Just like The Doors, The Velvet Underground took their name from the title of a book. Michael Leigh penned “The Velvet Underground” about the sexual revolution that was taking place in the 1960s.
The book was published in 1963, and the band came about in 1965. They liked the name because it seemed to evoke the image of an underground cinema. It was just the kind of thing that a psychedelic band in the sixties wanted for their image.
System of a Down
Another musical group that is almost as unique as its name, System of a Down have brought heavy metal to the masses. The name was put together from several things, the primary source being a poem written by band member Daron Malakian.
He wrote a poem with the line “Victims of a Down,” and the band was ready to go with that name and call it good, until bassist Shavo Odadjian convinced them to change the first word to “System” in order to be filed closer to their favorite band, Slayer, in music stores. We're not sure if this change helped, but it's still a nice name.
Fall Out Boy
Many people know the Simpsons, of course, but it still might be difficult to get where this band got its name. Fallout Boy was the name of the sidekick for Radioactive Man, a comic book hero popular within the "Simpsons" universe.
The character's name debuted in a 1991 episode, and the band took it, adding a break in the first word to differentiate it from the character. The band paid tribute to the show that inspired their name by recording a cover of the show's theme song. It's the perfect kind of name for a pop-punk band, and they rode the name to great success.
Death Cab for Cutie
Unsurprisingly, music is big in the lives of musicians, which ends up in band names inspired by other bands. Such is the case with Death Cab for Cutie, who got their name from the fab four themselves: The Beatles.
The band's front-man Ben Gibbard said that the band's moniker came from The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour". During the movie, a band named the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band played a tune called “Death Cab for Cutie.” The name stuck with Gibbard. But, he's since said he would have picked a more obvious reference if he could go back in time.
Linkin Park
Some band name meanings have a meaning that is a little bit more mundane. For this band, it's Lincoln Park in Santa Monica, California. Founding band member Chester Bennington used to drive past the part on his way to the studio. With a little bit of spelling creativity, this band was ready to start producing.
Linkin Park combined rap and rock to help forge the nu-metal genre. Before they found this name from such an unassuming place, they were known as both Xero and Hybrid Theory. The band has been on hiatus for several years, due to the unfortunate death of Bennington.