# Incorrect band name origins **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737 "2020-08-10T17:54:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/1 "2020-08-10T17:54:45Z")
Have you ever heard the name of a band, and some explanation of the origin of that name pops into your head, even though you know your idea is probably completely wrong? For example, when I first heard of the band Fleetwood Mac, my brain went “They’re named after a Cadillac Fleetwood and a Mack truck” (I didn’t know how they spelled it at the time). Or alternatively, a Fleetwood mobile home and a Mack truck. Those explanations are, of course, completely wrong. Have you ever done that – invented your own origin story for a band’s name, even though you know it’s most likely wrong? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/2 "2020-08-10T17:56:52Z")
When I was a kid, I figured that The Guess Who were somehow related to The Who. I was incorrect. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/3 "2020-08-10T18:10:43Z")
I always thought the idea of The Guess Who is that it was (supposedly ) made up of famous musicians. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2020, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/4 "2020-08-10T18:19:22Z")
As it turns out, you aren’t entirely wrong, @furryman. The Guess Who was originally Chad Allan & the Expressions (among other names), but their record label released one of their singles labeled as “Guess Who?”, trying to gain airplay by suggesting that maybe it had been recorded by a more famous act (and, thus, challenging DJs and music fans to figure out which famous act it was). It wasn’t, of course, but the name stuck. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/5 "2020-08-10T18:39:59Z")
And then, there was [The Wonder Who.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrsxpsFQxHs) ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/6 "2020-08-10T19:16:30Z")
Not something that popped into my head but something I read that was obviously wrong. I think it was the Bathroom Reader that said that Nine Inch Nails picked their name because nine inch nails are used in coffins. Not a coffin builder myself but I’m pretty sure they aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/7 "2020-08-10T19:19:17Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > When I was a kid, I figured that The Guess Who were somehow related to The Who. I wonbder if you saw the same ad that I did. Because I had the same impression, and I got it from misreading an ad for something (Tommy? I can’t be sure). ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/8 "2020-08-10T19:25:17Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > Not something that popped into my head but something I read that was obviously wrong. I think it was the Bathroom Reader that said that Nine Inch Nails picked their name because nine inch nails are used in coffins. If I remember correctly Nine Inch Nails was a reference to the nails used to crucify Jesus, wasn’t it? That said, it always makes me imagine a guy with extremely long fingernails, which is actually another good one for this thread. You also reminded me of the persistent story that Pearl Jam was named for a jam recipe that Eddie Vedder’s grandmother, Pearl, made. I’m pretty sure that’s not actually true either. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/9 "2020-08-10T19:38:30Z")
I’m sure I’m not the only one who interpreted ‘Bee Gees’ as from ‘Brothers Gibb’… (It IS from B.G., but it’s actually the initials of Barry, and two other people who were connected to the band in the background in the early days, Bill Gates (no relation) and Bill Goode.) ---
**Author:** ![I.Dunno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/10 "2020-08-10T20:01:19Z")
News to me. I always just assumed it was the brothers. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/11 "2020-08-10T21:53:39Z")
I never thought of an origin for Buffalo Springfield until I was at a race track that used a Buffalo Springfield steam roller painted purple. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/d6RorJ2JpZY/maxresdefault.jpg "Walk-Around Of A Buffalo-Springfield Roller At Vista, California 6-24-17") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6RorJ2JpZY) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/12 "2020-08-10T22:42:11Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > You also reminded me of the persistent story that Pearl Jam was named for a jam recipe that Eddie Vedder’s grandmother, Pearl, made. I’m pretty sure that’s not actually true either. I think that’s one of the band names you’ll never get a straight story for the origin. I’ve also heard that they’re either named after a basket ball player or the male ejaculate. ETA: yeah, it’s always jizz, like the Lovin’ Spoonful. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/13 "2020-08-10T22:52:39Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > ETA: yeah, it’s always jizz, like the Lovin’ Spoonful. And 10cc. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/14 "2020-08-10T23:13:41Z")
Re: Nine Inch Nails…I always kind of assumed it referred to Trent’s dick (9" is realistic, but still bragworthy). But looking it up, he says he just chose it for the abbreviation, rather than any meaning. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/15 "2020-08-10T23:48:24Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I think that’s one of the band names you’ll never get a straight story for the origin. I’ve also heard that they’re either named after a basket ball player or the male ejaculate. They started out calling themselves Mookie Blaylock, who was a basketball player. And yeah, they never explained why they ended up as Pearl Jam. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/16 "2020-08-11T02:01:34Z")
I’ve got a strange theory about the name _Queens Of The Stone Age._ ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/17 "2020-08-11T03:18:20Z")
I thought Nine Inch Nails was a reference to the Crucifixion of Jesus. Wikipedia says it’s just rumor. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/18 "2020-08-11T11:54:23Z")
I thought Sawyer Brown was named after a person or people in the band. It’s actually the name of a road in Nashville. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/19 "2020-08-12T20:11:35Z")
Somewhat pertinent to this thread is Encyclopaedia Britannica’s sad list of bands. They list, what, maybe 4% of them: > **[List of bands](https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-bands-2026814)** > > This is an alphabetically ordered list of bands. See also band, rock, alternative rock, popular music, heavy metal, grunge, psychedelic rock, punk, and country music. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incorrect-band-name-origins/917737/20 "2020-08-13T00:17:55Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > They list, what, maybe 4% of them: I’d move your decimal point several places to the left.