Buzz
Artists frequently draw creative sparks from their favorite albums. In addition to shaping their sound, image, and stage presence, certain bands derive their names directly from songs or lyrical phrases of other musical acts.
1. Death Cab For Cutie
Ben Gibbard, the lead vocalist and songwriter, named his indie rock band from Washington after the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's track "Death Cab for Cutie," featured on their 1967 album Gorilla. This song also appeared in the Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour and was crafted as a humorous take on Elvis Presley's "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear."
2. Ladytron
The UK-based electronic group Ladytron derived their name from a track on Roxy Music's self-titled debut album released in 1972. Brian Eno, a former member of Roxy Music, is a genuine admirer of Ladytron and considers them the pinnacle of contemporary English pop music.
3. Pretty Girls Make Graves
Prior to forming the band, founders Andrea Zollo and Derek Fudesco were inspired by The Smiths' debut album and believed the track title "Pretty Girls Make Graves" would serve as an excellent band name.
4. Radiohead
Originally formed in 1985, Radiohead was initially called On a Friday, reflecting the day the British rock group gathered for rehearsals. After signing with EMI Music in 1991, they adopted the name Radiohead, inspired by the Talking Heads' 1986 track "Radio Head," as an homage to the iconic New York City rock band.
5. Spoon
Founders Britt Daniel and Jim Eno chose the name
6. At the Drive-In
Jim Ward, the guitarist and co-founder, was so captivated by the lyrics "Cause baby we'll be / At the drive-in" from Poison's 1986 hit "Talk Dirty to Me" that he opted to use the latter part as his post-punk band's name. While lead singer Cedric Bixler suggested "At the Movies," inspired by a Bad Brains song, Ward's idea ultimately resonated more with the rest of the group.
7. Boyz II Men
Originally called Unique Attraction, the group Boyz II Men underwent a name change after being discovered by New Edition's Michael Bivins backstage at a 1989 concert. They adopted the name Boyz II Men from New Edition's 1988 track "Boys to Men." Bivins went on to produce their debut album, following his launch of the New Edition offshoot group Bel Biv DeVoe.
8. Panic! at The Disco
Founded in 2004, the emo group Panic! at the Disco took inspiration from The Smiths' song "Panic," which includes the line "burn down the disco." They temporarily dropped the exclamation point for their 2008 album Pretty Odd, only to reinstate it a year later.
9. Scary Kids Scaring Kids
The post-hardcore group Scary Kids Scaring Kids derived their name from the track "Scary Kids Scaring Kids" by the influential emo band Cap'n Jazz. This song is featured on the compilation album Analphabetapolothology.
10. Communist Daughter
The indie rock band Communist Daughter, based in Saint Paul, chose their name from the Neutral Milk Hotel song "Communist Daughter."
11. The Kooks
Drawing inspiration from David Bowie, the Britpop group The Kooks named themselves after the legendary artist's song "Kooks" as a homage. Bowie penned the track for his newborn son Duncan Jones, and it was included on his 1971 album Hunky Dory.
12. Bad Brains
Initially a jazz fusion group named Mind Point, Bad Brains became one of America's pioneering punk bands. The Washington D.C.-based ensemble adopted their name from the Ramones' track "Bad Brain" on the album Road to Ruin.
13. Lady Gaga
Producer Rob Fusari would often sing Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" whenever Stefani Germanotta walked into the room. After sending her a text with the song title, his phone's autocorrect altered "Radio" to "Lady," leading to Stefani Germanotta's iconic stage name, Lady Gaga.
14. The Killers
Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning, the co-founders, chose the name The Killers inspired by the fictional band in New Order's "Crystal" music video. Notably, their debut single "Somebody Told Me" incorporated visual cues from the "Crystal" video, such as performing in front of a Jumbotron screen.
15. The Rolling Stones
Initially called the Blue Boys when Mick Jagger and Keith Richards formed their band in the early '60s, the name changed during an interview with Jazz News. Guitarist Brian Jones referred to the group as The Rolling Stones, inspired by Muddy Waters' song "Rollin' Stone," which happened to be lying on the floor at the time.
