16 bands who got their names from TV and movies

Inspiration can come from anywhere. So why not the TV screen?

These 16 bands were inspired by TV shows and movies when they were coming up with their names.

 

Fall Out Boy
It’s well-known that Fall Out Boy were inspired by a minor character on The Simpsons—as in, the character was literally named “Fallout Boy.”

Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!
This French band were inspired by a quote from The Goonies, where the character Chunk redefines himself while swinging around on a pirate ship. He shouts out: “Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!” while defeating the bad guys.

The Fratellis
It turns out that The Goonies was a popular movie for band name choices. This indie rock band got their name from the criminal family in the 1985 classic.

Say Anything
This one’s pretty obvious, since Say Anything are named after the 1989 film of the same name.

My Bloody Valentine
Also a simple choice on the band’s part – there’s a 1981 slasher film of the same name.

Goldfinger
One of the most well-known third-wave ska bands took their name from a James Bond film with the name Goldfinger.

The Damned
These punks are thought to have taken their name from a 1969 film of the same name. However, this hasn’t been confirmed.

Misfits
Misfits took their name from a film that looks very different from their typical stage act – it’s 1961’s The Misfits, and it’s the last film Marilyn Monroe was in before her death.

Killswitch Engage
It’s probably safe to say that the metalcore band were big fans of The X-Files. They took their name from a single episode of the series, which was titled “Kill Switch.”

Eve 6
The band took their name from an episode of The X-Files about clones, titled “Eve 6.”

Minus The Bear
Minus The Bear got their band name through a funny conversation about a date. As reported in a 2010 interview with the band at Spin Magazine, one of the bandmates had gone on a date, and someone else asked him how it went. His response: “You know that TV show from the ’70s, B.J. and The Bear? It was like that minus the bear.”

Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles got their band name from the cartoon She-Ra: Princess Of Power, during a line of dialogue.

Bring Me The Horizon
BMTH slightly changed a line of dialogue from the Pirates Of The Carribbean movie, where Jack Sparrow says, “Bring me that horizon.”

Rooney
This indie rock band were inspired by the simple last name of the principal in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; his name was Ed Rooney.

Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath took their name from an early 1960s horror movie with the same title.

They Might Be Giants
The history behind this band name goes back a few steps. The band itself took it from the 1971 film They Might Be Giants, but the film took the name from a passage from the novel Don Quixote, which in turn took the words from Dante’s Inferno.