Band Names Trivia

1. What was the name of an American grunge band that formed in 1990?

From Quiz Name-In' the Band

Answer: Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam were part of the grunge movement that emerged in Washington in the early 1990s. Their immensely successful first album, "Ten", was released in 1991. The band originally claimed that their name was inspired by singer Eddie Vedder's great-grandmother, whose name was Pearl. They later admitted that while his relative was called Pearl, she was not the reason the band decided on the name.

From Quiz Songs that Fit the Band's Name

Answer: Black Sabbath

The song "Black Sabbath" was written by bassist Geezer Butler. It was inspired by a 1963 horror movie of the same name. It was also inspired by a time Geezer thought he saw a black figure sitting at the edge of his bed. The song had a very dark sound and dark lyrics. The band liked it, so they continued making this kind of dark music and they changed their name, which previously was Earth, to Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath are often credited for creating the entire genre of heavy metal music. While this claim is often disputed, it is true that many different metal bands, whether they were heavy metal, goth metal, grunge metal, or nu metal, cite Black Sabbath as a major influence.

From Quiz Band Names in Haiku

Answer: The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones formed in 1962. They were one of the most successful and influential bands in the world for decades, with songs such as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Gimme Shelter". The Stones were in turn influenced by the likes of Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. They made clear their enormous debt to Muddy Waters in particular by naming themselves after his 1950 song "Rollin' Stone". Other recordings in his catalogue include "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I Just Want to Make Love to You".

From Quiz Spot The Artist Name

Answer: Guns N Roses

Guns N Roses became worldwide hits as soon as their first album "Appetite For Destruction" was released in 1987. Admired by rock fans across the globe the album featured the rock classics, "Sweet Child O Mine", "Welcome To The Jungle" and "Paradise City". Their members came and went over the years with Axl Rose as the only permanent member. In 2016 he was rejoined by guitarist Slash and bass player Duff McKagan which reproduced most of the classic 1997 lineup.

From Quiz We Built This City On Rock and Roll

Answer: Kansas

Kansas were formed in 1970 when the bands The Reasons Why and White Clover merged. They released fifteen albums from 1974 to 2016. "Carry On Wayward Son" was recorded on their 1976 album "Leftoverture". It reached position eleven on the US "Billboard Hot 100" chart. "Dust in the Wind" was recorded for their 1977 album "Point of Know Return" and peaked at number six on the US "Billboard Hot 100" chart.

From Quiz One Word Name Artists

Answer: Keith

Although James Keefer broke the Top Forty early in 1996 with the Number 39 "Ain't Gonna Lie" as Keith, his highest charting sixties chart success was "98.6" later the same year. The following year he had a Number 37 single with "Tell Me To My Face" then fell from the charts. Tony Powers and George Fischof composed "98.6" when Keith was recording for Mercury Records. When the song became a hit Keith happened to meet John Lennon backstage at a show who told him how much he admired the song. After failing to realize further chart success Keith toured with Frank Zappa's band in the early seventies and changed his name to Bazza Keefer in 1988 as a tribute to his mother. Love released the Number 33 "7 and 7 Is' in 1966. David and Jonathan had a Number 18 single with a cover of The Beatles' "Michelle" in 1966.

From Quiz Pseudonyms Used By '60s - '70s Bands And Artists

Answer: Queen

Queen is the answer. In 1972, Robin Cable from Trident Studios took on a musical project. Freddie Mercury was recruited as lead singer and shortly afterwards Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen fame were also brought on the project. The 45 that they released was credited to Larry Lurex. It was some kind of pun on glam rock musician Gary Glitter's stage name and a type of yarn with a metallic appearance called lurex. Roger Cable was toying around with the idea of recreating Phil Spector's "Wall Of Sound" music style so he got the guys together and recorded two songs for the 45 RPM. One side was "I Can Hear Music", which Phil Spector had a hand in writing and had been a hit for Spector's Ronettes as well as the Beach Boys. The other side contained the song "Goin' Back" which was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. It had been a hit for Dusty Springfield and the Byrds. The 45 was a bomb in the UK but actually managed to hit number 115 on the US Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart. An illegitimate bootleg of the 45 was made. It is known as the Joe Perfect demo 45 and cannot be mistaken for the original. It's an obvious fake and not meant to deceive. Before a record is made the first step is an acetate. It's a round metal plate with vinyl on it and it's made for only a few plays and to see how the record will sound. There is one acetate of the "I Can Hear Music" 45 that was made, on which the music was credited to Larry Lurex & The Voles From Venus. It was later shortened to just Larry Lurex.

From Quiz Ain't Never Been There, They Tell Me It's Nice

Answer: Buffalo Springfield

Best known for its signature political anthem "For What It's Worth", Buffalo Springfield formed in 1966 in California. Although the original group remained together less than three years, its politically inspired work became a banner among young people growing up in the turbulent 1960s and left lasting influence on subsequent bands and artists. In 2010 and 2011, several surviving members reunited for a brief tour, but the band released no new studio material. Although Buffalo and Springfield are both well known US cities, the band actually took its name from the company logo on an asphalt roller that was parked in front of a friend's house.

From Quiz Let's Play 'Name That Band'!

Answer: Drifting Cowboys

The Drifting Cowboys also backed up other great singers such as Lefty Frizzell, Marty Robbins and Ray Price. Hank Williams wrote many songs and a lot of them crossed over to pop. Some examples are "Half as Much", "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Take These Chains from My Heart" - all classics.

From Quiz Abandon All Hope

Answer: The Beatles

The group first called themselves the Beatals as a tribute to Buddy Holly and the Crickets, and metamorphosed through things like The Silver Beetles and Silver Beats to the final name of The Beatles.

From Quiz Obscure Bands and Artists with Automobile Names

Answer: The Critters

After disbanding Don and the Chevelles Don Ciccone and sax player Bob Podstawski joined a group called The Vibratones in 1964. In an effort to capitalize on British sounding band names they decided on The Critters, in deference to The Animals. They signed with Kapp Records and recorded a version of a John Sebastian composition titled "Younger Girl". The song broke the US Top Forty and the band followed up with a Ciccone composition titled "Mr. Dieingly Sad" that reached Number 17 on the US charts. Military service and college led to the breakup of The Critters after "Mr. Dieingly Sad" was released. Don Ciccone went on to join Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and also toured with Tommy James and the Shondells. "Bread and Butter" was a 1964 Top Ten by The Newbeats. The Reflections had Top Ten US success with "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet" and "Mercy, Mercy" by Don Covay and The Goodtimers made the US Top Forty.

From Quiz They're Animals!

Answer: Blue Oyster Cult

Blue Oyster Cult had a few hit singles, including "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," "Burnin' For You," and "Godzilla". They often toured with the band Black Sabbath.

From Quiz Band Names and TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms)

Answer: BOC

Blue Oyster Cult formed in 1967 in the Stony Brook University area of Long Island. Using the name Soft White Underbelly originally, a bad review of one of their early concerts prompted their manager to urge them to seek out a new name, settling finally, in 1971 on Blue Oyster Cult. They went platinum in 1976 with their album "Agents of Fortune". The other, incorrect, choices might stand for: BJT - Bipolar Junction Transistor (a common solid state device) DOA - Dead on Arrival DMC - DeLorean Motor Company (famous for their model DMC-12 which was used in the movie "Back to the Future")

From Quiz Bands With Unusual and Interesting Names

Answer: Idiots

Rick Dees was a disc jockey when his first attempt at songwriting, "The National Wet-Off", failed to make a dent. He was inspired by a song called "The Duck" to pen a tune titled "Disco Duck". The song became a regional hit. When RSO Records picked the song up it became a national hit with the artist being credited as Rick Dees and his Cast of Idiots. "Disco Duck" knocked "A Fifth of Beethoven" from the top of the charts on October 16, 1976, and was booted from the top by Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now". He followed with a song inspired by the 1977 King Kong remake, "Dis-Gorilla". The song made it to Number 58. Rick was prohibited from playing "Disco Duck" on his show and ended up leaving for a rival station. He was later transferred to Los Angeles where he did a morning drive program and hosted a countdown show.

From Quiz Bands and Wildlife Names

Answer: Rats

The Boomtown Rats were an Irish band, formed in 1975, and led by Bob Geldof (vocal). They took their name from Woody Guthrie's novel "Bound for Glory". The group's most successful UK single was "I Don't Like Mondays" which remained at Number one for four weeks in 1979. The group disbanded in 1986 after Geldof had formed the group Band Aid in order to promote the cause of famine relief in Ethiopia.

From Quiz Where Did That Band Get That Name? Part II

Answer: 10,000 Maniacs

When they formed in 1981 10,000 Maniacs first selected the name Burn Victims, but changed their name after being inspired by a low budget horror movie called "Two Thousand Maniacs!". They performed under the name 10,000 Maniacs during Labor Day weekend the same year. Natalie Merchant left the band in 1993 to try her hand at a solo career. In addition to Natalie departing, the group has undergone a series of member changes. Art of Noise took their name from a 1913 Luigi Russolo manifesto titled "The Art of Noises". Foo Fighters was a WW II reference to unidentified flying objects. Opeth took their name from Opet, a fictional Phoenician city in South Africa referenced in the Wilbur Smith novel, "Sunbird".

From Quiz Groups with Automobile Names

Answer: Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids

Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids portrayed Herbie and the Heartbeats in "American Graffiti" (1973). The band formed in Colorado in the late sixties. Mick "Flash" Manresa was the front man and guitarist. When Manresa and other members of the band decided to go to college in 1971 Manresa was replaced by Sam McFadin. The group relocated to Los Angeles where they appeared on "American Bandstand", got the part of Herbie and the Heartbeats in "American Graffiti", appeared on "Happy Days" and played a band in the 1979 movie, "Apocalypse Now". They eventually changed the name of the band to simply Flash Cadillac. "Disco Duck (Part 1)" was a US Number One hit for Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots in 1976. "A Fifth of Beethoven" was a US Number One song the same year for Walter Murphy and The Big Apple Band. In 1974 Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods had a US Number One hit with "Billy, Don't Be a Hero".

From Quiz What's in a Name?

Answer: Avenged Sevenfold

California boys Shadows, The Rev, Christ, Synyster, and Zacky sport this Bible reference. In the story of Cain and Abel, Cain slays Abel from jealousy. The name means that Cain will be avenged upon (for slaying Abel) seven times (x) over. This makes up the abbreviation for Avenged Sevenfold, A7X (avenged seven times).

From Quiz Where did that band get that name?

Answer: From the names of friends.

While the R&B group is usually associated with the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, they actually began charting in 1967 with "New York Mining Disaster 1941". The record was sent to disc jockeys with a white label containing only the title of the song. Disc jockeys assumed it was a Beatles release and give it considerable airplay. They followed up with "To Love Somebody" and a string of hits ensued. Early band names were Rattlesnakes and Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats. The band was introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates by promoter Bill Goode . Gates renamed them the "Bee Gees" after his and Goode's initials. Accordingly, the name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb", despite popular belief.

From Quiz We Sing, But We Can't Spell!

Answer: The Murmaids

Properly spelled, this band's name should read "The Mermaids". This group began singing at an early age and began to show a promising sound in their mid-teens. Their only hit, "Icicles and Popsicles", was composed by David Gates and recorded at Chattahoochie Records by recording manager Kim Fowley.

From Quiz Animal Bands

Answer: The Beatles

The Beatles are quite possibly the most famous band in the history of music. A 27-song CD of all their #1 hits contains "Yesterday" while the other two songs are notably on the White Album.

From Quiz "The" Bands

Answer: The The

This LP had collaborations with Johnny Marr and Sinead O'Connor. I told you this quiz was about "The" bands...

From Quiz 50s and 60s Band Names

Answer: From Belmont Ave. in the Bronx.

The Belmonts were Dion's backup singers from 1957 - 1960.

From Quiz Keeping up with the Jones's

Answer: Billy Paul

From 'Me and Mrs. Jones.' The song was written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. Billy Paul took it to number 1 in 1972.

From Quiz Band Names As Defined By Longman

Answer: Rage Against The Machine & rage against the machine & Rage against the Machine & Rage Against the Machine

Had a hit with 'Bullet In Your Head' and (more recently) 'Guerrilla Radio'. They're famous for their political struggle. Now disbanded.

From Quiz Even More Band Names Of The 60s

Answer: Expressions&Silvertones&Reflections

'Shakin' All Over' - 1965. I believe this was their only hit, as they quickly became the Guess Who.

From Quiz Origins of Band Names

Answer: 10,000 Maniacs

The movie was called '2,000 Maniacs'. I guess Natalie Merchant and company just added an additional 8,000 to round it out.

From Quiz Duos And Trios Of The 60s

Answer: Paul

'Blowin in the Wind' - 1963.

From Quiz More Band Names Of The 60s

Answer: Shondells

'Hanky Panky' from 1966 was one of their many hits.

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Last Updated Jan 10 2026 5:45 AM

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