Band Name Origins

If you know other trivia, send it to me and I'll add it.

The Beatles - a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Beatles is spelled with an A because rock and roll was called "beat music" in England at the time. Also a reference to "The Wild One", in which one character confronts another after the latter's extended absence, telling him th at "the beetles [girls] missed you!"

B.B. King - originally Riley B. King, called the Beale Street Blues Boy, then Blues Boy, and finally B.B.

Backtreet Boys - named after a shopping area called "The Back Street Market" near Church Street Station in Orlando, Florida.

Coldplay - they took their name from a band they knew when the original Coldplay broke up. The band we now know as Coldplay was called "Starfish." The original Coldplay got their name from the poetry book "Child's Reflections, Cold Play" by Philip Horky.

Collective Soul - the name was taken from the novel "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand.

Death Cab for Cutie - the band takes its name from a satirical song performed by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band on their album Gorilla.

Duran Duran - taken from the name of a character, Dr. Durand-Durand from the cult Science Fiction film Barbarella.

Fall Out Boy - suggested by a fan, from the name of a character in The Simpsons.

Fountains of Wayne - named after a Wayne, New Jersey lawn ornament store (right near my old house).

Green Day - singer Billie Joe Armstrong's high school principal told him it would be a "green day in hell" before music got him anywhere.

Iggy Pop - real name James Osterberg. Stage name derived from his first band The Iguanas.

Kings of Leon - derived from the band members father, Leon, a Pentecostal evangelist.

Pearl Jam - (1)Singer Eddie Vedder's grandmother Pearl used to make Eddie's favourite jam when he was young. The name was chosen in tribute to her. (2) The band almost named themselves "Mookie Blaylock" after their favorite basketball player, Blaylock protested and the band name turn on "Pearl Jam", Blaylock's nikname.

The Pogues - the band was originally called Pogue Mahone (a phoentic translation of the Irish Póg mo thóin meaning "kiss my ass"), but the name was changed to The Pogues shortly before the band's first record deal.

Radiohead - named after the Talking Heads song "Radio Head". The band originally used the name On A Friday, referring to the only time where all band members were able to practice.

The Ramones - refers to Paul McCartney's pseudonym Paul Ramone.

Sonic Youth - supposedly an ironic reference to community youth clubs and groups, by applying the term to an intense underground rock band. According to Thurston Moore, the name is derived from combining the names of reggae artist Big Youth and MC5 guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith, to reflect two of their major influences.

The White Stripes - the band was named after the peppermint candy, which to members Jack and Meg White symbolizes childhood and innocence.

The Who - after being called The High Numbers, adopted new name because on posters of the time, each band got a single line, so they would get the largest type, no matter how low the billing.