As you might imagine, we listen to a lot of bands here in the MTV Newsroom. Some we know well, some we know less well and some are introduced to us when we open the envelope that contains the press release. This morning, MTV News' own Gil Kaufman received a press release from a band called Child Abuse, which he immediately declared as one of the most ridiculous band names of all time.
While Child Abuse is pretty bad, it probably wouldn't touch the top 50. What Kaufman doesn't realize is that the well of horrible band names is extremely deep. Here are the top 10.
Limp Bizkit
First, there's no such thing as a "bizkit." And even if you assume that it's merely a wacky variation on the word "biscuit," it still doesn't make any sense. What's a limp biscuit? Or a limp bizkit? The world still does not know.
Dogs Die in Hot Cars
Is there a more unpleasant image than the one invoked by this short-lived group's name? Plus, they played ska, which is problematic.
Cute Is What We Aim For
Really, even the best emo bands probably have awful, absurd or overly-wordy names. For grammatical purposes, Cute Is What We Aim For makes us the most crazy.
Gay Witch Abortion
It's a terrible combination, though Gay Witch Abortion sound exactly how you think they do. Also in this category: Golbin C---.
A--- C---
Such an offensive name that we can't show you either of the words on this Web site.
Test Icicles
Why didn't they just call themselves the Testicles? These guys took a silly name and tried to mask it with wordplay, which means they failed two times over.
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Theoretically, this gag should work. While working with Monty Python, British comedian Eric Idle created a gag about a band with the worst name ever. The band took on the mantle a decade-and-a-half later, but it remained just as silly as it was when it was fictional.
Puscifer
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan's solo side project is meant to be sort of jokey, but the name mostly inspires cringing. It was never clear how it was meant to be pronounced, and when the revelation was finally made (it is meant to be pronounced in a way that makes it sound like a portion of the female anatomy), it just felt sort of creepy.
Puddle of Mudd
Why are there two D's?
Goo Goo Dolls
From the files of bands who didn't think they would get all that big in the first place, the Goo Goo Dolls forced their fans to sound absurd every time they mentioned their favorite group. Also in this category (though to a lesser degree): Green Day.
What do you think is the most ridiculous band name ever? Let us know in the comments!