Why Are They Named That? Vol. 2
It’s something you may not really think about… but some of our favorite Throwback Nation Radio groups have very unusual names!
Today, the second in our blog series “Why Are They Named That?” looks at three more popular groups!
#1 Toad the Wet Sprocket
This band got together in 1986 and brought us hits like “All I Want” and “Walk on the Ocean.” When the guys first got together, they weren’t sure what to call themselves. They had a first gig lined up and ended a name, so they adopted Toad the Wet Sprocket because they thought it would be funny. The name comes from a Monty Python comedy sketch, featuring a journalist delivering a music news report. The name was supposed to be temporary but it just stuck. The band broke up in 1998, although they have toured together since and reunited, releasing new music in 2021 and a Greatest Hits album in 2023.
#2 OMD
OMD is a British band that hit it big in the U.S. with the song “If You Leave” featured in the 1986 John Hughes film “Pretty in Pink” with Molly Ringwald. OMD is short for Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. The band got together in 1978 and vocalist/bass guitar player Andy McCluskey has said the group’s name came from a list of song lyrics and ideas that were written on his bedroom wall. He said they chose the name because the band only intended to play one gig, but of course, the name stuck. OMD has broken up and gotten back together over the years, and they released their 14th studio album in 2023.
#3 Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears is another English band, formed in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. They met as teenagers and were first in a band called Graduate. When that band broke up, they formed another band called History of Headaches. They eventually changed their name again to Tears for Fears, inspired by the primary therapy technique that American psychologist Arthur Janov used on John Lennon in 1970. Their second album, “Songs from the Big Chair,” hit No. 1 in the U.S. in 1985 with hit songs like “Shout” and “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” Tears for Fears has toured on and off over the years, and they released their 7th album in 2022.
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