Successful bands with the shittest name

[Inspector Norse]

Successful bands with shit names who I don't think have been mentioned yet
Smashing Pumpkins
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Small Faces
The Rolling Stones
Blondie
Echo and the Bunnymen
The Go-Betweens
Super Furry Animals
Traffic

Less successful but still shitly-named
planningtorock
The Chocolate Watch Band
The Be Good Tanyas
Bear in Heaven
The Beau Brummels
Grandaddy
Spoon
Drive Like Jehu
Okkervil River
The Soft Boys
Wavves

[alan nagsworth]

To be clear, a lot of the best band names are the hilariously shamelessly gross or offensive ones. It's a hard line to tread without sounding smug or try-hard, though. Among my favourites are:

Alien Sex Fiend
Revolting Cocks
Butthole Surfers
Slaughter and the Dogs
Dying Fetus
Rotting Christ

But then there are bad offensive names. Eyehategod stand out for me particularly because they're one of the best sludge metal bands ever but their name is just abysmal. Some others which smack of trying too hard:

Cancer Bats
AIDS Wolf
Anal Cunt
Fucked Up
Rapeman

[Inspector Norse]

Wasn't there a band who were simply called 'Wank'?

Also 'Fuck'.

[SteveDave]

Successful bands with shit names who I don't think have been mentioned yet
Smashing Pumpkins
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Small Faces
The Rolling Stones
Blondie
Echo and the Bunnymen
The Go-Betweens
Super Furry Animals
Traffic

Less successful but still shitly-named
planningtorock
The Chocolate Watch Band
The Be Good Tanyas
Bear in Heaven
The Beau Brummels
Grandaddy
Spoon
Drive Like Jehu
Okkervil River
The Soft Boys
Wavves

Wot? (in relation to my bolding)

[Inspector Norse]

Wot? (in relation to my bolding)

Divorce the band from their cultural standing or fame and imagine recommending "Super Furry Animals" or "Echo and the Bunnymen" or "Drive Like Jehu" to someone previously ignorant. Or "planningtorock. All one word. No caps. Yeah".

As for Spoon and the Rolling Stones, they're just very dull and prosaic names (again in the Stones' case, they're such a big brand that that goes unnoticed I suppose).

[idunnosomename]

To be clear, a lot of the best band names are the hilariously shamelessly gross or offensive ones. It's a hard line to tread without sounding smug or try-hard, though. Among my favourites are:

Alien Sex Fiend
Revolting Cocks
Butthole Surfers
Slaughter and the Dogs
Dying Fetus
Rotting Christ

But then there are bad offensive names. Eyehategod stand out for me particularly because they're one of the best sludge metal bands ever but their name is just abysmal. Some others which smack of trying too hard:

Cancer Bats
AIDS Wolf
Anal Cunt
Fucked Up
Rapeman

Anal Cunt werent really a band rather than a performative art project i think. what else could they be called, really. but the rest of those shit names i agree with. and I've seen Eyehategod and Cancer Bats live and liked them both

And it surprised me that Dying Fetus was just made up to be offensive. because actually when you think of it isnt it quite profound. all life is dying even a fetus because we will all die ahhhhhhhh

[Captain Crunch]

Not sure how successful they are, but there's a band knocking about at the moment called Twin Peaks... I will never be able to listen to a band called Twin Peaks...for me it's objectively the worst band name ever...twin peaks isnt an obscure enough of a show to call your band after i. Never in my entire life have I felt more incencsed by a band name than right now

It's doubly silly because there are plenty of Twin Peaks inspired bands out there – The Bookhouse Boys, Arms Bend Back, Audrey Horne and Killer Bob just off the top of my head. 

[Dr Syntax Head]

Jesus and Mary chain is a great name

[jobotic]

Brian Jonestown Massacre is a great name.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Jesus and Mary chain is a great name

Cheers.

[Brundle-Fly]

Blondie is a great name (named after an old U,S. comic strip for the 1% in the dark) but because she had bleach blond hair everybody thought it was her nickname and the men were merely her backing band. See Manfred Mann too. Any others like that?

[Absorb the anus burn]

Dogs Die In Hot Cars.

[Inspector Norse]

Jesus and Mary chain is a great name

- Hey have you heard the new Jesus and Mary Chain album?  Like VU meets Beach Boys ON ACID
- Is that some church thing
- No it's indie
- Jesus and Mary Chain though. Sounds like a religious thing.
- Well it's not. Not that I know of. Are they religious? Might have to look it up.
- Why would you call yourself that if you're not a church thing. Bit rum really
- I don't know maybe it's supposed to be a bit edgy. You know.
- Well it's not really is it.

In short I think it's a bit silly and awkward.

[Inspector Norse]

Japandroids

I always liked that one

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Blondie is a great name (named after an old U,S. comic strip for the 1% in the dark) but because she had bleach blond hair everybody thought it was her nickname and the men were merely her backing band. See Manfred Mann too. Any others like that?

Jethro Tull?
Uriah Heep?
The Fat Chick Out Of Wilson Phillips?

[imitationleather]

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah always struck me as a totally fucking bobbins name.

[alan nagsworth]

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah always struck me as a totally fucking bobbins name.

Sure I read somewhere that it's meant to be said out loud by actually clapping your hands and saying "yeah". What the fuck was the bloke thinking? It's a shame as well because they have almost definitely now been totally overlooked as one of those completely forgettable gimmick acts like Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, but their debut album is an absolute marvel of jangly Cure-esque indie that I still listen to all the time.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Most band names are weird except for things like the Joe Bloggs Band, etc.

[lazyhour]

I didn't have a problem with the name Placebo until a mate defaced an ad for their new single so it read:

PLACEBOLLOCKS HERE

I now can't see their name without thinking it.

[Brundle-Fly]

Jethro Tull?
Uriah Heep?
The Fat Chick Out Of Wilson Phillips?

I suppose you could lump in Gene, Marian and Jocasta too. The band James was why Andy Ross of Food records had Seymour to change their name to Blur.

[wosl]

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Oooh, you're 'ard.

If they'd had an image like Beat Happening, rather than choosing to stand around in the blacktop dust wearing vintage biker jackets, it would've been a fine name.

[wosl]

Also: up to Page 3 and no mention of the Pixies yet?  Even the Pixies admit theirs is the worst name of all time.

[famethrowa]

I think the Rolling Stones is probably the best band name. Doesn't really mean anything, has vaguely historic blues connotations, can be shortened, etc etc

But yeah Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is the worst. Probably the "motorcycle" bit, sounds so uncool and posh and tryhard.

I read many times that everybody said Dire Straits was an awful name when they first came out, but I guess since they became so massive, it's impossible to judge whether it's good or bad anymore. It just is.

[jobotic]

The Reverb Motherfuckers is a great name. Did they exist or did I make that up?

No one mentioned Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Can't say they were successful though. I know nothing about them apart from that tedious name. I imagine they sound like 5 Kate Nashes.

[Brundle-Fly]

In a parallel universe, there is an indie band members message board with a thread called CaBBers with the shittest profile name.

Posted by: Cliff from Gay Dad
on: Today at 1:32

Brundle-Fly? Oh, look at me being all quirky with my eighties Cronenberg film reference. Get in grave. CUNT.

[Aleister Growley]

Worst name - Massive Attack

Sounds like its going to be an industrial armageddon, but no.
Utterly wasted on noodling weakness.

Also - Stereophonics.

Bland music, bland name. so at least apposite. Still shit though.

[drummersaredeaf]

No mention of profanity in names yet beyond Anal Cunt?

Fuck Buttons, Holy Fuck.

How about Fuck Off, Eh Lads? Hard to enthuse about them without sounding like a tryhard cunt[nb]Decent name for my new band though[/nb]

.

[wosl]

Kitchens Of Distinction of course cunted themselves with their name - I actively avoided having anything to do with them because of the fearful name, until I heard the brilliant Drive That Fast without knowing who it was and finally cottoned-on to how good they were.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

The Reverb Motherfuckers is a great name. Did they exist or did I make that up?

No one mentioned Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Can't say they were successful though. I know nothing about them apart from that tedious name. I imagine they sound like 5 Kate Nashes.

Reverb Motherfuckers was a real band name, yus. I possess a Shonen Knife covers tribute album on which there is a track by them .
Are the following band names good or not good?:

Jackie O Motherfucker
Cows
Ringo Deathstarr
That Dog
Wings
Dr. Sarah Jarvis' Scary Rictus Grin

[Better Midlands]

It's doubly silly because there are plenty of Twin Peaks inspired bands out there – The Bookhouse Boys, Arms Bend Back, Audrey Horne and Killer Bob just off the top of my head.

Laura Palmer feat. Twin Peaks Killer.