Going places: The greatest bands named after a city, state, country or continent

This legendary country-rock act was formed during the end of the 1960s in Fort Payne, Alabama, in the northeastern portion of the state, by three cousins: Randy Owen (vocals, guitar), Jeff Cook (guitar, fiddle) and Teddy Gentry (bass). During its heyday in the 1980s, Alabama had more than 25 No. 1 hits on the country charts, such as "Tennessee River" (1980), "Love in the First Degree" (1981), "Mountain Music" (1982), "Dixieland Delight" (1983) and "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)" (1984). Alabama, the most honored country act of all time with more than 200 awards spanning various organizations, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

Fronted by immensely talented vocalist/guitarist Brittany Howard, this Grammy Award-winning Southern rock act was formed in 2009, in the northern Alabama town of Athens. Also featuring guitarist Heath Fogg and bass player Zac Cockrell, the band has only put out two records -- in 2012 and '15. The most recent, Sound & Color, was nominated for six Grammys. It won four, including Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song ("Don't Wanna Fight"). Following an extended hiatus, which included Howard's run as a solo artist, the band reportedly is planning new music and a 2025 tour.

The popular band that produced hits like  "A Horse with No Name," I Need You," "Sister Golden Hair" and "You Can Do Magic," was actually not formed in the United States. Americans Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley put together the folk/soft rock band with English-born American Dewey Bunnell in 1970 in the London area, where their fathers were stationed on a U.S. Air Force base. However, they did not want to be branded as an English band, since their influence was in Americana-type rock, so they took the name America. The Grammy Award-winning group has released 18 studio albums, most recently 2015's Lost & Found.

The progressive rock supergroup, featuring John Wetton (King Crimson, Uriah Heep), guitarist Steve Howe (Yes), keyboardist Geoff Downes (Yes) and drummer Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), enjoyed massive success with its 1982 self-titled debut that reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — and produced the hits "Heat of the Moment" and "Only Time Will Tell." Now, as to the origin of the name — it depends who is doing the talking. Over the years, legend has it the band chose the name because its aspirations had no bounds, seemingly like the massive continent, which is also filled with diverse cultures (like the musical diversity of the band members). Or that there were four members in the band, and a four-letter name could stand out in large print. Regardless, Asia will go down as one of the great supergroups of all time.

Formed in Southern California in the late 1970s, the band didn't really get serious until vocal siren Terri Nunn joined in '79. According to Nunn, the new-wave/synth-pop band chose Berlin to make them sound more European, particularly since the type of electronica it was playing at the time was having success overseas. Berlin gained international success with hits like "The Metro," "Sex (I'm a ...)," and "No More Words," but will always be known for the Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning ballad "Take My Breath Away," from Tom Cruise's 1986 box-office smash Top Gun.

Named after the small town of Black Oak, Arkansas, in the Jonesboro area, where band members lived in and around while in high school circa 1963. This southern rock band, fronted by the energetic Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, released 24 albums (studio, live, demo, etc) under the name between 1971-2023. There have also been other incarnations of the Black Oak name over the years, and veteran drummer Tommy Aldridge played with the group during the mid-1970s. Though never a mainstream rock staple, Black Oak Arkansas has enjoyed a lengthy career. Its biggest hit was a cover of the 1950s classic "Jim Dandy (To the Rescue)," in 1975.

The brainchild of immensely talented guitarist and songwriter Tom Scholz, an MIT grad. Boston's self-titled 1976 album is one of the great debuts of all time (selling roughly 20 million copies worldwide), regardless of musical genre. "More Than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind," "Rock & Roll Band" and "Foreplay"/"Long Time" all remain classic rock staples. As far as the band name, since the five-piece was made up of Boston-based or area musicians, it made sense. While 1978's follow-up Don't Look Back, wasn't nearly as successful, the band did make a rather triumphant return with 1986's Third Stage.

After coming together while some of its members were attending Chicago's DePaul University, and dubbing themselves Chicago Transit Authority (which was also the title of its first record) Chicago blossomed into one of the most successful bands in rock history. Bassist-vocalist and South Sider Peter Cetera also enjoyed a successful solo career. Known throughout the 1970s for classic songs like "25 or 6 to 4" and "Feelin' Stronger Everyday," and during the 1980s for pop ballads such as "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "You're the Inspiration," the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

Part of the glam/hair metal movement of the 1980s in America, Sweden's Europe fit right in with the big hair, power ballads and made-for-MTV bombast. In the early days, the group was called Force, but singer Joey Tempest eventually offered up Europe, reportedly as an ode to Deep Purple's Made in Europe (1976) record. The band is best known for "The Final Countdown," a track that earned anthemic status and can still be heard at sporting events from preps to pros around the world. 

The naming of country/pop rock duo comprised of Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard was pretty straightforward. After meeting while attending Nashville's Belmont University in 2008, and deciding to make music a career (first as a cover band to the "bro" crowd), the name was a nod to each's home state. Kelley was from Florida and Hubbard hailed from Georgia. Their first single, 2012's "Cruise," broke several download records, and kickstarted an award-winning career that featured five studio albums from 2012-21. The pair broke up the act around 2022 to begin solo careers.

One of the more underrated alternative/power-pop rock bands of all time, Fountains of Wayne is best known for the 2003 hit "Stacy's Mom," the Grammy Award-nominated tune with a memorable music video starring Rachel Hunter. However, tracks like "Radiation Vibe" and "Little Red Light" are severely underappreciated. So, what about the name? It's an ode to a then-lawn ornament store from Wayne, N.J., near where co-founders Chris Collingwood and the late Adam Schlesinger were from. 

Best known for the 1986 hit "Keep Your Hands to Yourself." which went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, the southern rock band didn't last very long (only four studio albums from 1986-96), but left a lasting impression with a self-titled album that housed its only hit single. The band was formed in Atlanta, originally called the Satellites. Reportedly, that name represented the path the group was hoping to follow — achieving "out-of-this-world" success. The "Georgia" was simply a nod to the roots of the band members. 

The band was formed in Helsinki, Finland in 1979, but the name, which includes the capital city of Vietnam, according to lore, was simply an attempt to sound cool. Of course, other reports suggest that flamboyant frontman Michael Monroe and future bandmate Andy McCoy were kicking names around and fancied the idea of apparent slang heroin references. The glam-influenced outfit was more successful in Europe and Japan than in the United States but has often been cited as a serious influence on more popular bands like Guns N' Roses and Poison. Hanoi Rocks achieved some modest U.S. success with its 1984 cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival smash "Up Around the Bend" and the underrated "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Unfortunately, it's probably known most for drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley's death in an automobile accident caused by Mötley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil in 1984. That essentially ended the band's potential rise.

Hailing from Topeka, Kan., this longtime arena rock-turned-classic rock staple simply chose the name of their home state for the band name during its conception in the early 1970s. Thanks to dependable rock favorites "Carry On Wayward Son," "Dust in the Wind" and "Point of No Return," Kansas generated nine gold and three multi-platinum albums, shunned showmanship for musical substance and has long been considered one of the great live rock acts of all time. And they remain so even to this day, albeit with only two original members in tow.

The Miami-based band that introduced the dance-pop (albeit Latin-fused) world to Gloria Estefan, came to be called Miami Sound Machine, from predecessor Miami Latin Boys, which featured Emilio Estefan, who eventually married Gloria. From 1977-2002, Miami Sound Machine released 13 studio and live albums, and enjoyed top-10 hits with "Conga," Bad Boy" and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You," all while also enjoying international success though regular play on MTV.

Known for classic rock hits like "Love Hurts" and "Hair of the Dog," Nazareth was formed in Scotland in the late 1960s. At the time, the classic lineup of Dan McCafferty (vocals), Manny Charlton (guitar), Pete Agnew (bass) and Darrell Sweet (drums) were playing in a band called the Shadettes, which was formed earlier in the decade. However, nobody was fond of the band, and a new name was chosen in 1970. While in a bar when The Band's classic "The Weight," with the line "I pulled into Nazareth, feelin’ ’bout half past dead," came on, the line caught the attention of Agnew. The rest is rock and roll history, though the Nazareth that The Band sung about was in Pennsylvania. 

Yes, this highly influential U.S. punk band from the 1970s was formed in New York City, and included genre legends like David Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain and Johnny Thunders. However, according to lore, the actual name of the band was inspired by a doll repair store titled the New York Doll Hospital. Just another nugget in the legacy of a punk band that never achieved commercial success, but influenced many artists across multiple genres. 

Formed in Dayton, Ohio in 1959, this funk/soul group, early on went under the name the Ohio Untouchables. Reportedly, it was changed to Ohio Players as a nod to their suave style sense and success with the ladies. Professionally, the band enjoyed success thanks to hits like "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster." The group was also known for its risque, highly sexualized album covers, like Fire, from 1974, and 1975's Honey. 

Soft-rock standouts of the 1970, Orleans was actually formed in Woodstock, N.Y. However, its name came from the type of music its members were influenced by and playing in the early days of its existence. This notably included Louisiana-based artists such as New Orleans' favorites the Neville Brothers. Orleans recorded a pair of top-10 hits during the 1970s with "Dance with Me" (which reached No. 6 on the Hot 100) and "Still the One" (No. 5).

Again, nothing too fancy when it came to a band name. In fact, some critics felt that the Detroit Wheels moniker was too pedestrian for such a high-energy, Motor City-based act that brilliantly fused pure rock and roll with R&B and a healthy dose of soul. Of course, Ryder was at the forefront, and the band saw plenty of success during the mid-1960s. "Jenny Take a Ride!" (1965), "Devil with a Blue Dress On" (1966) and "Sock It to Me, Baby!" (1967) were all top-10 hits for the group.