Hitting the wrong note

Even hitmakers can have epic fails. Here are 10 bands that named themselves in haste, only to repent at leisure

- Karishma Kuenzang

1 Mumford & Sons (2007-).

Never focus on one person if it's a band of equals. The English folk rock group named themselves after their frontman, Marcus Mumford. "It's rubbish. It's a rubbish name," Mumford said in 2016. "You never really think about it when you're in the pub, you've done your first rehearsal, you've written your first song, and someone's like 'You need a band name now."" 

2 Dixie Chicks, aka The Chicks (1995-).

The mutinously liberal country trio dropped Dixie from their name in 2020 after they realised that the confederate flag (with all its associations to slavery and White supremacy) was being called the Dixie Swastika. They've had hits such as There's Your Trouble. They've found trouble too. A New Zealand duo from the 1960s is already called The Chicks.

3 Arctic Monkeys (2002-).

Guitarist Jamie Cook came up with the name for his English rock band on a whim. Its star rose alongside the spread of the Internet. Frontman Alex Turner has admitted that their band name is "so bad, the tribute bands don't sound worse." But since it was their first band, it might be forgivable.

4 Kara's Flowers, aka Maroon 5 (1994-).