First of all, I have to apologize. When I did funny/weird band names the other day, I don’t know what came over me to omit Toad the Wet Sprocket and They Might Be Giants. Criminal behavior on my part.
Today we have rock bands. I suppose punk bands put a lot of thought into their names, going for some kind of statement, as do the Garage bands who produce that certain sound. But if you think about it, there’s no genre where the name is more important than Rock bands. Much of popdom is marketing anyway, and the fringes like punk are often trying to be clever (which gets old fast). A Rock band, though: they’re looking for a good catchy, iconic, maybe even a little scary, name. Once again, I omitted eponymous, so don’t be writing me with your Bon Jovi love, ‘cause I don’t wanna hear it.
THE TOP TWELVE ROCK BAND NAMES
#11 Iron Maiden/Megadeath – Both of these names just sound hard. Even if you didn’t know the Iron Maiden was a medieval torture chamber, it sounds band, doesn’t it? And it’s not just one death, it’s not a few: it’s megadeath!!!
#10 Led Zeppelin – Named after those dirigibles, it just has a dignified name
#9 Urge Overkill – I have no idea what this name means, but it sounds menacing and sexy at the same time
#8 Stone Temple Pilots – Another one where I’m completely confused but intrigued.
#7 Lynard Skynard – It sounds like their name (which it’s not), but somehow the poetry comes across. Basically, it’s just fun to say!
#6 Metallica – Sounds like an element on the Periodic Table: known for its hard core and propensity to sue fans
#5 Red Hot Chili Peppers – I hate these guys, but even I have to admit the name is cool.
#4 The Sex Pistols – Everything you want: sex and death.
#3 AC/DC – Yes, we found out later it was simply all about the current that amped their guitars, but remember the hysteria when people were trying to figure out what their name really meant?
#2 Rolling Stones – Stolen from a famous old phrase, but can you blame them? The name is iconic and stands the test of time.
#1 Guns ‘N’ Roses – Again, this is everything you want in a band name. It’s sexy, it’s dangerous, it’s terrible, it’s beautiful. Forget what you think about the band personally. If you had to start a band and you’d never heard this name, you’d pick it, wouldn’t you?
Up next: A tribute to the music of 1991
