# Worst band names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2007, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888 "2007-11-27T05:54:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/1 "2007-11-27T05:54:45Z")
Realizing, of course, that it’s quite subjective and that the name may have nothing to do with the relative skills of said band… I nominate the following bad band names: Jimmy Eat World Spoon Franz Ferdinand Modest Mouse Travis ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/2 "2007-11-27T06:18:29Z")
Without a doubt: Hinder. Makes me think of someone’s ass, every time. And their music sucks donkey dick, too. ---
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/3 "2007-11-27T06:24:44Z")
I kinda like Modest Mouse. Got no problems with Spoon or Franz Ferdinand. I like the story behind Jimmy Eat World: apparently, when they were children, the younger brother of one of the band members drew a picture of him (Jimmy, who I believe was/is a chubby one) eating the earth and wrote over the drawing, “Jimmy eat world.” Or something like that. Travis definitely sucks. Audioslave is easily the lamest band name ever. What a bunch of douchebags. “It’s like…we’re so into the music that we’re…like…slaves…to the music. To the audio.” “That’s fuckin deep, dude.” Neutral Milk Hotel is pretty bad ---
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/4 "2007-11-27T06:31:35Z")
Missed the edit window to add: Staind Trapt Limp Bizkit Godsmack I’m a bit biased against these last four because I dislike their music. In the case of Trapt and Staind, it’s partially _because_ of the music. Their names reflect the lousy angst-rock they produce. Godsmack and LB are just childish. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/5 "2007-11-27T06:35:57Z")
I’ve never heard their music, but Hoobastank is a rotten name. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/6 "2007-11-27T06:40:02Z")
[QUOTE=Team of Scientists] Neutral Milk Hotel is pretty bad [/QUOTE] I agree, that name is sooo stupid. Like, “look how random and quirky and weird we can make our name!” Also I hate that they always get compared to the Decemberists - the only similarity is that their singers both have slightly nasal voices, and the Decemberists blow NMH out of the water. With cannons from an 18th century pirate ship. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/7 "2007-11-27T06:54:37Z")
Any band that uses the Heavy Metal umlaut that _isn’t_ Blue Öyster Cult. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/8 "2007-11-27T07:01:38Z")
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Death Cab for Cutie Linkin Park ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/9 "2007-11-27T07:06:27Z")
Toad the Wet Sprocket. They stole it from an old Monty Python episode. I have to believe that for a while they thought it was funny, but when they got famous they eventually grew to cringe every time they were asked about it. I second Hoobastank, by the way. Just horrible. ---
**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:** [November 27, 2007, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/10 "2007-11-27T07:16:46Z")
One more vote for Hoobastank. If I didn’t hate them already, I’d be embarrassed to like them. !!! (pronounced “chk chk chk.”) Sunn(((O (I think that’s supposed to be Sanskrit, but it’s really just stupid.) Panic! At the Disco (and yes, I realize it came from the Smiths song “Panic.”) Death Cab For Cutie Toad the Wet Sprocket Death From Above 1979 Pedro the Lion Godspeed! You Black Emperor Neutral Milk Hotel Olivia Tremor Control Muddvayne Panthro UK United 13 (old Gainesville, FL band) ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/11 "2007-11-27T07:41:58Z")
Purposeful wrong spelling bothers me. Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park are the worst offenders, but there’s a nearly endless list of band names that substitute Z for S or do some other stupid creative spelling bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/12 "2007-11-27T08:02:35Z")
I once saw a poster in Seattle advertising an appearence by Sudden Infant Dance Syndrome. Also have seen a CD by AIDS Wolf in a record store. ---
**Author:** ![Mayo\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mayo\_Speaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayo_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/13 "2007-11-27T08:04:26Z")
The Band The Who The The My band would continue the “The” tradition and be called “The Hell?!” ---
**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:** [November 27, 2007, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/14 "2007-11-27T10:03:22Z")
Strawberry Alarmclock is pretty lame. ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/15 "2007-11-27T12:35:54Z")
The Goo Goo Dolls, a better name would have been “The Crybaby Emo Gits”. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/16 "2007-11-27T13:19:51Z")
Hoobastank’s already been mentioned, so… My second vote’s for Incubus. Now, it’s not a _bad_ name. In fact, it’s a pretty freakin good name. But I hate the fact that they have it and they suck. If they didn’t have such a freakin cool name and produce such fairly lame music I might not think they were quite so lame, which means their name is bad for me since it makes me dislike them. Incubus should be the name of a band that’s Goth as fuck. ---
**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:** [November 27, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/17 "2007-11-27T13:56:38Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Sunn(((O (I think that’s supposed to be Sanskrit, but it’s really just stupid.) [/QUOTE] Never heard of 'em, but it’s obviously based on the [Sunn amplifier](http://www.degrooviaguitars.com/pics/amps/sunn/1.jpg) logo. ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/18 "2007-11-27T14:12:02Z")
[QUOTE=Team of Scientists] Neutral Milk Hotel is pretty bad [/QUOTE] True, but In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the greatest album ever recorded, so they’re excused for the name thing. ---
**Author:** ![williamweigand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b3f665/32.png) [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/19 "2007-11-27T14:25:43Z")
[QUOTE=Mosier] Purposeful wrong spelling bothers me. Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park are the worst offenders, but there’s a nearly endless list of band names that substitute Z for S or do some other stupid creative spelling bullshit. [/QUOTE] I hope you’re not including The Beatles in this. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888/20 "2007-11-27T14:53:14Z")
Love the band, love the music, but **The Violent Femmes**? I also hate the names **Bowling For Soup** , and **The Barenaked Ladies**. And also because I hate the names so much I pronounce these as follows: Incubus (pronounced in-coo-booze) Hobostank (pronounced poo-poo stink) Hinder (pronounced high-nder) Carrie Underwood (Carry Underpants) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-band-names/427888.md?page=2)