6 Iconic Band Names That Were Hiding a Clever Joke in Plain Sight (Besides The Beatles)

Band names can clue a listener in to the group’s style before a needle is ever dropped on a record. Black Sabbath gives off an appropriately dark, sinister vibe. KC and the Sunshine Band does sound like a feel-good group that would make hits like “That’s The Way” and “Get Down Tonight”.

Other times, band names reveal the musicians’ humor and wit. One of the most famous examples are The Beatles, whose name is both a pun (‘beat’ and ‘beetles’) and an homage to one of their musical heroes, Buddy Holly and the Crickets. But the Fab Four were hardly the only ones being funny.

And just like The Beatles, some of these cleverly disguised joke names have been hiding in plain sight for decades.

Led Zeppelin

Although some details vary depending on who you ask, the general consensus about Led Zeppelin’s band name is that it came from a comment that The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon, made. Speaking of a potential band with himself and future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, Moon said that group would go over like a lead balloon. Balloon became zeppelin, and the rest is rock ‘n’ roll history.

Lipps, Inc. 

Contrary to what their name might suggest, Lipps, Inc. was a Minnesotan disco group, not an incorporated small business. On paper, most of our brains automatically separate the two title elements like we would if we were seeing a business name out in the real world. But say it out loud, and the pun that the “Funkytown” singers were hiding in plain sight becomes clear. Lipps, Inc. Lip sync.

Gorillaz

The lore around why Gorillaz is called Gorillaz is vast. Some say it’s a remnant of the infamous Oasis v. Blur battle, during which Liam Gallagher compared Gorillaz founder Damon Albarn’s band, Blur, to The Monkees. Other stories say it’s an expansion of the group’s original name, Gorilla, which might be a play on guerrilla, in reference to their unconventional musical approach. And finally: the name for a group of gorillas is, you guessed it, a band.

Soft Cell

This band name joke is one that most fans came up with after the fact. Still, there’s always a chance that the band knew what they were doing after settling on the name for a different reason. Soft Cell was a reference to padded cells as a commentary on “consumerist nightmares and suburban insanity,” per Pitchfork. But “Soft Cell” also sounds like the opposite of a “hard sell,” which is a convenient coincidence that adds extra meaning.

The Pogues

Before they were The Pogues, this Celtic punk band called themselves Polk and Mahone. The group derived the name from the Gaelic term, “póg mo thóin,” which translates to, “kiss my a**.” They changed their name to The Pogues after the BBC received complaints about the vulgar reference. Ironically, if they had gotten their start over here in the States, the first name probably would have been a non-issue.

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention close out this list of band names as both a former reference to profanity and a joke hiding in plain sight. Their original name, “The Mothers,” was a reference to “motherf***ers,” which, when used in a positive context, referred to someone who was extraordinarily talented at a certain skill. For a backing band, the name was a high compliment, albeit a profane one.

After record executives caught on, Zappa had to change the name out of necessity. And since necessity is the mother of invention, Zappa opted for “Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.”

Photo by Dick Barnatt/Redferns