Band names continue to baffle me. Seriously, how did a band actually decide upon the name Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros? Did you know that Edward Sharpe isn’t even a real person, let alone a band member? Here’s what is behind the name of these 5 bands:
- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – The founder of the band, Alex Ebert, came up with the fictional character, Edward Sharpe, when we was writing a story after joining a 12-step program for addiction after he hit rough patch in his life. According to Ebert, Sharpe was “sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind…but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love.” What about the Magnetic Zeros? Apparently, a group formerly known as the Zeros are a part of the band, though this doesn’t explain the inclusion of the word “magnetic.”
- Nickelback – Have you heard this one before? The group couldn’t think of a name, but bassist Mike Kroeger thought back to his days as a worker at a Starbucks coffee shop when we often have to give a nickel back to customers as change.
- Ke$ha – Kesha Sebert was a part of a huge hit single “Right Round,” and then never received the credit or a single dime for it. She’d listen to the song being played on the radio without having, “enough money to buy [herself] a taco.” About the dollar symbol, she told Entertainment Weekly, “It’s actually just being ironic about the whole money thing, because I actually stand for the opposite of putting a lot of emphasis on money.”
- Goo Goo Dolls – At first this group was called the Sex Maggots. However, a local newspaper refused to print the name, thus lead vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik picked up an old magazine and noticed an ad for a doll that cried “Goo Goo” when you turned it upside down, and the name was born.
- Kiss – Despite other rumors, Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar) insists that Kiss just sounds dangerous (like the kiss of death) and sexy at the same time.
Check out the story behind other band names here.
