'Pre-Fame' Band Names Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Beatles

John Lennon started out in The Quarrymen, which Paul McCartney and George Harrison soon joined. They were also known as the Silver Beatles before shortening it to The Beatles.

Answer: Moody Blues

When the group began, they were sponsored by a brewery called Mitchells and Butler, who also owned many of the pubs in which the band played.

Answer: The Kinks

Formed by guitarist Dave Davies in 1963 in London, kinky was a word used to describe sex, fashion and just about anything else. In one early publicity photo, all members posed with whips.

Answer: The Who

The name came from mod slang, meaning stylish.

Answer: The Byrds

The group also released a single as 'The Beefeaters' to try and cash in on the British Invasion.

Answer: Simon and Garfunkel

Tom and Jerry had a minor hit in 1957 with 'Hey Schoolgirl' and broke up after follow-up singles went nowhere. They re-teamed as Simon and Garfunkel in the early 60's and broke up one more time after an unsuccessful debut folk album. They had a number one hit with 'The Sound Of Silence' from that album after producer Tom Wilson added electric guitar, bass and drums to it, unbeknownst to Simon and Garfunkel at the time.

Answer: The Guess Who

Chad Allan and the Expressions' record label thought they had a hit on their hands with the band's version of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' British hit, 'Shakin' All Over', but disliked the group's name. While the band came up with a new name, the single was released to radio on a plain white label credited to 'guess who?' in hopes dj's would think it was the Beatles' new single.

The song became a huge hit in Canada and they were stuck with the name. Vocalist Chad Allan eventually left and was replaced on lead vocals by Burton Cummings.

Answer: Crazy Horse

The Rockets released one album before becoming Neil Young's backing band. Neil and Crazy Horse's first album together contains the song 'Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets)'.

Answer: The Beach Boys

They took their name from the Pendleton shirts they wore.

Answer: U2

Formed in Dublin in 1976, Feedback became The Hype and eventually U2.

Answer: The Beach Boys

Brian Wilson, Mike Love, and Dennis Wilson wanted to perform at a talent show at Hawthorne High School. However, fifteen year old Carl Wilson did not. To coax Carl into it, Brian called the group 'Carl and the Passions'. In 1972, The Beach Boys recorded an album titled 'Carl and the Passions - So Tough'.

Answer: The Band

The Hawks originally backed singer Ronnie Hawkins. After splitting with Hawkins, the group moved to Woodstock while backing Bob Dylan. Everyone in town, including Dylan, referred to them as 'the band', so they became 'The Band'.

Answer: The Bangles

After learning another group was called The Bangs, the group became The Bangles.

Answer: Lynyrd Skynyrd

Formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1965, The Backyard later became Lynyrd Skynyrd. The name came from a gym teacher, named Leonard Skinner, who did not care for long-haired students.

Answer: Creedence Clearwater Revival

The name, The Golliwogs, was purely the work of their manager at the time. The band hated it.

Answer: The Grateful Dead

The band had to change their name because of another band called The Warlocks.

Answer: Led Zeppelin

Jimmy Page, the last of the three famous guitarists to be in the Yardbirds, originally called Led Zeppelin the New Yardbirds. All of the other three choices listed contained former Yardbirds as well.

Answer: Sonny and Cher

Caesar and Cleo were signed to Vault and Reprise Records, but achieved fame as Sonny and Cher while on Atlantic Records.

Answer: Grand Funk Railroad

Terry Knight became the group's manager and changed their name in homage to Canada's Grand Trunk Railroad.

Answer: Badfinger

The Iveys released one album before changing to Badfinger, suggested by Neil Aspinall, head of Apple Records. Paul McCartney wrote and produced their first hit 'Come And Get It'.