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25 famous bands who changed their original names
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25 famous bands who changed their original names

Many of your favorite bands likely didn’t start with the current name they have now. In fact, it’s quite common for groups to take on new monikers after gaining popularity or signing to record labels. Wondering about some specific band name changes? Here are 25 bands you probably didn’t know that changed their names.

 
1 of 25

Green Day

Green Day
Green Day/Spotify

Green Day once went by the name Sweet Children. However, at the time, there was another popular band named Sweet Baby, and many confused the two. Green Day made their switch in 1989, just one year after forming.

 
2 of 25

Radiohead

Radiohead
Radiohead/Spotify

Radiohead was not always known as Radiohead. In fact, when they first started as a band, they named themselves “On a Friday.” Why? Because apparently they would hold their rehearsals… on a Friday. It didn’t take long for them to neglect their original name, however. Just a few years later, their record label requested the change.

 
3 of 25

Maroon 5

Maroon 5
Maroon 5/Spotify

Maroon 5 first named themselves Kara’s Flowers. Allegedly, each of the original four members of the band shared a crush on the same girl in high school. Her name? Kara. Once they added their fifth member, however, they changed it to Maroon 5. They held their OG name for five years and even released a few albums under it.

 
4 of 25

Coldplay

Coldplay
Coldplay/Spotify

Allegedly, Coldplay originally named their band Starfish. It’s unclear why, exactly, they went with such a basic name. However, even prior to that, it seems they toyed with the names Big Fat Noises and Pectoralz as well. Nevertheless, they ended up going with Coldplay after a fellow classmate recommended it from a book of poetry.

 
5 of 25

The Beatles

The Beatles
The Beatles/Spotify

The Beatles went by various other titles before landing on their iconic name. First, they started as The Quarrymen, then Johnny and the Moondogs, then The Silver Beetles, and apparently even a few other monikers. However, they eventually settled on The Beatles, an obvious play on words.

 
6 of 25

Linkin Park

Linkin Park
Linkin Park/Spotify

Linkin Park had two previous names before sticking with their final pick. Funnily enough, the band was originally named Xero, like the popular accounting software company. They then became Hybrid Theory before finally landing on Linkin Park. 

 
7 of 25

Nirvana

Nirvana
Nirvana/Spotify

Did you know that Nirvana went through several name changes before the members chose their permanent moniker? That’s right: they were previously called Stiff Woodies, Skid Row, and Pen Cap Chew, among others. I don’t know about you, but I think Nirvana was their best pick.

 
8 of 25

Queen

Queen
Queen/Spotify

Before their heightened success, Queen originally went by the name Smile. Yes, they chose this basic name for the band’s original formation. However, after Freddie Mercury joined, they became the iconic Queen—which I, for one, believe was the right choice.

 
9 of 25

Kiss

Kiss
Kiss/Spotify

Oddly enough, I like Kiss’s initial moniker better than their final name. The original group, formed by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, was known as Wicked Lester. However, Wicked Lester was technically dissolved when Simmons and Stanley recruited drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley to form a harder, edgier, more experimental band. The new band soon became Kiss.

 
10 of 25

The Who

The Who
The Who/Spotify

The Who originally went by the band name The Detours. However, they eventually changed their name to The Who based on a friend’s recommendation. It seemed they went through an experimental period where they were back and forth between a few different names, but The Who stuck.

 
11 of 25

Blink-182

Blink-182
Blink-182/Spotify

The infamous pop-punk band Blink-182 was originally just named Blink. Why did they add the random numbers to the end of their name? No one really knows for sure why they picked 182 in particular, but they did so in response to a cease-and-desist letter from an Irish band that also went by the name Blink. It was far easier than undergoing a lengthy legal battle.

 
12 of 25

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath/Spotify

The OG name of Black Sabbath was The Polka Tulk Blues Band. Of course, this was when they were still considering making blues rock music. I cannot imagine the name would have panned out given their massive genre switch-up. However, more notably, the band was known as Earth for a few years. Eventually, they settled on Black Sabbath.

 
13 of 25

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers/Spotify

If you thought Red Hot Chili Peppers was a mouthful, just wait until you learn the band’s original name. The rock group initially called themselves Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. Obviously, the name didn’t last long.

 
14 of 25

Oasis

Oasis
Oasis/Spotify

Before Liam Gallagher joined Oasis, the group originally went by the name The Rain. After joining, however, Gallagher recommended the switch to Oasis. For an iconic band, they certainly deserved an iconic title like Oasis, unlike their basic original name.

 
15 of 25

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam/Spotify

Pearl Jam originally named their band after the NBA basketball player Mookie Blaylock. At the time, they just needed a temporary name for a show. However, to avoid legal trouble, they quickly settled on their permanent name, Pearl Jam.

 
16 of 25

Panic! at the Disco

Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco/Spotify

When the beloved emo/pop-punk band was first created, childhood friends and original members Ryan Ross, Brent Wilson, and Spencer Smith called the group Pet Salamander. They also experimented with the title Summerleague Rock. However, eventually, once iconic Brendon Urie joined, the band became Panic! at the Disco. Many believe they drew inspiration from a song by The Smiths, but Urie confirmed they got the name from “Panic,” a song by a lesser-known early emo band, Name Taken. The lyrics are as follows: Panic at the disco / Sat back and took it so slow / Are you nervous? / Are you shaking?

 
17 of 25

Lady A

Lady A
Lady A/Spotify

Lady A’s name change was as recent as 2020, when the band received major backlash for the title’s slavery-era associations. At the time, the group released a public apology/statement and changed their name to Lady A. However, this also sparked controversy, as they apparently took the same name as Anita White, a Black blues singer who went by the name Lady A for decades prior.

 
18 of 25

Chicago

Chicago
Chicago/Spotify

The band Chicago went by a few different names in their history. First, they were known as The Big Thing. (Original, right?) Then, they changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority, which got them into some legal trouble with the actual Chicago Transit Authority. Finally, they settled on just Chicago.

 
19 of 25

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys/Spotify

In dedication to surf culture, The Beach Boys originally named the band The Pendletones after the Pendleton wool shirts—popular in the surf scene. However, their record label pushed back, wanting to rename the group The Surfers. After discovering it was already taken, music executive Russ Regan committed to renaming them The Beach Boys—without alerting the band members. In fact, they found out after their records were released. But hey, it worked out for them, as the name stuck and they eventually became iconic in their scene.

 
20 of 25

Evanescence

Evanescence
Evanescence/Spotify

The legendary rock band Evanescence did not originally start under that name. Initially, they went by Childish Intentions, then changed to Stricken before settling on their permanent name. Evanescence definitely matches their music best, in my opinion. 

 
21 of 25

The Temptations

The Temptations
The Temptations/Spotify

Before they were The Temptations, the popular vocal group went by the moniker The Elgins. However, they soon realized that another group went by the same name. Because of this, they were forced to change their name quickly.

 
22 of 25

Muse

Muse
Muse/Spotify

The infamous English rock band Muse did not start with its current name. In fact, early on in the band’s career, they went by Rocket Baby Dolls. However, the band allegedly chose Muse simply because it was short and looked good on a poster. Fair enough.

 
23 of 25

Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol/Spotify

Snow Patrol had a few names before settling on their final moniker. Originally, they went by Shrug but had to change it after realizing other bands shared the same name. Funnily enough, they then chose another winter-themed name, Polar Bear, which suffered the same fate as Shrug. Eventually, they landed on Snow Patrol.

 
24 of 25

The Cure

The Cure
The Cure/Spotify

For a few years, The Cure originally went by the name Easy Cure. Lead singer Robert Smith once mentioned that the name was “hippyish,” noting how much he hated it. When they changed it to The Cure, they apparently upset quite a few fans—a consequence they felt was worth the switch.

 
25 of 25

The Goo Goo Dolls

The Goo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls/Spotify

Well, this was one switch-up I was not expecting. Apparently, The Goo Goo Dolls originally went by the name The Sex Maggots. However, allegedly, a concert promoter did not approve of their name when adding them to his marquee, and they were forced to choose a less crude name.

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