What is the worst band name of all time?

16 December 2023, 14:00

Or are they actually clever, witty monikers for some of the coolest acts around? Only YOU can decide!

By Radio X

@RadioX

Dave Grohl has claimed that Foo Fighters is a terrible band name. But is it really that bad? There are many, many other examples that are far, far worse.

1. Limp Bizkit

   A few people on Facebook suggested Fred Durst and his bunch of lads and their very nu-metal misspelt name. It probably means something rude, but we can't lower ourselves to think about it.

   

2. Green Day

   Yes, we know what it means. But here's a true story: a member of our staff once told a friend they were going to see Green Day. The friend thought they were talking about an environmental fair, not a raucous night of punk pop. Enough said.

   

3. Babyshambles

   We assume this is a pun on Babycham, the supremely naff sparkling wine, popular in the 80s. It is also a terrible name.

   

4. Arctic Monkeys

   One of the best bands of the last decade. But come on, that name is a clunker. “If you realised you were gonna be doing this 20 years later, you might’ve had another hour in that meeting." Turner told The Guardian in 2022 when the subject of the band's name came up.

   

5. The Beatles

   It's a tortuous pun on the classic 50s band name The Crickets and the idea of "beat" music. Still, it's better than "The Silver Beatles", which was on the cards.

   

6. The Presidents Of The United States Of America

   Little did they know, THE INTERNET was around the corner and their name would be nigh on impossible to Google without finding out about George Washington and Donald Trump. See also 'A', below.

   

7. Electronic

   Two of the greatest musicians of the 1980s: Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr. Together, they came up with this snoozer of a band name.

   

8. Puddle Of Mudd

   While they're not the greatest act in musical history, they could have saddled themselves with a more exciting name than something that evokes a damp Glastonbury. And spelt it correctly, too.

   

9. Hootie And The Blowfish

   The very name sums up an image of Chandler from Friends holding a Budweiser in the air at a 1990s house party (RIP Matthew Perry).

   

10. The Pigeon Detectives

    The band claimed that they were named after a French TV cartoon from the 1970s, but despite several minutes of Googling, We cannot find any evidence of such a programme.

    

11. The Cardigans

    This woolly moniker doesn't really sum up the studied Scandinavian cool of Nina Persson and co. See also: the title of their album Emmerdale.

    

12. Hoobastank

    What does it even MEAN? Answers on a postcard, please. Actually, don't bother.

    

13. 'A'

    Brit-rock stars in the early 2000s, they released an excellent album called Hi-Fi Serious that included bangers like Old Folks and Nothing. "What's the name of this band?" "A" "I said, What's the name of this band?"

    

14. The The

    Post-modern joke, or merely irritating? YOU DECIDE. Still, Infected is a great tune.