# What was the first popular band to not have "the" in their name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622 "2018-11-16T16:38:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/41 "2018-11-17T01:02:25Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > That’s gotta be it. > > I wonder how people reacted. “What, is it ‘The Creams’?” Clapton being a known quantity must have helped. Early on, the group was referred to as “The Cream” as in “the cream of the crop.” That was dropped shortly after their first album’s release. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/42 "2018-11-17T02:50:57Z")
Even Yes was called “the Yes” during their first few years. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/43 "2018-11-17T03:31:46Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Does anyone else call them that? I think of them as a the. > > I love the way these sentences look. The Wiki entry consistently calls them just MC5. Every song on YouTube that I looked at does the same. Every album on Amazon is listed as MC5. I’d say you’re in the minority. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Call_Me.Tim)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/44 "2018-11-17T03:37:47Z")
Europe’s Society Orchestra recorded ragtime hits in [1913](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xxQQ6xO-d8). Definitely popular music of the day, albeit not rock. This does involve a person’s name, but here’s no the in sight. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/45 "2018-11-17T04:17:01Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > The Wiki entry consistently calls them just MC5. Every song on YouTube that I looked at does the same. Every album on Amazon is listed as MC5. I’d say you’re in the minority. I agree with you, but there’s a wrinkle in that: > [@The Wiki Article](#): > > Rob Tyner performed under his own name for many years but also performed under “The MC5” for some live gigs for a brief period, though he was the only active original member involved. So, it at least existed. Plus, my own band attempts to eliminate the definite article. Promoters are indifferent, at best, with complying with our wishes. If it’s posted or printed, then that’s what it is. We’re referred to as “The \” very often. We don’t complain, but we’re monkeys and there are more important things. MC5 actually seems to have been kind of fastidious about dropping the definite article - I can’t find any references to “The MC5” from the band, even though I and my friends refer to them as such\*. The only argument I can find against them is that they weren’t popular before some of their competitors, and “popular” isn’t really something you can quantify. \*C’mon, doesn’t it make a part of your brain ache to say “Motor City Five” mentally without putting a “The” in front of it? Maybe that was the point. I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/46 "2018-11-17T05:12:25Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > When I saw Pink Floyd in Boston in '73, they were billed as “The Pink Floyd” on all the marquees. By then there were pretty well known and bands without “the” existed. > [@drad\_dog](#): > > Were they at the Garden? They were at _A_ garden… ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/47 "2018-11-17T06:28:48Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > They were at _A_ garden… The Boston Garden? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/48 "2018-11-17T06:35:18Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > I agree with you, but there’s a wrinkle in that: > > So, it at least existed. > > Plus, my own band attempts to eliminate the definite article. Promoters are indifferent, at best, with complying with our wishes. If it’s posted or printed, then that’s what it is. We’re referred to as “The \” very often. We don’t complain, but we’re monkeys and there are more important things. MC5 actually seems to have been kind of fastidious about dropping the definite article - I can’t find any references to “The MC5” from the band, even though I and my friends refer to them as such\*. The only argument I can find against them is that they weren’t popular before some of their competitors, and “popular” isn’t really something you can quantify. > \*C’mon, doesn’t it make a part of your brain ache to say “Motor City Five” mentally without putting a “The” in front of it? Maybe that was the point. I’m not sure. I have never had a conversation, with and around musicians and their friends, about the MC5, and not used the article. I think it would sound pretentious for me to anyway. So there’s that usage thing, fwiw. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/49 "2018-11-17T06:44:55Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I have never had a conversation, with and around musicians and their friends, about the MC5, and not used the article. I think it would sound pretentious for me to anyway. So there’s that usage thing, fwiw. It’s about 50-50 in my experience. For fun, you can google “MC5 site:boards.straightdope.com” and, from what I see, it seems to break down pretty evenly if people use the article or not. ---
**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 17, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/50 "2018-11-17T20:57:21Z")
To add one data point to the MC5 case: on their famous debut album which was recorded live, they are vigorously announced by their manager John Sinclair, and the announcement ends with:["I’ll give you a testimonial! The MC5!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONGBe0QLj_M)". So at least their original manager called them THE MC5. ---
**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 17, 2018, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/51 "2018-11-17T21:35:35Z")
Australia 1964: please welcome Four Strangers [crowd probably starts shouting ‘fuck off’, throwing cans]. After rebadging themselves as The Strangers, then the Sunsets, they became [Taman Shud](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamam_Shud) in 1967 [crowd now listens respectfully to important prog rock-surf-blues band]. Just looking at the Wikipedia page for Australian prog rock there is only one ‘The …’ band among about two dozen. Nearly all formed around 1970-75, so whoever does end up being the ur-band in this thread definitely started something. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2018, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/52 "2018-11-17T21:45:08Z")
Not mentioned yet: \*\*Traffic \*\*formed in 1967. mmm ---
**Author:** ![RobotDevilDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@RobotDevilDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobotDevilDog)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/53 "2018-11-18T04:52:08Z")
Even though it’s not actually a valid response to the OP, I would just like to give a brief shout out to **The The**. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/54 "2018-11-18T08:56:26Z")
Ramones? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/55 "2018-11-18T10:08:29Z")
What about that band from 1954 [Bill Haley And His Comets.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Around_the_Clock) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/56 "2018-11-18T12:46:01Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > What about that band from 1954 [Bill Haley And His Comets.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Around_the_Clock) Denied. See below. > [@Akaj](#): > > …I should have also excluded bands that were (or included) people’s names. I was really looking for that weird (for the time) concept of a band adopting a singular, non-sequitor-ish concept as their name, e.g. Them, Cream, etc. mmm ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/57 "2018-11-18T16:50:42Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Denied. See below. > > mmm Not to mention that “his” is an article. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/58 "2018-11-18T17:07:06Z")
Courtesy of My Beloved: Lynyrd Skynyrd-1964 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/59 "2018-11-18T17:12:12Z")
Ladysmith Black Mambazo-1960 Rare Earth-1960 ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622/60 "2018-11-18T18:22:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Courtesy of My Beloved: Lynyrd Skynyrd-1964 The name came from 1969. They seem to have had some names before, but how much can you count those? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-popular-band-to-not-have-the-in-their-name/824622.md?page=4)