Top 10 Bands Whose Authentic Names are Abbreviations or Acronyms

The Top Ten

  1. AC/DC

  2. ABBA

    ABBA were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972. The group consists of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

    ABBA became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, particularly during the 1970s and early 1980s.

    The only definitive acronym here.

    An acronym from the initials of the band members' first names: Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid.

  3. UFO

    UFO was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. It played a significant role in bridging early hard rock and heavy metal. The band also influenced the development of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and inspired many later artists in the genre.

    UFO stands for unidentified flying object.

    UFO is a rock-to-metal band from the UK. I really like their song Doctor Doctor (covered by Iron Maiden).

  4. REO Speedwagon

    REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon), or simply REO, was an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. Their best-selling album, Hi Infidelity (1980... read more

    REO stands for Ransom Eli Olds, a pioneer of the American automotive industry for whom both the Oldsmobile and REO brands were named.

    The band's founder, Neal Doughty, came up with this name, inspired by his transportation history class at the University of Illinois.

    REO Speedwagon is an American rock band.

    Apparently, the car manufacturer decided to pronounce the acronym as one word, sounding like "Rio". However, the members of the band decided to make things different by pronouncing the letters individually.

  5. INXS

    INXS were an Australian rock and pop band formed in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1977, originally known as the Farriss Brothers. They rose to international fame in the 1980s and 1990s with hits such as Need You Tonight and New Sensation. The band was fronted by Michael Hutchence until his death in 1997... read more

  6. H.E.A.T

  7. OMD

  8. D.R.I.

    D.R.I. is an American crossover thrash band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1982. The band includes founding members Kurt Brecht on vocals and Spike Cassidy on guitar. Its lineup also features bassist Greg Orr and drummer Danny Walker.

    D.R.I. = Dirty Rotten Imbeciles.

    D.R.I. is an American crossover thrash band.

  9. NOFX

    NOFX was an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, active from 1983 until its retirement in 2024. The band was formed by vocalist and bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin, with drummer Erik Sandin joining shortly afterward. They were known for their DIY ethic, satirical lyrics, and... read more

    American punk rock band. Guitarist Eric Melvin says that he came up with the name, inspired by the broken-up punk band "Negative FX". The name is also meant to symbolize the band's rejection of gimmickry that the band was seeing in music at the time.

  10. UB40

    UB40 is the UK government's form number for the Unemployment Benefit Attendance Card, as shown on the band's debut album, Signing Off.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    KMFDM

    KMFDM is an industrial music group founded in 1984 by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko. The band was originally created as a performance art project but quickly evolved into a recording and touring act. KMFDM is known for its fusion of heavy metal guitars and electronic music elements.

  12. ?

    HIM

    HIM was a Finnish gothic rock band from Helsinki, Finland. Formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen under the name His Infernal Majesty, the band disbanded in 1993 before reforming in 1995 with Valo and guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström. The group achieved international... read more

    13. The Contenders

  13. OMC

  14. AFI

    AFI, also known as A Fire Inside, is an American rock band formed in 1991 in Ukiah, California. Since 1998, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backing vocalist Adam Carson, bassist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist Hunter Burgan, and guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist... read more

  15. O.A.R.

  16. R.I.P.

  17. PiL

  18. P.O.D.

    Payable on Death, also known as P.O.D., is a Christian nu metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's music combines elements of metal, rap, and reggae. They rose to fame in the early 2000s with hits such as Alive and Youth of the Nation.

  19. S.O.D.

  20. ELO

    The Electric Light Orchestra, commonly known as ELO, is an English rock band from Birmingham. It was formed in 1970 by Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, along with drummer Bev Bevan.

    The band is known for blending rock music with orchestral elements, resulting in a distinctive symphonic rock sound. Their... read more

  21. MGMT

    MGMT is an American rock band formed in 2002 by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of the band's debut album, Matthew Asti, James Richardson, and Will Berman joined its live lineup and later contributed to studio recordings. The group gained widespread acclaim for its genre-blending... read more

  22. ADX

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