![How 100 of Rock’s Biggest Acts Got Their Names](https://townsquare.media/site/295/files/2022/10/attachment-BandNames.jpg?w=980&q=75)
How 100 of Rock’s Biggest Acts Got Their Names
Certain trends emerge as you explore how rock's 100 biggest acts got their names. They are often forced into taking the moniker that stuck, for instance, simply because somebody else had already claimed their earlier attempt at a fame-clinching title.
Far too many of them were also chosen without any real consideration for how long the members might have to live with their decisions. A number of them also evolved out of earlier versions of the same name, while others were sparked by offhanded comments – even, in the case of one legendary group, by a pithy put-down.
More than a few make no sense at all. Like what exactly is a Foghat – and what makes a finger "bad"? So, if you've ever wondered just what the genesis of Genesis was, the following list is for you. Keep scrolling to solve some of rock's greatest labeling mysteries, many of which have long been steeped in urban legends, misinformation and half-truths.
Did Bob Dylan take his mother's maiden name? Were the Who almost called the Hair instead? And did you know Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd were based on real people?
They're all here, as we discover how rock's 100 biggest acts got their names, from AC/DC to ZZ Top. By the end, you'll be able to cut through the legendary lies – and, maybe more importantly, become the most annoying rock know-it-all at any dinner conversation.
How 100 of Rock's Biggest Acts Got Their Names
Gallery Credit: UCR Staff
A Look Back at Rock’s Forgotten Supergroups
More From 96.9 WOUR
![Help Needed Finding Man with Medical Issues, Last Seen in Rome, NY on October 2, 2022](http://townsquare.media/site/41/files/2022/10/attachment-Screenshot-2022-10-04-084124.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![That’s One Great Pumpkin! New York Farmer Grows Record Breaker](http://townsquare.media/site/39/files/2022/10/attachment-Light-Purple-and-White-Fashion-Back-to-Business-Landscape-Banner-3.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![First Flakes of Season: How Early Has Snow Fallen in Central New York](http://townsquare.media/site/39/files/2022/10/attachment-Light-Purple-and-White-Fashion-Back-to-Business-Landscape-Banner-5.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Man Charged with Unlawful Imprisonment After Alleged Domestic Dispute in Rome](http://townsquare.media/site/41/files/2022/10/attachment-Screenshot-2022-10-03-153456.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![One Picturesque Place In NY Among Most Idyllic Spots to See Fall Foliage](http://townsquare.media/site/39/files/2022/10/attachment-layne-lawson-ahjVRHrS07o-unsplash.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Two New York Towns Make America’s Most Beautiful Small Towns List](http://townsquare.media/site/40/files/2022/10/attachment-josh-berendes-osRrv20LPig-unsplash.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![15 Halloween Attractions To Check Out In Upstate New York](http://townsquare.media/site/40/files/2021/09/attachment-126097001_3930461670315721_7927763799975584670_n.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Massive Cheese Recall Issued Across New York](http://townsquare.media/site/16/files/2022/10/attachment-representative-image.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Why David Letterman Was ‘Afraid’ of ‘Shock Jock’ Howard Stern](http://townsquare.media/site/252/files/2022/09/attachment-Untitled-design-37.jpg?w=980&q=75)