5 MORE Iconic Band Names With Interesting Backstories

Hello everyone! I hope everyone’s been well. My first list of interesting backstories behind iconic band names did pretty well, so I created this follow-up. If you haven’t seen Part 1, I suggest you do that first.

As mentioned before, most iconic bands have names that are synonymous with the group itself. A person’s mind automatically associates the name with the group by mentioning it.

Generally, a group follows rather basic criteria for picking a name. Perhaps its name is derived from a member’s own name, a reference to their style or music, the place they came from, or some shared passion that the members have in common.

However, over the years, a few groups have gone outside the box and got the ideas for their names from some rather unexpected places. So, let’s take a look at 5 MORE iconic band names with interesting backstories. Without further ado, let’s begin!

#5. Weezer

One of the best groups to come out of the 1990s, Weezer was a critical and commercial success. With its Indie/Pop Rock-influenced sound and Rivers Cuomo’s excellent leadership, Weezer remains an active and popular group to this day.

Founded in 1992 by Cuomo, Matt Sharp, Jason Cropper, and Patrick Wilson, Weezer got its distinct name thanks to Cuomo. As a child, Cuomo suffered from Asthma and was commonly heard wheezing because of the condition. Due to this, Cuomo was often teased by classmates and given the nickname “Weezer.”

Initially a name used to make fun of his health problems, Cuomo nonetheless pitched it to his bandmates, and they in turn, loved it. It’s safe to say that when Rivers Cuomo thinks about the Weezer now, he thinks about the colossal success he helped to build and not the teasing nickname that was mockingly used by his classmates.

#4. The Who

One of the greatest Rock bands in history, The Who did not always go by that iconic moniker. Earlier in their run and with a different line-up, the band was originally known as The Detours. However, they needed a new name when the band settled on Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, John Entwistle, and Pete Townshend as its formation going forward.

There have been two rather similar stories about how the band adapted The Who as their name. Firstly, there is the story of how the members would spend time brainstorming a new name. Any time one member came up with a prospective name, the rest of the group would reply “the who?” in disapproval or confusion

The second story was that the band got its name from Pete Townshend’s grandmother. An elderly lady with poor hearing, she would often ask “the who?” anytime a band’s name was mentioned to her to get the other person to speak up or repeat themselves.

Regardless of which account was true, the group apparently adopted their name from a frequently heard phrase that unintentionally came about while searching for another name for themselves. It may be accidental and ironic, but it proved to be fruitful. Thanks to these four legends, The Who was no longer a question but a symbol of musical excellence.

#3. The Foo Fighters

In the wake of Kurt Cobain’s death, Nirvana dissolved, and its members went their separate ways. Dave Grohl, formerly Nirvana’s drummer, wanted to continue as a musician even without a band. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Grohl could complete entire albums by himself, and soon enough, he could form a band of his own. Even then, Grohl would continue to single-handedly contribute to the bulk of the group’s early albums.

The name Foo Fighters was chosen to represent Grohl’s tireless efforts. During WWII, a foo fighter was a slang used by the US Air Force to describe a UFO or any similarly strange aircraft. Relying on the mystery behind the name, Grohl hoped that audiences would believe that the music he was making alone was actually being made by an entire band. He wanted his fans to be sold on the entire band and thus chose the name to distance himself from the fact that their first album was essentially completely his own work.

Eventually, the other group members would grow into their own roles, but the name stuck. Even then, most people did not know what a foo fighter was and assumed that it was something the band came up with themselves. Unlike the UFOs they got their name from, The Foo Fighters have been front and center for all the world to see and are known far and wide.

#2. The Guess Who

Formed in Canada in 1962, The Guess Who had their heyday with a string of amazing hit songs from the mid-60s to 1975. Throughout their time together, they underwent a series of name changes. Initially known as Chad Allan and The Reflections, the group changed their name to Chad Allan and The Expressions to avoid confusion with a similarly named group. However, their final and most recognisable would come from a clever marketing ploy.

In 1965, the band released their first big hit. A cover of Shakin ‘All Over by Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, the group was advised by the record company to release the single without revealing their identities. Instead, the album was credited to “Guess Who?” with a question mark. This led fans to speculate that the song was the work of a secret collaboration of famous British Invasion musicians, and the song sold like hotcakes. Even after the band’s identity became public, the name stuck, and they embarked on a successful run.

It shows that an iconic name doesn’t always have to come from something personal or profound. After all, if it’s proven to help rake in some cash, why change it? Hopefully, this also helps erase any confusion between The Guess Who and The Who.

#1. Pink Floyd

One of the greatest groups in the history of music, the iconic Pink Floyd, would have probably gone by something very different had it not been for a series of events that prompted a name change. In 1965, the group, which had yet to achieve superstardom, performed as The Tea Set. It was the latest in a list of names, including The Megadeaths, The Spectrum 5, and The Screaming Abdabs, among others.

While the group seemed to have settled with their latest moniker, they were soon forced to change it too. At a gig, the band noticed that there was another group called The Tea Set who would be performing before them. Rather than just go with two Tea Sets and risk the audience thinking that they were the same band, a decision had to be made there and then.

With his quick thinking, the band’s then-leader, Syd Barett, came up with a name based on two of his idols. These two men were Blues musicians Pinkney Anderson and Floyd Council. Within minutes, he came up with the name, The Pink Floyd Sound. Initially, the group did not like the name and returned to The Tea Set. However, upon a suggestion to shorten their name to Pink Floyd, the group reacted favourably and the name soon stuck as they shot up into immortality.

It shows that sometimes, the best and most memorable creations arise in the spur of the moment. After all, a flash of lightning can be just as majestic as a thoroughly painted scenery. One doesn’t always have to crack their head in contemplation and can just act in the moment to come up with something amazing.

That does it for this list! If you made it this far, let me thank you for taking the time to read this! As always, I enjoyed researching these interesting stories, and I hope that they have been informative or entertaining for you too.

With plenty of recognisable names left, I may make yet another follow-up to this list shortly. If you know of any such stories, do leave them in the comments. I love hearing back! Until then, take care!