Comments for Band Name Blog

Comment on Unusually Long Band Names by My name is the boy

My name is the boy — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:07:08 +0000

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Comment on Unusually Long Band Names by Frank Sinatra of Heavy Metal

Frank Sinatra of Heavy Metal — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:45:26 +0000

I think probably the very best band names are one-word. Metallica, U2, Beatles, etc. (Yes, I know it’s “The Beatles” but I don’t count the word “The”).. but bands with kind of long names have done fine too.
System Of A Down
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rage Against The Machine
Just three examples up there. Them Crooked Vultures doesn’t roll off the tongue either but they are an awesome band.

Comment on Unusually Long Band Names by Oskama bin Laden

Oskama bin Laden — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:25:37 +0000

Bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers aren’t so egotistical if the band member mentioned in the name is already a prominent figure, and/or has had large previous success in the music industry. The name of my current band is The Thing That Ate Rosie O’Donnell, which is 29 characters, a pain to type out, and probably hard to say. We should fix that I guess…

Comment on Unusually Long Band Names by Chris Nielsen

Chris Nielsen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:02:03 +0000

Sort names are generally better and that is why we are focusing on selling one-word domain names for bands. But longer names can work too. It’s just a matter of how good the band is and their marketing and promotion are. U2 is not huge because they have a sort name. They could have a name like “fried lumps of crap” and would still be as big as they are, or almost as big.

But a short name with a strong image is best, like Yes, Tool, Genesis, and so on. But if those bands were not as good as they are, the name would not help much. I think bands need to think about their name from the standpoint of “branding” and how that brand can help or hurt what they are doing, but it’s not the most important aspect of any band.

Comment on Unusually Long Band Names by Yahya

Yahya — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:21:28 +0000

Forgot to say: I think that even names ‘like “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers” or “Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention” that flow’ are a right mouthful. They also seem immodest, on the part of the lead. If the lead member is so darn hot, why not just call them “Big Ego (and band)”?

Comment on Unusually Long Band Names by Yahya

Yahya — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:12:44 +0000

So true! Long band names are hopelessly difficult to use in conversation. Did you ever tell a friend: “I’m going to watch ‘The Presidents of the United States of America’ play at the ‘Big Day Out’”? But I can truthfully say: “I saw the ‘Hoodoo Gurus’ play live at the very first ‘Rock Above The Falls’” – and that’s one brag I wouldn’t want to stumble over.

Actually, I took my teenage son there that year. I suspect I was the oldest guy in the crowd — tho lots of the band members were older! — cos the kids all gave me strange looks. One even yelled out “Hallo, Grandpa!” So I looked at my seventeen-year-old and said: “Hey, have you got something to tell me?”

Even medium-length names can get you in trouble. One of Australia’s headline acts back then was “This Is Serious, Mum” – naturally anacronymised as “TISM” – and my son thought the sun shone out of their collective. So one day in the car, when my wife asked “Who’s that band?” I could quickly reply: “TISM – This Is Silly, Mum”. Son, in the back seat, was not impressed …