25 Weird Explanations Behind Famous Band Names

Some people are born Meat Loaf, and others have Meat Loaf thrust upon them.
25 Weird Explanations Behind Famous Band Names

Cracked pays people to make smart memes. Visit the Photoplasty and Pictofacts Workshop to get in on it.

Sometimes you're born with an awesome name like Dave Grohl, and other times you're given the unawesome name of Marvin Lee, forcing you to make it awesome by renaming yourself Meat Loaf.

We asked readers to tell us surprising, true stories about how famous musicians came up with their fake names. The best origin story is below, but first the runners-up:

Amethyst Amelia Kelly had a dog named lggy, and her mother lived on a street named Azalea. Put it together, and boom. A rapper name: lggy Azalea.
25 Weird Explanations Behind Famous Band Names
25 Weird Explanations Behind Famous Band Names
25 Weird Explanations Behind Famous Band Names
CRACKED.CON Italian band Eiffel 65 used a computer program to help them choose the name EiffePo The 65' was added when their producer accidentally wro
Lynyrd ...whose enforcement Skynyrd is of rules against long named after hair on boys sparked physical one group member's education decision to drop o

Smashing Pumpkins

The is not about Sashing Halloween pumpys pranks. CRAGh Billy Corgin liked the word smashing as an adjective or compliment, not an action. To go alo

Cake

CRACKED'COM CAKE is not a reference to dessert. The name is actually supposed to be a verb, as in something that congeals and sticks with you.
25 Weird Explanations Behind Famous Band Names
25 Weird Explanations Behind Famous Band Names
21 Pilots got their name from an Arthur Millerplay, All My Sons, that frontman Tyler Joseph read while at Ohio State. The play is about a contractor w
25 Weird Explanations Behind Famous Band Names
10,000 MANIACS GOT THEIR NAME FROM SCHLOCKMEISTER HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS'S 1964 GORE-FEST 0OD MANIACS, THANKS TO LEAD SINGER AND MOVIE BUFF NATALIE ME
Droplich Miurphys took their name from an alcohol rehabilitation center run by John E. Dropkick Murphy, a professional wrestler. The facility was of
Although Tool's name can be interpreted to mean a number of things... Frontman Maynard James Keenan is quoted as saying Tool is exactly what it sound
Singer /flautist lan Anderson used to change his band's name every week to get new bookings from the clubs that wouldn't otherwise invite them back. T
25 Weird Explanations Behind Famous Band Names

Green Day

CRACKEDGO Pop-punk paragons EKEENHY chose their name as tribute to their favorite plant, hoping to become the Cheech and Chong of punk rock.

LL Cool J

LL Cool J came up with his rapper name when he was sixteen, but it was e 'completely wishful (thinking.' Wanting a cool moniker (and to attract girl
Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'connor CRACKED.COM chose the name LORDE because of her fascination with royals and aristocracy. As Lord seemed too masculi
Cheap Trick CRACKEDCON got their name from watching SLADE perform, after bassist Tom Petersson remarked, I love these guys, but god, they're using ev
JOY DIVISION A Joy DIVISION was what German soldiers called concentration camp brothels stocked with Jewish prisoners, in the semi-autobiographical no
LARS ULRICH. DRUMMER FOR LEGENDARY ETALLICH METAL BAND STOLE THEIR NAME A buddy had a list of heavy metal names he was considering for his metal fanzi

Justin Timberlake

NSYNC After the first time the group sang together, Justin Timberlake's mother commented, 9Man, you guys sound really in sync. CRACKEDCON
CHILDISH GAMBINO was created by a name generator. When all else fails, ask the internet. That's what Donald Glover did when he typed his name into a W
Scroll down for the next article

Must Read

VIRAL ON CRACKED

A WEEKLY
NEWSLETTER OF
JOKES + TRIVIA

Forgot Password?