How Bands Got Their Names
This page has a list of how some of your favorite bands got the names they use. I'll leave off obvious ones like Van Halen, Bon Jovi, and Eric Clapton of course, but others are here. And I'll also be adding more everytime I can think of them! Note to perfectionists (like myself!) this page will not be in alphabetical order. I usually put stuff that way, but I will not have sufficient time to do so here.
Aerosmith: Drummer Joey Kramer used to draw the name on paper during school when he was bored for no apparent reason. It was accepted by the band as "the only name nobody hated".
Pink Floyd: Syd Barrett named the band this after the first names of two bluesmen he admired. Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
Black Sabbath: Named after the novel of the same name (I forgot the author). Suggested by bassist Geezer Butler.
Led Zeppelin: When Jimmy Page was trying to form the band that would later become Led Zeppelin The Who's drummer Keith Moon was talking about possibly joining Jimmy in his new band. He said it'd probably go over "like a lead zeppelin". The spelling was later changed to "Led" because American fans mispronounced the name.
AC/DC: The young brother's sister saw it on the back of a vaccuum cleaner, and suggested it to the band. Obviously they liked it.
Metallica: Drummer Lars Ulrich was enlisted to help think of the name for a local Metal fanzine. The author of the 'zine suggested Metallica as the name. Lars immediately liked the name and lied to the man that he hated it and suggested another name and took Metallica for himself.
The Rolling Stones: Named after the Muddy Waters song Rolling Stone Blues.
Alice Cooper: Just a name that Vincent Furnier (a.k.a. Alice Cooper) himself thought up as the name of the band.
Mötley Crüe: A name suggested by drummer Tommy Lee when he remembered his formet band being described as "a motley looking crew". They then started using the name "Motley Krue" and later changed it to the classic spelling.
Jethro Tull: Named after an 18th century Agriculturist admired by Tull's singer/songwriter/guitarist/flutist/bandleader Ian Anderson.
Guns N' Roses: Not after singer Axl's surname as many might think. Actually it was named after two former bands that members Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin were in called The LA Guns and The Hollywood Roses.
