ABBA - Abba is "father" in Hebrew but the band claims that to be unintentional - rather it is an acronym for the first names of the band members: Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid (Frida).

AC/DC - It is said that one of the band member saw it on an appliance and thought it had something to do with power. (It does mean "alternating current / direct current".) The band used it not realizing it was also slang for a bisexual- the band claims NOT to be bisexual.... In the vogue of other anti-everything bands it stands for Against Christ/Devil's Children.

BEASTIE BOYS - According to Michael Diamond, BEASTIE stands for Boys Entering Anarchistic Stages Towards Internal Excellence.

THE BEATLES - original member Stuart Sutcliffe came up with THE BEETLES , as a play on Buddy Holly's group THE CRICKETS who they loved. They were using the name THE QUARRYMEN and sometimes THE SILVER BEETLES - later it became THE BEATLES emphasizing the BEAT aspect of music (and poetry?). John Lennon is generally credited with combining Beetles and Beat to come up with THE BEATLES spelling.

BLACK SABBATH - Named after a 1963 horror movie starring Boris Karloff.

BONO - U2's lead singer, Paul Hewson was inspired by a hearing aid store in Dublin, Ireland called 'Bono Vox'.

THE CLASH - Taken from a newspaper headline describing 'A Clash With Police'

DAVID BOWIE - born David Jones, he changed his name to avoid confusion with David (Davy) Jones of THE MONKEES..David took his last name from the Bowie knife ("that big old bear killin' knife").

THE DOORS - Jim Morrison read poet William Blake who said "if the doors of perception are cleansed, everything would appear to man as it truly is, infinite. "He was also influenced by author Aldous Huxley who referred to the same line when he titled his book on drug experimentation The Doors of Perception. "There are things known and things unknown and in between are the doors"

THE CRANBERRIES - originally called Cranberries Saw Us ( a joke on Cranberries SAUCE) they changed it to the shorter form later.

DEPECHE MODE - from the name of a fashion magazine, meaning hurry up fashion

DOOBIE BROTHERS - a doobie was 60's slang for a marijuana joint.

DEF LEPPARD - Inspired by a drawing Joe Elliot made of a leopard with no ears, a 'Deaf Leopard'.

DIRE STRAIGHTS - Their name describes the financial situation they were in when forming the band.

BOB DYLAN - His real name is Robert Zimmerman - he liked the poet Dylan Thomas.

THE EAGLES - originally called TEEN KING AND THE EMERGENCIES , they liked the American sound of Eagles and the way it was aligned with THE BYRDS who had a great influence on them.

EMINEM - from his real name Marshall Mathers he took M&M and rewrote it phonetically as Eminem.

EURYTHMICS - a method of music instruction from the 1890's that emphasizes physical response to the music..

FOO FIGHTERS - a term used by World War II pilots to describe strange flying fireballs they sometimes saw.

GENESIS - The first book in the Bible - their first album's title was "From Genesis to Revelation"

GOO GOO DOLLS - used to be called the Sex Maggots, and when they were told that local newspapers wouldn't print that name, Jonny Rzeznik picked up a magazine from the early 60's with an ad for a doll that cried Goo Goo when you turned it upside down.

GREEN DAY - When they dropped out of school to be musicians, their principal said "It'll be a green day in hell before you make anything of yourselves"....Some say that in drug slang - if you smoked pot and dossed off all day, it was a "Green Day."

GUNS 'N' ROSES - originally two bands L.A. GUNNS and HOLLYWOOD ROSES. Hollywood Roses was headed by Axl Rose, Tracii Guns headed the other band which also featured Slash. The two frequented clubs and played there and were friends.

HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH - from the nicknames of two friends of singer/guitarist Darius Rucker - one with owl-like eyes (Hootie), anot