# Most obvious/straightforward rock band name that does not have a notable representative. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299 "2010-03-12T21:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/41 "2010-03-13T14:43:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Some names, however, might never have been used by any band ever if the people who came up with it that one time hadn’t formed a band - Toad the Wet Sprocket, UB40, Panic At The Disco!, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Your other examples are good, but the band UB40 named itself after the form that people use to file for unemployment in the UK. So a UB40 is a relatively well-known term among the British lower classes and another band might well have taken the name. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/42 "2010-03-13T16:25:43Z")
There’s a group called Dr. Acula who does largely songs that are named for Goosebumps book titles. I was wondering, is that considered common–like if there wasn’t already a Dr. Acula, would there be one? And is there a Frank 'n Stine? To google… ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/43 "2010-03-13T16:36:29Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > There’s a group called Dr. Acula who does largely songs that are named for Goosebumps book titles. I was wondering, is that considered common–like if there wasn’t already a Dr. Acula, would there be one? I think there would be, it seems like a pretty obvious play on “Dracula”. There was also a character named Dr. Acula in the Ed Wood movie [Night of the Ghouls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Ghouls), and Wikipedia gives me several other [uses of the name](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Acula) – including two bands that don’t seem to be the same one you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/44 "2010-03-13T16:46:25Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > … > Tokyo Sex Whale- TAKEN (not obvious, just one I ran across while Googling) > … We won’t ask what you were googling when you found that…:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/45 "2010-03-13T16:57:08Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > I think there would be, it seems like a pretty obvious play on “Dracula”. There was also a character named Dr. Acula in the Ed Wood movie [Night of the Ghouls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Ghouls), and Wikipedia gives me several other [uses of the name](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Acula) – including two bands that don’t seem to be the same one you’re talking about. Oh wow, I didn’t know that Dr. Acula was even an Ed Wood reference. Thought it was just a random configuration. Not too surprising, then. I keep thinking there “should” be more weaponry type names. Swords, pistols, daggers. There’s obviously Guns 'N Roses, but I’m blanking on other well known ones… ---
**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 13, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/46 "2010-03-13T17:06:22Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If you don’t like the thread perhaps you could find another to post in. It’s not that I don’t like the thread; it’s just that the OP is asking something I think is retarded. In fact, what he’s really asking is “hey let’s all make up some band names” and that’s a great way to waste some time and have some laughs. Now if the OP just wants to think up fun band names, well, that’s fine. It just doesn’t need to be phrased in the ludicrous manner it was, as it doesn’t take much to realize that the dictionary has more words in it than we’ve had successful rock and roll bands. And if you include multi-word phrases (i.e. The Hot Rods, The Bowling Balls, The Snuff Tins) then you’ve just upped the ante by several million usable phrases. I just followed the example given in the OP: I added “the” to single words and came up with a bunch of great band names just by looking at the first page of a dictionary. The notion that it’s difficult to come up with a band name is ludicrous, and that’s my point regarding the OP: it’s easy to come up with band names that are “obvious” and “straightforward” as described, and the vast majority of them will not have been used before by a “notable” band, since there have really been comparatively few “notable” bands. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/47 "2010-03-13T17:55:48Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > According to [allmusic.com](http://allmusic.com), there are twelve entries for bands with the name of Children or The Children. Some of these may be duplicates, but [Bruce Cockburn](http://www.brucecockburn.org/biography_1960s.htm) used to belong to a band called the Children, which appears to be different form this San Antonion outfit called [the Children](http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3zfwxq90ld0e~T1) (at around the same time.) There’s also a very popular Japanese band called [Mr. Children](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Children). I always thought it was kind of a creepy name. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/48 "2010-03-13T18:16:33Z")
Is there a Mr. Sparkle? Actually, I wonder if there are a huge number of Simpson spawned names. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/49 "2010-03-13T18:20:17Z")
I want to start a band called _Lead Singer and the Backups_. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/50 "2010-03-13T20:07:17Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I want to start a band called _Lead Singer and the Backups_. I love that one! ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/51 "2010-03-13T20:57:29Z")
> [@Freudian Slit](#): > > Is there a Mr. Sparkle? [Taken](http://www.myspace.com/mrsparkle22). > [@Claude\_Remains](#): > > The Quarks- Good to go! [Taken](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarks_(Band)). My idea was The Smokes, but apparently that’s taken as well. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/52 "2010-03-13T22:46:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I want to start a band called Lead Singer and the Backups. And then I’d have Lead Singer playing the drums just to confuse people. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/53 "2010-03-14T01:26:34Z")
> [@Quercus\_alba](#): > > We won’t ask what you were googling when you found that…:eek: Heh heh :p:D I was searching a website with a lengthy list of “weird band names.” ETA: Supposedly they’re somewhat well-known and put on a pretty good show: _Closing the night were Ottawa locals Tokyo Sex Whale who may very well be stoner rock’s answer to Sonic Youth, but I’m probably just saying that because they have a female bassist. TSW unfurled riff after ass rippin’ riff, and by the end of the night, my ass was as ripped as I was. Sadly, I was really too drunk to catch more than the first half of their set, but take my word for it: if you haven’t caught Tokyo Sex Whale live, you’re definitely missing out._ Better than Dread Zeppelin, though? Probably not. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/54 "2010-03-14T03:24:55Z")
The Straight Dopes ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/55 "2010-03-14T04:01:30Z")
the New Originals ahem ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/56 "2010-03-14T04:13:51Z")
The New Originals? Nah…that name sucks. Now, if you had suggested The Thamesmen…😛 ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/57 "2010-03-14T07:12:25Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > Heh heh :p:D > > I was searching a website with a lengthy list of “weird band names.” > > ETA: Supposedly they’re somewhat well-known and put on a pretty good show: > > _Closing the night were Ottawa locals Tokyo Sex Whale who may very well be stoner rock’s answer to Sonic Youth, but I’m probably just saying that because they have a female bassist. TSW unfurled riff after ass rippin’ riff, and by the end of the night, my ass was as ripped as I was. Sadly, I was really too drunk to catch more than the first half of their set, but take my word for it: if you haven’t caught Tokyo Sex Whale live, you’re definitely missing out._ > > Better than Dread Zeppelin, though? Probably not. Allow me to blow your mind friend, because this band did not just make up the name “Tokyo Sex Whale” out of thin air. How do I know this? Allow me to introduce you to the 2001 Name of the Year, [Tokyo Sexwale](http://nameoftheyear.blogspot.com/2007/03/final-standings-2001.html). IMHO, the funniest given name in all of human history. But I must say that 2009 champion [Barkevious Mingo](http://nameoftheyear.blogspot.com/2007/02/year-by-year-noty-winners.html) is giving him a serious run for his money. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/58 "2010-03-14T07:19:42Z")
Ladies Drink Free (Many bands want this name, but have trouble getting gigs with it) The Original Artists (or was that K-Tel’s house band?) The Special Guests (I had a friend with a band named this; I think they broke up and the name’s up for grabs) ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/59 "2010-03-14T16:52:25Z")
> [@BigBertha](#): > > the New Originals > > ahem “The New Originals” was the name of my fiancee’s improv group a couple of years ago. Just thought I’d share that. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299/60 "2010-03-14T17:48:25Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > It’s not that I don’t like the thread; it’s just that the OP is asking something I think is retarded. In fact, what he’s really asking is “hey let’s all make up some band names” and that’s a great way to waste some time and have some laughs. Not so. The OP asked which hypothetical band names, _among those that one might consider obvious or very likely to have already been used_, have not, in fact, so far been used. If you think this is a ‘retarded’ question, you are welcome to your opinion. However, do not be surprised if some people feel that slinging words like ‘retarded’ around is not the finest contribution you could have made. * * * I think if I started a band, I’d call it _Insert Name Here_ and our first album would be _Title Deleted_. Just to sow confusion and misunderstanding. But this isn’t quite what the OP asked for. According to AMG, there hasn’t been a band or artist called ‘The Hits’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obvious-straightforward-rock-band-name-that-does-not-have-a-notable-representative/532299.md?page=4)