- Beatles–There are a few stories floating around about this one. Stuart Sutcliffe came
up with the Beetles in 1960, which was evidently a play on Buddy Holly's Crickets. They
went by the Quarrymen and the Silver Beetles a while later, then shortened and mutated
that to the Beatles. Lennon and Sutcliffe may have also been influenced by the film 'The
Wild One', which featured a motorcycle gang called the Beetles. John Lennon is gener-
ally credited with combining Beetles and Beat to come up with the Beatles spelling. - Creedence Clearwater Revival–The band took the three elements from, firstly, Tom
Fogerty's friend Credence Newball (to whose first name Credence they added an extra 'e',
making it resemble a faith or creed); secondly, "clear water" from a TV commercial for
Olympia beer; and finally "revival," which spoke to the four members' renewed commit-
ment to their band. - Depeche Mode—inspired by a French fashion magazine of the same name.
- The Doors - The band took its name from Aldous Huxley's book The Doors of Percep-
tion, the title of which was a reference to a William Blake quotation: "When the doors of
perception are cleansed, things will appear to man as they truly are...infinite.”
- Dream Theater—Named after a movie house in Monterey, California. The name was
suggested by drummer Mike Portnoy's father, who lived in Monterey. - Duran Duran—The band played at Birmingham's Barberella's nightclub so took their
name from the villain of the cult science fiction film Barbarella, Dr. Durand-Durand. - E Street Band—Bruce Springsteen's band was named after E Street (E, not East) in
Belmar, New Jersey, because the band used to practice at the E Street home of pianist
David Sancious' mother.