# What bands with strange names made it big? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 6, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637 "2025-11-06T19:24:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/1 "2025-11-06T19:24:46Z")
I saw a flyer for The Dead Milkmen that made me think about it. Bare Naked Ladies comes to mind, not sure how big they got. The Bangles changed their name from The Bangs to be more acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/2 "2025-11-06T19:27:20Z")
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead comes to mind. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/3 "2025-11-06T19:33:49Z")
For bands that had top 40 hits in the U.S., I’d include Butthole Surfers, The Babys, and Kajagoogoo. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/4 "2025-11-06T19:35:56Z")
I don’t know how big they got for their music, but they’re pretty famous. Pussy Riot. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/5 "2025-11-06T19:43:04Z")
Steely Dan ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/6 "2025-11-06T19:56:00Z")
Back during the heights of the swing music revival, I was dragged along to a middle school band performance so my wife could see her young cousin perform. They were playing standard _band-ified_ versions of popular songs, you know the like. Had I been drinking coffee, I would have spit it out when the director announced that the next song was by the _ **Cherry Poppin’ Daddies** _. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/7 "2025-11-06T19:56:29Z")
Pink Floyd? Blue Oyster Cult? ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/8 "2025-11-06T19:59:51Z")
Doobie Brothers? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/9 "2025-11-06T20:03:44Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > For bands that had top 40 hits in the U.S., I’d include Butthole Surfers, The Babys, and Kajagoogoo. Add to that: Chumbawumba ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/10 "2025-11-06T20:04:43Z")
I would argue there are more strange band names than “normal” or “regular” ones. How about The The? ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/11 "2025-11-06T20:07:24Z")
The Cowboy Junkies? Die Einstürzenden Neubauten? The Dead Kennedys? > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I would argue there are more strange band names than “normal” or “regular” ones. The evidence seems to support you. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/12 "2025-11-06T20:08:38Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Die Einstürzenden Neubauten? Also, Die Abstürzenden Brieftauben (I think the name was a homage). ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/13 "2025-11-06T20:28:06Z")
10,000 Maniacs Toad the Wet Sprocket 30 Odd Foot of Grunts Them ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/14 "2025-11-06T20:29:47Z")
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin Oingo Boingo The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band Death Cab for Cutie (who took their name from a Bonzo Dog song) ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/15 "2025-11-06T20:42:54Z")
Godspeed You! Black Emperor Die Fabulösen Thekenschlampen (The Fabulous Bar Sluts) Talking Heads The Sex Pistols ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/16 "2025-11-06T20:45:59Z")
Electric Prunes ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/17 "2025-11-06T20:48:48Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Die Einstürzenden Neubauten Geeze, people. Just because YOU’VE heard of them and they are your secret favorite, many of these bands are not under the heading of “made it big”. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/18 "2025-11-06T20:49:38Z")
Moby Grape. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/19 "2025-11-06T20:50:50Z")
Toad the Wet Sprocket ( from a Monty Python sketch that was meant to be a joke) Death Cab for Cutie ( from a song by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, another candidate) ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637/20 "2025-11-06T20:56:06Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > Butthole Surfers I remember, back in the late '80s, reading an interview with Micky Dolenz of The Monkees in _Playboy_. He was asked about newer bands that he liked, and his comment about Butthole Surfers was, “great music, shame about the name.” 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bands-with-strange-names-made-it-big/1024637.md?page=2)