Pete
Mr. Eighties
- Apr 29, 2023
- 5,870
- 383
How some of these 80s bands came up with their name is pretty interesting. According to Mental Floss I'll add a few.
The Go-Gos - At 2 a.m. in a Denny's on Sunset Boulevard, the pop-influenced L.A. punk band fronted by Belinda Carlisle whittled their potential names down to The Misfits (inspired by the Marilyn Monroe movie) and The Go-Go’s. After consulting a dictionary, they learned that "The Go-Go’s" meant "effervescent and fun," which Carlisle shared with CBS Sunday Morning, capturing the essence of their music ideally. The placement of the apostrophe in their name, however, remains a point of ambiguity.
Wham! - Andrew Ridgeley is often seen as the less prominent half of this UK pop duo, yet he played a crucial role in naming the band. George Michael, his bandmate, recounted that the name emerged during a night out at a club where they were engaging in a kind of formation dance. "Andy began yelling things like wham bam and such," Michael recalled. "And we figured it would make a great name for a band."
U2 - Before becoming U2, Ireland’s most renowned rock group went by "Feedback" and "The Hype," eventually adopting U2 from a list of names suggested by their friend Steve Averill. Guitarist The Edge noted it was the name they disliked the least. Bono, the lead singer, was initially drawn to the name for its “futuristic” connotations, reminiscent of the Cold War-era U2 spy plane and the German U-boat. However, he never truly embraced the name, citing its implications of agreement or submission, which he found unappealing. “No, I don't like that name,” Bono admitted to the BBC.
Kajagoogoo - Famed for their 1983 hit "Too Shy," Kajagoogoo was originally known as "Art Nouveau," a name inspired by the art movement from the late 19th century. However, they opted for a name that had no inherent meaning. "The first thing that popped into my head was something a toddler might say, like ‘Goo-ga-ga-goo-goo’," bassist Nick Beggs explained to Smash Hits. Disliking the 'goo-ga-ga' part, he aimed for something more simplistic, thus arriving at "Kajagoogoo." Beggs described it as "the sound of primal life, don't you know!"
Tears for Fears - Inspired by Arthur Janov's 1980 work "Prisoners of Pain," Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith named their synth-pop duo Tears for Fears, drawing from the book's concept of "tears as a replacement for fears." Janov, the founder of primal therapy, not only influenced the naming of Tears for Fears but also played a role in the inspiration behind the name of another band: Primal Scream.
Motley Crue - Before becoming a member of the notorious L.A. glam-punk ensemble Mötley Crüe, guitarist Mick Mars played in a band named White Horse. A bandmate from White Horse once described their ensemble as a "motley-looking crew." This description resonated with Mars, leading him to propose "Mottley Cru" as a name after joining forces with Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, and Vince Neil. Eventually, they altered the spelling and incorporated umlauts to give it a heavy metal flair, inspired while they were enjoying Löwenbräu beer.
Guns N' Roses - This iconic L.A. hard rock band, formed in 1985, came into being by combining forces from two separate bands: Hollywood Rose, led by vocalist Axl Rose, and L.A. Guns, featuring Tracii Guns on guitar. The name Guns N' Roses is a straightforward blend of the two groups' names. The reason for the single apostrophe in their name remains a bit of a mystery, however.
Def Leppard - In 1975, during an art class, the soon-to-be rock legend Joe Elliott persuaded his teacher to let him switch from painting fruit bowls to creating imaginary concert posters. For fun, Elliott came up with various fictitious band names, one of which was Deaf Leopard. This playful invention became useful two years later when his newly established rock band was in search of a name, leading them to adjust the spelling slightly to enhance its cool factor.
Depeche Mode - The name of this trailblazing U.K. synth-pop group evokes a sense of darkness, allure, and intrigue. However, it was simply borrowed from a French fashion magazine, translating to "fashion news" or "fashion dispatch."
Read more https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/1980s-band-name-origins
The Go-Gos - At 2 a.m. in a Denny's on Sunset Boulevard, the pop-influenced L.A. punk band fronted by Belinda Carlisle whittled their potential names down to The Misfits (inspired by the Marilyn Monroe movie) and The Go-Go’s. After consulting a dictionary, they learned that "The Go-Go’s" meant "effervescent and fun," which Carlisle shared with CBS Sunday Morning, capturing the essence of their music ideally. The placement of the apostrophe in their name, however, remains a point of ambiguity.
Wham! - Andrew Ridgeley is often seen as the less prominent half of this UK pop duo, yet he played a crucial role in naming the band. George Michael, his bandmate, recounted that the name emerged during a night out at a club where they were engaging in a kind of formation dance. "Andy began yelling things like wham bam and such," Michael recalled. "And we figured it would make a great name for a band."
U2 - Before becoming U2, Ireland’s most renowned rock group went by "Feedback" and "The Hype," eventually adopting U2 from a list of names suggested by their friend Steve Averill. Guitarist The Edge noted it was the name they disliked the least. Bono, the lead singer, was initially drawn to the name for its “futuristic” connotations, reminiscent of the Cold War-era U2 spy plane and the German U-boat. However, he never truly embraced the name, citing its implications of agreement or submission, which he found unappealing. “No, I don't like that name,” Bono admitted to the BBC.
Kajagoogoo - Famed for their 1983 hit "Too Shy," Kajagoogoo was originally known as "Art Nouveau," a name inspired by the art movement from the late 19th century. However, they opted for a name that had no inherent meaning. "The first thing that popped into my head was something a toddler might say, like ‘Goo-ga-ga-goo-goo’," bassist Nick Beggs explained to Smash Hits. Disliking the 'goo-ga-ga' part, he aimed for something more simplistic, thus arriving at "Kajagoogoo." Beggs described it as "the sound of primal life, don't you know!"
Tears for Fears - Inspired by Arthur Janov's 1980 work "Prisoners of Pain," Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith named their synth-pop duo Tears for Fears, drawing from the book's concept of "tears as a replacement for fears." Janov, the founder of primal therapy, not only influenced the naming of Tears for Fears but also played a role in the inspiration behind the name of another band: Primal Scream.
Motley Crue - Before becoming a member of the notorious L.A. glam-punk ensemble Mötley Crüe, guitarist Mick Mars played in a band named White Horse. A bandmate from White Horse once described their ensemble as a "motley-looking crew." This description resonated with Mars, leading him to propose "Mottley Cru" as a name after joining forces with Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, and Vince Neil. Eventually, they altered the spelling and incorporated umlauts to give it a heavy metal flair, inspired while they were enjoying Löwenbräu beer.
Guns N' Roses - This iconic L.A. hard rock band, formed in 1985, came into being by combining forces from two separate bands: Hollywood Rose, led by vocalist Axl Rose, and L.A. Guns, featuring Tracii Guns on guitar. The name Guns N' Roses is a straightforward blend of the two groups' names. The reason for the single apostrophe in their name remains a bit of a mystery, however.
Def Leppard - In 1975, during an art class, the soon-to-be rock legend Joe Elliott persuaded his teacher to let him switch from painting fruit bowls to creating imaginary concert posters. For fun, Elliott came up with various fictitious band names, one of which was Deaf Leopard. This playful invention became useful two years later when his newly established rock band was in search of a name, leading them to adjust the spelling slightly to enhance its cool factor.
Depeche Mode - The name of this trailblazing U.K. synth-pop group evokes a sense of darkness, allure, and intrigue. However, it was simply borrowed from a French fashion magazine, translating to "fashion news" or "fashion dispatch."
Read more https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/1980s-band-name-origins
