From The Clash to Led Zeppelin, there have been some great band names chosen by equally iconic acts throughout the history of popular music.
Anyone who has played an instrument and attempted to put a group together will know the difficulties of trying to agree on a band name that keeps every member happy.
As well as iconic names, there have been some downright bizarre choices, such as Chumbawamba and Limp Bizkit.
So, what exactly are the reasons behind popular band names? Read on below to find out if your favourite was given its name in unusual circumstances.
Lana Del Rey
Before Lana Del Rey found widespread success, she experimented with various stage names, but never chose to use her birth name of Elizabeth Woolridge Grant
Before Lana Del Rey found widespread success, she experimented with various stage names, but never chose to use her birth name of Elizabeth Woolridge Grant professionally.
The singer assumed the moniker of Lana Del Rey by 2011, and has said how the name, which translates from Spanish as ‘The King’s Wool’, seemed a perfectly glamourous fit for her style of music.
‘I wanted a name I could shape the music towards. I was going to Miami quite a lot at the time, speaking a lot of Spanish with my friends from Cuba – Lana Del Rey reminded us of the glamour of the seaside. It sounded gorgeous coming off the tip of the tongue,’ she told Vogue.
Daft Punk
Music duo Daft Punk arriving at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014
French duo Daft Punk, consisting of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, were renowned for their innovative take on electronic music and the dance scene.
The group’s name came about after the pair spotted the term ‘Daft Punk’ in a Melody Maker article, which included a negative review of a single by a band named Darlin’, which previously included Bangalter and Homem-Christo.
In the review, the term ‘Daft Punk’ was used to describe the music as ‘a daft punky thrash’, which saw them christen the group that recorded hits including Get Lucky, Around The World and Harder. Better, Faster, Stronger.
Coldplay
Chris Martin of Coldplay performs on stage at Optus Stadium on November 18, 2023 in Perth, Australia
While Coldplay have been towards the top of music charts across the world for two decades, they could have been called something entirely different.
When the band were first due to perform together in a gig held at The Laurel Tree, in Camden, north London, in January 1998, they still did not have a name, so resorted to calling themselves Starfish for the show.
They later settled on the name of Coldplay after one of the group’s close friends and fellow UCL students, Tim Crompton, was looking for a band name for his own group.
As he was waiting for a delayed removal van, he had considered the name after stumbling across a copy of Philip Horky’s book, Child’s Reflections, Cold Play, but decided against it, leaving Martin and co. free to switch from Starfish to Coldplay.
Pink Floyd
Members of Pink Floyd. From left to right, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett and Rick Wright
Famed for their album Dark Side Of The Moon, which saw the band bend the concept of rock music in ethereal and mysterious ways, Pink Floyd’s band name came about almost by fluke.
Originally known as the Tea Set while the group were performing rhythm and blues songs, they changed their name in late 1965 after another band called Tea Set were due to perform at one of their gigs at the Countdown Club in London.
The name Pink Floyd was created on a whim by the band’s co-founder Syd Barrett.
It stemmed from two blues musicians in his record collection; Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
Led Zeppelin
English rock group Led Zeppelin perform in Dublin, Ireland on the second leg of their spring 1971 tour
Prior to the formation of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page was already an experienced lead guitarist, filling session spots and working with the Yardbirds.
In August 1968, Page then invited Robert Plant and John Bonham to join his band, the New Yardbirds, for a tour in Scandinavia.
The name Led Zeppelin would come not from the band members themselves, but from The Who’s Keith Moon.
After Page was allegedly keen on creating a new supergroup with Moon, Jeff Beck, and John Entwistle, Moon was claimed to have said that the project would go down ‘like a lead balloon’.
Seemingly intent on proving Moon wrong, Page and co. bigger added the imposing Zeppelin as a suffix to form the band’s legendary name of Led Zeppelin.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd (L-R Ed King, Leon Wilkeson, Artimus Pyle, Billy Powell, Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zandt and Gary Rossington) pose for a portrait in January 1975
This name stems from Lee Skinner, who was a teacher the band’s high school in Jacksonville in the 1960s and took a dim view of pupils growing out their hair.
Unbeknown to Skinner, these students included the future members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who came up with the band name as a potential homage to that of their former teacher, while playing on the twang of a typical southern American accent.
After Skinner’s death aged 77 in 2010, the band’s guitarist Garry Rossington said: ‘Coach Skinner had such a profound impact on our youth that ultimately led us to naming the band, which you know as Lynyrd Skynyrd, after him.
‘Looking back, I cannot imagine it any other way. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.’
AC/DC
Singer Bon Scott and guitarist Angus Young of AC/DC put on a show for the crowd circa 1977 in Hollywood, California
Formed by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young in 1973, AC/DC pioneered an electrifying brand of hard rock that gripped listeners in an instant.
Malcolm and Angus settled on the band’s name after the latter’s sister, Margaret, pointed out the symbol ‘AC/DC’ on the AC adapter of her sewing machine, which is an abbreviation for alternating current/direct current electricity.
The brothers thought the abbreviation was a fitting symbol of the band’s high-voltage performances and their relentless energy and so AC/DC stuck.
Guns N’ Roses
Guns N’ Roses came out as a result of two other bands that already existed
While the name may sound like the result of a perfect brainstorm for an upbeat American rock band, Guns N’ Roses came out as a result of two other bands that already existed.
When Hollywood Rose, formed by Axl Rose, and L.A. Guns, founded by Tracii Guns, combined as one, the name naturally stuck despite Tracii subsequently being replaced by Slash shortly afterwards.
ABBA
The Swedish pop group Abba (from left to right) Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus
Swedish group ABBA were a relative unknown entry into the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Waterloo’.
Although many of the band had found prior success in different bands, the group were catapulted into stardom after winning Eurovision.
Going on to sell over 150 million records, writing hits such as ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Fernando’, ABBA are undoubtedly the band to have achieved the most success after a Eurovision appearance.
Famously consisting of two couples, the band is an acronym that derives from each of the members’ first letter from their names: Agnetha, Anni-Fried, Bjorn and Benny combining to make ABBA.
Chumbawumba
Lead guitarist Alan ‘Boff’ Whaley said the name was inspired by the sound of ‘a troupe of 12 smiling African drummers’ while the band were busking in Paris
Tubthumping is a track so firmly entrenched in British culture that it still gets a raucous response at parties when blared out nearly 25 years after its release.
Not bad for a one-hit wonder from a band with a name as confusingly baffling and nonsensical as Chumbawamba.
Lead guitarist Alan ‘Boff’ Whaley said the name was inspired by the sound of ‘a troupe of 12 smiling African drummers’ while the band were busking in Paris.
Whaley said they ‘turned up next to us and drowned out our weedy rock ‘n’ roll with booming beats and massed chants. And one of the chants went Chum, chum-ba, wailah!’, which they adapted as a moniker for their group.
Another theory is that the name came from a dream that vocalist Danbert Nobacon had about confusing the names of public bathrooms.
In his dream, he allegedly found the male and female facilities labelled ‘Chumba’ and ‘Wamba’, which he combined to name the group.
Panic! At The Disco
Brendon Urie, of Panic! At The Disco, arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in August 2022
A lasting symbol of the emo-led revolution to sweep through the music scene in the first half of the 2000s, Panic! At The Disco’s early song titles – see The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage – were longer than the contemporary queues at Blockbuster.
While they may have found success straight away, Panic! continued to flummox fans over where their band name originated from.
It actually comes from another emo band of that era, coincidentally called Name Taken, who released a song called Panic in 2004, which features the refrain ‘Panic at the disco’.
Dusty Springfield
According to a biography on the chanteuse published by Edward Leeson in 1999, the vocalist was given the nickname ‘Dusty’ for playing football with boys in the street
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien found fame with hits such as Son Of A Preacher Man and You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.
You might know her better by her stage name of Dusty Springfield. But where did a name like Dusty for an icon of the Swinging Sixties?
According to a biography on the chanteuse published by Edward Leeson in 1999, she was given the nickname ‘Dusty’ for playing football with boys in the street, a name she would keep throughout her career on stage.
Limp Bizkit
When quizzed on the band name, frontman Fred Durst said that the band did not want to take themselves seriously all the time, as they settled on Limp Bizkit as a way of seemingly being intent on repelling listeners.
Band names such as The Clash, Queen and The Police might be seen as an easy way to attract fans. They sound sharp, cool and edgy, with Limp Bizkit sounding drab and dull by comparison.
However, this was apparently frontman Fred Durst’s intention all along.
When quizzed on the band name, Durst said that the band did not want to take themselves seriously all the time, as they settled on Limp Bizkit as a way of seemingly being intent on repelling listeners.
Although the name is not the most attractive, they have certainly managed to captivate audiences nonetheless, selling over 40million albums worldwide.
Nickelback
Chad Kroeger performs ‘Summer of ’69’ at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala in Toronto in August 2022
Originally featuring three Kroeger brothers – singer-guitarist Chad, bassist Mike and drummer Brandon – Nickelback have had a remarkable longevity for a band that divides opinion almost as much as Coldplay.
The name Nickelback is said to originate from when bass player Mike Kroeger spent time working in a coffee shop.
When dispensing change for cups of coffee, Kroeger would frequently say the phrase ‘here’s your nickel back’, inadvertently christening a legendary band name.
Nirvana
Kurt Cobain said he chose the name Nirvana because he ‘wanted a name that was kind of beautiful or nice and pretty instead of a mean, raunchy punk name like the Angry Samoans.’
Nirvana were renowned for the crashing drum beats of a youthful Dave Grohl and the logic-defying vocal of Kurt Cobain.
For a band that produced iconic anti-establishment anthems such as Smells Like Teen Spirit, Lithium and In Bloom, Nirvana sounds like a comparatively low-key name.
This was seemingly Cobain’s intention as he ‘wanted a name that was kind of beautiful or nice and pretty instead of a mean, raunchy punk name like the Angry Samoans.’
