3 of the Longest Band Names Ever Come Straight From 1990s Rock

The great poet and playwright William Shakespeare is famous for many things. But perhaps The Bard’s most well-known line is this: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet.”

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Right—so, what is in a name? What does it matter? Well, for some artists, a name should be short. But for others, it’s quite the opposite. And that’s just what we wanted to highlight here. Indeed, below are three of the longest band names ever—and they actually all come from 1990s rock.

The Presidents Of The United States Of America (39 Characters)

The 1990s were a strange, beautiful, difficult, amazing time to be a music fan. There was so much happening, so much new work hitting the airwaves. MTV was at the forefront of culture. The radio was buzzing with possibility. But not everything was good. Tragedy lurked around corners. And in Seattle, Washington, that was felt immensely with the loss of grunge star after grunge star. Still, in the middle of the decade, a new, fun rock band came to the top. And the group was a mouthful. The Presidents Of The United States Of America was led by Chris Ballew and their songs like “Peaches” and “Lump” were the kind of things that put a smile back on a city’s face after so much loss.

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (35 Characters)

This Austin, Texas-born rock band boasts quite the moniker. Not only is it long, not only is it a mouthful, but it is also rather morbid. Poetic, of course, but morbid none the less. Still, isn’t that what a band name is supposed to do? Even if it’s as long as a state highway, it has to stick in an audience’s mind. So making your group out to be some murderous rabble—well, that’s just rock! Good job, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead!

Big Head Todd And The Monsters (25 Characters)

Speaking of scary things, a big-headed monster? Yeah, that will get our adrenaline up. And maybe that’s the point here. Maybe a band name, like the one above, too, can get your nerve-endings buzzing. And then a good song will calm and cool them. Perhaps that was the thought from this Boulder, Colorado-born rock band Big Head Todd And The Monsters. Well, no matter what, that’s the result. And we remember them because of it. Don’t we? Genius!

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