Top 10 Craziest Ways Bands Got Their Names

There have been a number of stories out there detailing the meaning of the band name Pearl Jam. This grunge groups origins arose from the ashes of another group, Mother Love Bone, and Pearl Jam were initially called, um, Mookie Blaylock, after a player in the NBA. Vocalist Eddie Vedder and crew rebranded themselves after signing to Epic Records, at one point claiming the name referenced Vedders grandmothers first name and a supposed hallucinogenic dip she made. The part about her name is true, but the jam refers to their propensity for long, extended jam sessions.

Its not altogether uncommon for a band to have a work in progress name before finally graduating to a better idea. Fall Out Boy were initially known as Forget Me Not, before adopting a moniker indebted to an obscure character on The Simpsons. This latter name, perhaps predictably, stuck around for the long haul. We can totally see why, too, since The Simpsons can often be a universal language when it comes to pop culture. Additionally, a band referring to themselves as Fall Out Boy were probably going to receive a better go of it than Troy McClure or Dr. Nick, right?

Dave Grohl couldve very easily drummed for just about any band after the dissolution of Nirvana in 1994. Instead, the skinsman decided to bet on himself and try his hand at fronting a new band. Grohl recorded demos of songs he wrote, and decided upon a fresh name: Foo Fighters. This moniker was in reference to an old, World War II-era slang terminology used by members of the military to describe unidentified flying objects. Granted, there was little in the way of sci-fi or fantasy when it came to the lyrics of Foo Fighters, but this ultimately didnt matter in the end.

Some band names are obvious, some make total sense and others well..are just more obscure and arcane. The musical genius of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen was filtered through a name taken from yet another uncompromising artist: William S. Burroughs. Steely Dan was actually the name given to an adult sex toy in the latters novel, Naked Lunch. This steam powered piece of erotica would then be associated with one of the jazz, rock and prog worlds most exemplary acts. Steely Dan may be (incorrectly) considered as dad rock by some, but their cheeky band name proved that Becker and Fagen had a sharp sense of humor.

Intentional misspellings can sometimes assist new bands from legal action, while other times it just looks cool. Dave Mustaine had a lot of time on his hands to contemplate his ousting from Metallica back in 1983. It was during this period where the guitarist came upon a newspaper article that quoted then-California Senator Alan Cranston referencing an arsenal of megadeath, which was another way to describe the large-scale demise of a million people. Mustaine changed the spelling a little bit and voila! An instant contender to Metallicas thrash metal throne was born.

Its a question thats historically come up a lot, and no, there isnt actually anybody named Jethro Tull within the lineup of this pionering U.K. prog band. The moniker actually wasnt even the idea of anybody in the band, but was instead given to them by a member of their booking agency. By the time the group realized this was the case, it was too late. Jethro Tull was a historical agriculturalist that had absolutely nothing to do with the bands blues and folk-inflected brand of progressive rock. These days, however, its hard not to associate this name with Tulls unique and influential style.

The mysterious legacy behind the name Molly Hatchet is as grisly and fantastical as the colorful album art that graces this bands LPs. Molly Hatchets guitarist and founder Dave Hlubek has gone on record surrounding the names in a hat method his band used to come up with their name. The ultimate winner, Molly Hatchet, was said to have been inspired by a sex worker who was known to murder those that hired her services. This Civil War era murder spree is difficult to corroborate with a lot of sources today, but hey-never let the truth get in the way of a good story, right?

It should come as no surprise that there were a lot of groups with a The prefix to their name back during the time of The Beatles. The Quarrymen served as an embryonic version of the group, a skiffle outfit that featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. More monikers followed, including The Rainbows, but it would be bassist Stuart Sutcliffe that suggested they try and piggyback upon the success of Buddy Holly and The Crickets. The Beatals switched over to The Silver Beetles, before eventually dropping the Silver altogether. The rest, as they say, is history.

There always seemed to be some sort of gentle nod to the dark side surrounding the formation of The Grateful Dead. This can be seen within their initial moniker of The Warlocks, although the groups actual music owed more to blues jamming and light psychedelia than anything heavy or metal. Still, The Deads Jerry Garcia did seem to be slightly inspired by spiritualism when it came to picking out his bands new name from the dictionary. Garcia seemed pleased with the books definition of Grateful Dead as being an appreciative soul, one that seeks to thank a living benefactor that assisted with the spirits burial.

The music of Joy Division has been lauded for its unapologetic and unrepentant darkness. It stands to reason, then, that this pioneering post-punk band from the U.K. should also retain a sinister story with regards to its moniker. The term joy division refers to the Freudenabteilungen, German brothels that operated during the Second World War. These joy divisions were utilized for prisoners who were designated by the Nazi SS for administrative functions. Their purpose was to ostensibly increase productivity amongst this prisoner workforce, but was ultimately utilized more as a bargaining chip. The band Joy Division, in the meantime, splintered after the death of their singer, Ian Curtis, reemerging as New Order in 1980.

Do you know any other crazy band name rumors or fun facts? Let us know in the comments!