A good or bad name can make or break a band — and unfortunately for some groups,
keeping a great name can be just as hard as coming up with one.
Here are some of the most famous bands who have been forced to change their names.
Breaking onto the music scene with their self-titled debut album in 1978,
Van Halen ended up defining rock 'n' roll for a new generation. Featuring the outlandish antics
of frontman David Lee Roth, the fiery fretwork of guitar hero Eddie Van Halen,
the thunderous drums of Alex Van Halen, and the booming bass work of Michael Anthony,
Van Halen ruled the stage with their electrifying stage shows and flawless musicianship.
Obviously, it's nearly impossible to imagine such a legendary combination of talents being called
anything other than Van Halen. Nevertheless, before settling on the distinctive Dutch
surname of brothers Eddie and Alex, Van Halen went through a number of name changes.
The seeds of the band that would become Van Halen were sown in 1969,
when the brothers formed a cover band that they cheekily named the Trojan Rubber Company. By 1971,
the band had changed its name to Genesis. Still playing covers, Genesis developed a reputation for
their raucous live shows. While browsing albums at a local record store, however, Eddie discovered
that the name Genesis was already taken. To avoid confusion with the popular English prog rock band,
the struggling rockers went with Mammoth, a name that perfectly reflected their gargantuan sound.
Nevertheless, a cease-and-desist letter from another California band called Mammoth would spur
yet another name change. Noting the uniqueness and inherent power of Alex and Eddie's last name,
the band's new singer David Lee Roth suggested Van Halen. The rest, as they say, is history.
Long before Alice Cooper became a solo act, it was the name of the most dangerous band
of the early 1970s. Fronted by singer Vincent Furnier, Alice Cooper was a fusion of vaudeville,
Grand Guignol, and rock 'n' roll. Beloved by kids and hated by parents, the group shattered taboos
with their outlandish stage show and climbed the charts with a number of hard-driving rock anthems.
Funnily enough, Alice Cooper began as a joke band called the Earwigs.
Formed by Furnier and his cross-country track teammate Dennis Dunaway,
Earwig were basically a Beatles parody act who formed for a high school talent show. Then,
having fallen in love with performing, Furnier and company decided to become a real band.
Rechristened the Spiders, the group quickly emerged as the hottest band in Phoenix.
After making the most of Arizona's music scene, they headed for Los Angeles — and the big time.
Now with their classic line-up in place, the Spiders became the Nazz. The Nazz,
however, were unfortunately short-lived. In 1968, Furnier discovered that Philadelphia
musician Todd Rundgren and his group were already using the name. In the end, Furnier blurted out
"Alice Cooper" during a brainstorming session. In the book Alice Cooper, Golf Monster, he writes:
"I conjured up an image of a little girl with a lollipop in one hand and a
butcher knife in the other. Lizzy Borden. Alice Cooper. They had a similar ring."
But that's not the only reason that the man who became Alice Cooper loves his name.
"If you think of Alice Cooper, you would expect to see a
blonde folk singer. And what they see is me."
English blues rock band the Yardbirds were one of the most important musical
groups of the 1960s. Dedicated to reinterpreting the music of icons such as Sonny Boy Williamson,
Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters, the Yardbirds introduced the blues to a new generation.
With the departure of guitarist Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck joined the group,
solidifying their eclectic sound. The Yardbirds snagged their third iconic
guitarist when Jimmy Page replaced bassist Paul Samwell-Smith. With Chris Dreja on bass,
the band enjoyed a brief period that featured the dueling lead guitars of both Beck and Page. Beck,
however, struck out on his own, while singer Keith Relf and drummer Jim McCarty exited soon after.
Page and Dreja continued as the Yardbirds to fulfill remaining band obligations.
Before securing a new lineup, however, Dreja abruptly quit.
Recruiting singer Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones,
Page and company then retook the stage as the New Yardbirds. Despite his initial involvement,
Dreja sent Page a cease-and-desist letter forbidding use of the Yardbirds' name.
In a later interview with the Academy of Achievement, Page revealed how the
band found their new name. Page explained that The Who's drummer Keith Moon had joked about
forming a supergroup that would go down like a lead balloon. Page recalled:
"He was talking, 'Wouldn't it be fun to have a band called Led
Zeppelin?' And I asked him if we could use the name."
A true chameleon of a performer, David Bowie's early career was characterized by his creation
of wild personas that defined each album release. From Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke,
Bowie never settled for less than pure innovation in both his music and his style.
"I've always found that I collect. I'm a collector.
And I've always just seemed to collect personalities.
Born David Robert Jones on January 8th 1947, Bowie grew up listening to American rock 'n'
roll. Hooked on Elvis and Little Richard, Bowie started his first band, the Kon-Rads,
when he was only 16 years old. Frustrated with his bandmates' lack of musical ambition, however,
he soon left the Kon-Rads. Billing himself as Davy Jones, Bowie drifted between a number of
blues bands and recorded several singles that failed to connect with the public.
While struggling to establish himself as an artist in the 1960s,
Bowie realized that he had to change his name. Why? Well,
the star once explained his motivations to drop his surname in a letter to a fan. Bowie wrote:
"In answer to your questions, my real name is David Jones, and I don't have to tell you why
I changed it. 'Nobody's going to make a monkey out of you' said my manager."
Of course, Bowie is alluding to Davy Jones, the diminutive and popular singer
of the prefab pop group the Monkees. Before taking the surname "Bowie" from
American folk hero Jim Bowie and the knife that bears his name, - and yes,
you can certainly make the argument that David Bowie doesn’t know how to pronounce his stage
name - the late artist nearly co-opted the name of another pop star — Welsh crooner Tom
Jones - who’s real name is Tom Woodward.. But we’ll save him for the sequel video.
Before they became a staple of '80s soft rock radio, Chicago were a '70s jazz-rock powerhouse.
Founded in 1967, the group began as a cover band called the Big Thing.
Although horns used as an accent in rock music were nothing new, a rock band driven by a brass
section was revolutionary. Soon, the Big Thing were concentrating on their own original music.
Then, in late '67, the group left the Windy City for Los Angeles. Under the direction
of manager and producer Jimmy Guercio, the Big Thing became Chicago Transit Authority.
Securing a deal with CBS Records, Chicago Transit Authority released their debut album in 1969.
Bolstered by the hit single "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"
the album sold a million copies. However, Chicago Transit Authority's popularity drew some unwanted
legal attention. As recounted in the liner notes of their 2003 compilation The Box,
the band ran afoul of the real Chicago Transit Authority. Jimmy Guercio wrote:
"We heard from the municipal transportation district, that it was the proprietary property
of the city of Chicago transportation department and that if we continued to use the name,
they would look at all their legal remedies if we didn't cease and desist."
Unwilling to fight city hall,
Chicago Transit Authority gave up their old name — and became Chicago in the process.
Powered by the vision of poet and singer Jim Morrison,
the Doors began their career with the 1966 release of their self-titled first album.
Five years and six studio albums later, it would all come crashing down — when
the brilliant but troubled Morrison died under tragic circumstances at the age of 27.
Founding members Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger, and John Densmore would release two more albums
as the Doors following Morrison's death, and contributed accompanying music to the
posthumous 1978 release of Morrison's spoken-word album, An American Prayer.
In the decades following Morrison's death,
the surviving members pursued solo projects and occasionally performed together. However,
a proposed 2002 reunion with a new singer drove a wedge between
guitarist Robbie Krieger, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and drummer John Densmore.
Manzarek and Krieger attempted to reform the Doors as the Doors of the 21st Century,
recruiting Ian Astbury of the British rock band the Cult on vocals,
as well as former Police percussionist Stewart Copeland. John Densmore and the estate of Jim
Morrison successfully sued Manzarek and Krieger in 2003, blocking them from using the Doors' name.
"I called Jim's estate and said 'oh god,
the guys are going out with the name and no Jim, let alone yours truly.'”
At the time, Densmore told Billboard:
"No disrespect to Ian Astbury or Stewart Copeland.
They are wonderful musicians. But my point is they are not the Doors."
Renamed Manzarek-Krieger, the musicians eventually reconciled with their former drummer. However,
plans for a Doors reunion were thwarted when Manzarek succumbed to cancer in 2013.
With their heavy, 1970s-inspired riffs and stripped-down sound, Kyuss were pioneers
of the musical style that would come to be known as stoner rock. Founded by guitarist Josh Homme,
bassist Nick Oliveri, drummer Brant Bjork, and singer John Garcia, Kyuss gained a
loyal underground following playing so-called "generator parties." These were the beer-fueled
outdoor bashes held in the isolated desert communities around Palm Springs in the late 1980s.
Kyuss caught the attention of critics with their acclaimed second release, Blues for a
Red Sun. Their next album, 1994's Welcome to Sky Valley, marked the band's pinnacle of success.
However, Kyuss' 1995 album ...And the Circus Leaves Town was the beginning of the end.
Plagued by lineup changes and internal conflict, Kyuss broke up in the summer of 1995.
Nevertheless, members of the band would go on to even greater success, most notably guitarist
Josh Homme, who went on to found Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal.
Despite their breakup, Kyuss has maintained a loyal fanbase. In 2011,
Garcia, Bjork, and Olivieri began performing as Kyuss Lives! marking the first time the
founding members had played together in 19 years. Not down for the reunion, however,
were former members Homme and bassist Scott Reeder, who sued over use of the band's name.
As a result, Garcia and company may tour as Kyuss Lives! but are forbidden to record under the name.
The former bandmates now call themselves Vista Chino to avoid further legal entanglements.
Founded in 1984 by guitarist J Mascis, Dinosaur Jr. would become one of the most influential bands
of the '90s' alternative rock boom. Originally called Dinosaur, the band released their first
album in 1985. Although their recording debut met with only limited success critically and
commercially, the band caught the eye of alternative music darlings Sonic Youth,
who invited them along as the opening act on their 1986 tour. Consequently,
their second album, You're Living All Over Me, proved a success in the growing indie rock scene.
Unfortunately, Dinosaur's breakthrough led to an unexpected setback for the group, when they
were sued by a short-lived psychedelic jam band supergroup called the Dinosaurs, a supergroup made
up of various former members of Summer-of-Love era rock bands. Most importantly, Dinosaurs had
formed in 1982, two years before Mascis' group. Undaunted, Mascis and company added "Jr." to their
name, and subsequent pressings of their first two albums were amended to reflect the change.
Michael Jackson may best be remembered as the King of Pop, but before Thriller,
Bad, and the endless allegations and rumors that haunted his final years,
he was the preteen frontman of the Jackson 5. Signed to Motown in 1970,
the group scored a record-breaking four back-to-back number-one singles.
Although classics like "I Want You Back" and "The Love You Save" made truckloads of money
for Motown, the Jackson 5 saw little of it. In the end, the group announced they were leaving
Motown for Epic Records in 1975. The brothers' departure from Motown would come at price;
namely, that the label retained rights to the group's name.
Changing their name to the Jacksons, the band made the move to Epic in 1976.
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