T1) > [Darby Crash](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455FAD665392DFC93&sql=11:eikxlfae5cqt~T1) > [Johnny Thunders](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455FAD6633A2DFC93&sql=11:lk9ks31ya3xg~T1) > [Billy Zoom](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455FBD664392DFC93&sql=11:9e548qbbbtz4~T1) > [Johnny Rotten](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455F4D6663E2DFC93&sql=11:6267gjqrj6ia~T1) > > and my favorite… > > [Blind Marky Felchtone](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455F4D665392DFC93&searchlink=ZEKE&uid=CAW040507180238&samples=1&sql=11:fem1z83aoyv3~T1) How can you say Billy Zoom and not mention [Exene Cervenka?](http://www.exenecervenka.com/history.htm) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/24 "2005-07-18T15:36:00Z")
Mick Jagger sounds very rock n roll to me. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/25 "2005-07-18T15:40:13Z")
Jack Black (of Tenacious D) Mark Sandman (of Morphine) Poison Ivy Rorschach (of the Cramps) Lux Interior (of the Cramps) Reverend Horton Heat (aka Jim Heath) The Edge (aka David Evans, of U2) Mike Ness (of Social Distortion) Neko Case Sharin Foo (of the Raveonettes) Roddy Radiation (of the Specials) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/26 "2005-07-18T15:41:18Z")
I can’t believe I’m the first: David St. Hubbins Nigel Tufnel Mick Shrimpton Derek Smalls Spinal Tap ROCKS! (Sorry, no umlauts)… ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/27 "2005-07-18T15:55:36Z")
Shark Darkwater of _They Eat Their Own_. Coolest. Name. Ever. Runner-up: Kyle Kyle of _Bang Tango_. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/28 "2005-07-18T16:20:35Z")
Larry Parnes created a whol subset of stage names for his stable of performers: Richard Knellar = Dickie Pride Ray Howard = Duffy Power John Askew = Johnny Gentle Roy Taylor = Vince Eager Ronnie Wycherley = Billy Fury Tommy Hicks = Tommy Steel Apparently Joe Brown refused Parnes’s suggestion of Elmer Twitch… ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/29 "2005-07-18T17:47:46Z")
The only name that matters…Joe Strummer. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/30 "2005-07-18T17:52:39Z")
That Jethro Tull dude’s gotta cool name. Yes, I know. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/31 "2005-07-18T18:32:34Z")
Rat Scabies, from the Damned Leon Redbone (although not rock n roll) Matthias Jabs, from the Scorpions. All the Scorpions, really, nothing says authentic-umlaut-metal better than a German name ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/32 "2005-07-18T18:44:00Z")
**Johnny Rotten** of the Sex Pistols was named by a bandmate (Vicious?) He had green teeth, and he wasn’t into bathing. (possibly inaccurate quote) “He was the nastiest geezer I ever met.” By “geezer” he didn’t mean “old man.” They used “geezing up” to mean “injecting heroin.” ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/33 "2005-07-18T19:05:23Z")
Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/34 "2005-07-18T19:15:02Z")
**Guy Mann Dude** ---
**Author:** ![Butterscotch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Butterscotch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Butterscotch)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/35 "2005-07-18T19:15:13Z")
Buster Bloodvessel. [http://www.jasonwest.com/Bad%20Manners.htm](http://www.jasonwest.com/Bad%20Manners.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/36 "2005-07-18T19:17:10Z")
Real: **Tom Waits**. There’s a nice, elegant simplicity to it. A phrase as evocative as “Jesus wept.” Assumed: **Captain Sensible** from The Damned. I wish I would have thought of this name first. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/37 "2005-07-18T19:17:11Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > **Johnny Rotten** of the Sex Pistols was named by a bandmate (Vicious?) Couldn’t have been Vicious; he didn’t join the band until they were already notorious. Was it Malcolm McLaren who came up with the name? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/38 "2005-07-18T19:49:05Z")
**Elton John**. The name’s become an institution. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/39 "2005-07-18T20:12:33Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Elton John. The name’s become an institution A name he made up by borrowing from fellow Bluesology bandmates:(Jazz saxaphonist) **Elton** Dean & (My fave Brit Bluesman) Long **John** Baldry. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/40 "2005-07-18T20:22:13Z")
All mine have been taken…though Iggy Pop deserves to be mentioned twice. How 'bout…Stiv Bators. Or oldies but goodies: (Sweet) Gene Vincent and Jerry Lee Lewis And for god sake - Little Richard! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947.md?page=3)