Friday Fun: The Best Band Names… Ever?
09:01 AM,
Friday 2/19/10
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Comments, comments on the screen, who has the best band name on the musical scene? Could it be U2, could it be Zep? With almost 50 years of band titles, are there still names potentially hep?
Not the best attempt at verse, but it gets the point across. Who had the best band names – past or present – of all time?
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
October 25, 2009
(AP Photo)
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It’s not easy naming a band these days. Earlier this week the Wall Street Journal detailed how difficult creating a new band name can be, saying Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and his new bandmates, including Foo Fighters’ David Grohl and Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age, kicked around several titles before coming up with “Caligula” after the notorious Roman emperor.
But a little research showed the title had already been used several times. Eventually the band strung together three words that had absolutely no meaning – Them Crooked Vultures.
The Fillmore, Detroit, Mich.
October 8, 2009
(Scott Legato / RockStarProPhotography.com)
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But Jones & company’s naming problem wasn’t unique. With almost 50 years of band names, ranging from Buddy Holly’s Crickets to The Beatles to Led Zeppelin to Death Cab For Cutie, each new band faces an ever-growing shortage of unique monikers. Forming a band may be easy. Naming a band is hard.
Which brings us to today’s comment thread, which is a two-parter this week. In your opinion, which band names are the greatest of all? Sure, we’ve have a front-page poll regarding a few high-profile titles, but we think you can come up with a few more.
Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland
July 4, 2009
(AP Photo / Keystone)
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(Roger Kisby)
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Secondly, what’s your take on today’s band name situation? Do you think all the great names have already been used up? Or do you think the next big name is out there, just waiting for a band worthy of the title?
Click here for the complete Wall Street Journal article (subscription may be required).
--Jay Smith