List of Band Name Etymologies - B

B

• The B-52's — from the name of a beehive hairstyle, itself named for the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
• Bachman–Turner Overdrive — a combination of band members last names and the magazine Overdrive. The band's name had previously been "Bachman-Turner". All band members thought that Bachman-Turner Overdrive sounded way cooler.
• Backstreet Boys — named after a flea market in Orlando, Florida.
• Badfinger — originally called "The Iveys" after a street in Swansea, Wales. Once the band was signed to Apple Records by The Beatles the band took the opportunity to change their name. The name "Badfinger" was derived from "Bad Finger Boogie," the working title of The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends".
• The Band They were originally known as The Hawks, after their original lead singer Ronnie Hawkins. While working with Bob Dylan in the 1960s, they decided to change their name, but were unable to agree on a new name. They finally decided to simply call themselves "The Band" after being derisively referred to as "the band" by critics of Dylan's new electric direction on the 1966 tour.
• Bauhaus — originally named "Bauhaus 1919" after the German Bauhaus art movement, and shortened to "Bauhaus" in 1979.
• The Beatles - The Crickets were cited as an inspiration for the name.
• The Beautiful South — The Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. Heaton explained at the time that the name was partly a sarcastic reflection of his own dislike of southern England, and partly an attempt to force macho men to utter the word 'beautiful'.
• Belle & Sebastian — from Belle et Sébastien, a children's book by French writer Cécile Aubry.
• Between the Buried and Me - The band name was derived from a phrase in Counting Crows' song "Ghost Train"
• Beyond - was a rock band formed in Hong Kong in 1983. The band became prominent in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia. They were also very popular in mainland China. The band was, and still is, widely considered as the most successful and influential Cantonese band from Hong Kong.
• Biffy Clyro - there are many rumours of the origin of Biffy Clyro's name. These are that one time lead singer, Simon Neil bought a Cliff Richard pen therefore it was a Cliffy Biro. They then changed this to Biffy Clyro. Another theory is that 'Biffy Clyro' were a Welsh tribe. The third rumour is that Biffy Clyro was a former player of the band's football team, Ayr United. They have never confirmed any of these.
• Big Drill Car — the band members have claimed in interviews that their name was inspired by the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth.
• Billy Talent - The band is named after a character in the film Hard Core Logo (although the name in the film and the book by Michael Turner it was adapted from is spelled "Billy Tallent").
• The Black Crowes - The group originally called themselves Mr. Crowe's Garden, after a favorite children's book. They performed under that name until they signed with Def American Records in 1989. They renamed themselves in response to the suggestion of a producer.
• Black Flag - Suggested by guitarist Greg Ginn's brother, Raymond Pettibone, because "if a white flag means surrender, a black flag means anarchy."
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club — The film The Wild One featured two motorcycle gangs - The Beetles, led by Lee Marvin's character, and Black Rebels Motorcycle Club, led by Marlon Brando's character. In a reference to the story that The Beatles took their name from one motorcycle gang, Peter Hayes, guitarist, and bassist Robert Levon Been, originally named their band "The Other Gang", but switched to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club when The Other Gang didn't catch on.
• Blind Melon Bass player Brad Smith's father used this term to refer to some hippies who lived in a commune near his house.
• Blue October The front man of Blue October, Justin Furstenfeld, spent a brief stint in a mental hospital in October 1997. Furstenfeld stated that afterwards he wrote songs to keep depression away which led to the forming of the band.
• Blur The band had been known as "Seymour" until they were signed to Food Records in 1990. The label disliked the band name and suggested the group select a new one from a provided list, from which "Blur" was eventually selected.
• Brainerd Original guitarist, Knife, names band after home-town (Brainerd, Minnesota).
• Bring Me the Horizon Take their name from a line said by Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, "Now... bring me that horizon".