Loading Screens

The Guitar Hero and Game_RockBand Rock Band∞ series often include humorous or trivia loading screens. Here is a list of the loading screens from each Guitar Hero and Rock Band game.

Guitar Hero

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Guitar Hero II

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Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80's

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Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

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• Good Luck. (PS2 and Wii version only)
• Having trouble? Check out the tutorials in the training menu.
• Check out the store for new songs and cool outfits and styles.
• Wanna rock with a friend? Start a new band in Co-op career.
• Going into practice can help you nail those tricky solos.
• If you haven't recorded on a 4-track, you aren't a real band.
• Make sure the crowd is willing to catch you before you stage dive.
• Do NOT use homemade pyrotechnics.
• Showing up 30 minutes late to practice is just tradition.
• Can I get a little less suck out of the monitors?
• Never think you were the first band to wear all black on stage.
• Yes, the stage monitors are in fact, diving boards.
• Never ever leave the singer in charge of the mix.
• It can always be much louder.
• We're a real angry band, but that doesn't mean we don't believe in peace.
• 20 minute free-form jazz odysseys are not O.K.
• People don't want to pay money to hear you jam.
• It takes a long time to look like you just woke up.
• Make sure someone in the band knows how to change a flat tire.
• Turn that amp up. My ears are barely even bleeding.
• I used to freak out when my amp caught on fire. Now I kinda dig the tone.
• Smashed guitars just seem to sound better than their unsmashed brethren.
• You're only as good as your last gig... which sucked.
• You played great. I'm sure they were just booing your outfits.
• Maybe a drum machine would show up to practice on time.
• You seem to be having a problem with your bass amp. I can hear it!
• Go out there, rock hard and sell a bunch of t-shirts so we can eat.
• Let's open with our latest single. That way we can get that piece of *&?#@! out of the way early!
• I'm the drummer. I don't get paid to understand any of this!
• I swear officer, the dressing room TV just un-bolted itself from the wall and flew out the window!
• Solo play getting old? Go online and battle some live competition!
• Need new songs? Check the online menu to see if new content is available!
• Want to play Co-Op but don't have a friend? Play online to hook up and jam!
• Who's a Guitar God? Check the leaderboards in the online menu.
• Having trouble hitting notes? Try using the Calibrate Audio Lag tool in the Options menu.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

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Full List of RB2 Loading Screens

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Jump to Letter: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Trivia Trivia

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• The following facts cannot appear, despite being coded

• Death of the Cool might remind you of what the B-52s would sound like if they penned an album right after all their dogs died in a freak electrical storm.
• No requirements for when the fact would appear were ever set.
• "Forty thousand men and women" was allegedly a shot-in-the-dark guess by the band about the number of people worldwide who die in the course of one day.
• The requirement was listed as "[song dontfeartehreaper]." due to the misspelling of "the," the fact will not appear.
• Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic reportedly disliked the riff to "Smells Like Teen Spirit," a problem that Kurt Cobain remedied by having them rehearse the song for hours on end.
• The fact is coded to appear on "[song smellsliketeen]." Because the song is unavailable, the fact will not appear.
• "No Excuses" was written about the occasionally tense friendship between Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell
• Fact is coded for an unreleased song.

123

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• 30 Seconds to Mars

• General

• 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared Leto managed to gain 60 pounds for his role in the movie "Chapter 27," even though he is a vegetarian.
• The band name 30 Seconds to Mars comes from a thesis written by a former professor. The band found it online.
• According to one animal-rights organization, 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared Leto was one of the world's sexiest vegetarian celebrities in 2007.

A

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• Abnormality

• General

• Abnormality, like Prince, was once represented by only a symbol.
• Abnormality has an ongoing contest to see who can kill the most spiders during practice.
• Abnormality cannot be found in the Guinness Book of World Records.
• Abnormality's motto is "Suck it up, that's what we train for."
• Harmonix artist Mallika Sundaramurthy is the lead singer of Abnormality. Yup, that's a girl singing. For real.

• AC/DC

• General

• AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young's previous band was called the Velvet Underground -- no relation to the famous one from New York.
• Malcolm and Angus Young's older brother George was part of the hit-making '60s group, The Easybeats.
• Bon Scott was AC/DC's chauffer before getting recruited as lead singer.

• Let There Be Rock

• AC/DC played their first American tour to promote the 1977 release of "Let There Be Rock." One of their stops was the New York punk mecca CBGB.

• The Acro-Brats

• General

• The Acro-brats have found that learning to enjoy the rank smell of the practice space is far easier than cleaning it.
• Sometimes, The Acro-brats' bassist Swid Brat takes off his pants at shows. This is strangely compelling for some show-goers and exceedingly regrettable for others.
• The Acro-brats' bassist Swid Brat builds complex amps and pedals from scratch, which is pretty impressive. What's more impressive is that he still hasn't fixed Daniel Brat's backup head that he broke two years ago.
• The Acro-brats' drummer Eliahu Brat will break sticks during practice at a very rapid rate and then hold them up and show the other three guys where the split is on the drumstick. This will take about three minutes. Nobody knows what to say or do when he does this, so they just stand silently until he's done.
• Don't ask The Acro-brats' bassist Swid Brat to explain germanium transistors. Unless you're really, really, really into germanium transistors.
• In "Day Late, Dollar Short," if you pronounce it "doll-errr" and not "doll-ah," you automatically lose the game. The game of life. Boston life.
• At the very first Acro-brats show, before the very first song, Chris Brat's guitar strap snapped during mic check. The guitar neck snapped in two, which was awesome.

• Aerosmith

• General

• Due to their hard-partying ways, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler were reportedly labeled the "Toxic Twins."
• For a time, the members of Aerosmith all lived together in one apartment in Allston, MA.
• Aerosmith played the "Future Villain Band" in the movie version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
• James Hetfield of Metallica has reportedly stated that Aerosmith was his biggest musical influence.
• Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry plays right-handed, despite reportedly being left-handed.
• Aerosmith's first gig was at the Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon, MA.

• Train Kept A Rollin'

• Along with Aerosmith, bands including The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, Racer X, Motörhead, and Bon Jovi have all covered "Train Kept A Rollin'."

• AFI

• General

• AFI singer Davey Havok has his own clothing line.
• AFI guitarist Jade Puget and singer Davey Havok are also members of the electropop outfit Blaqk Audio.
• AFI stands for "A Fire Inside."
• AFI's musical genre has changed significantly over the years since their inception in 1991, starting out as a hardcore punk band and moving through horror punk and most recently to alternative rock.

• Alanis Morissette

• General

• Alanis Morissette played God in Kevin Smith's controversial comedy, "Dogma."

• You Oughta Know

• The all-star band on "You Oughta Know" includes Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro.
• There has been much speculation around who "You Oughta Know" is about, but Alanis Morissette isn't telling.
• Before her American breakthrough with "You Oughta Know," Alanis Morissette made two dance-pop albums that were only released in Canada.

• Alice in Chains

• General

• Alice in Chains began life as a cross-dressing, speed-metal band called Alice 'N Chainz..
• The Alice in Chains song "God Smack" gave its name to one of the biggest metal bands of the past decade.
• Alice in Chains appeared as a bar band in the grunge romance movie "Singles."

• The All-American Rejects

• General

• All-American Rejects frontman Tyson Ritter played the Cowardly Lion in a high school production of The Wizard of Oz.
• All-American Rejects frontman Tyson Ritter has claimed that he only owns four CDs, one of which is by Neil Diamond.
• The video for "Dirty Little Secret" draws from an art project in which people confessed their deepest secrets on anonymous postcards.

• Move Along

• The lyrics in "Move Along" are widely interpreted as an anti-suicide message.
• Tyson Ritter goes through an entire wardrobe's worth of shirts in the video for "Move Along."
• Some fans reportedly misheard the lyrics to "Move Along" and thought that Tyson Ritter was telling them to mow the lawn.

• The Allman Brothers Band

• General

• Allman Brothers Band pianist Chuck Leavell later formed the band Sea Level -- C. Leavell, get it?

• Ramblin' Man

• Two different people who play on "Ramblin' Man" - Gregg Allman and guitarist Les Dudek - later dated Cher.
• "Ramblin' Man" was one of the first Allman Brothers Band songs to feature guitarist Dickey Betts as lead singer.
• Les Dudek, the guest guitarist on "Ramblin Man," was only 16 at the time of the recording.

• Anarchy Club

• General

• Anarchy Club records everything in an apartment living room. If you listen carefully, there's at least one car horn audible in almost every song.
• Anarchy Club's Adam Von Buhler speaks Japanese and can juggle like a circus clown, while Keith Smith occasionally mumbles in Mandarin and throws rocks at mimes.
• Anarchy Club's lineup is 11 times smaller than that of Bang Camaro.
• Anarchy Club's original name was Fearless Vampire Killers, inspired by a song from the legendary Bad Brains.
• While Anarchy Club's Keith Smith prefers Kung Fu and things that explode, Adam Buhler likes Japanese art films and things that pop.
• Keith Smith from Anarchy Club got his first guitar lesson in the hallway of a Rhode Island motel. Oh, and it was from Kurt Cobain.
• As a young and angry punk rock scrapper, Keith Smith allegedly once punched Billy Idol in the face.

• Angels & Airwaves

• General

• The first Angels & Airwaves album had only three naughty words, fewer than any blink-182 album. It got a warning sticker anyway.
• Aside from leader Tom DeLonge being in blink-182, members of Angels & Airwaves had been in The Offspring, Rocket From the Crypt and 30 Seconds to Mars.
• Tom DeLonge went to the same high school as Kelly Cash, better known as Miss America 1987.

• It Hurts

• Angels & Airwaves leader Tom DeLonge didn't get his heart broken before writing "It Hurts," but said he was inspired by a friend's breakup.

• Avenged Sevenfold

• General

• Bassist Johnny Christ's stage name was supplied by guitarist Zacky Vengeance. Johnny was looking for something that was guaranteed to tick people off.

• Almost Easy

• "Almost Easy" is the first Avenged Sevenfold song to include vocals by all five members of the band.

B

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• The B-52s

• General

• The B-52's reportedly didn't take their name from the airplane, but from the cone-shaped beehive hairdo that singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson favored in the band's early days.
• The B-52's originally released their album "Rock Lobster" on their own Boo-Fant label.
• The B-52's drummer Keith Strickland took over as their lead guitarist after the death of original guitarist Ricky Wilson.
• After a decade of cult success the B-52's scored their first Top Ten singles with two songs from 1989's Cosmic Thing album: "Love Shack" and "Roam."
• Early in their career, the B-52's were told they could have a gig at the Georgia Theater in Athens, only if they could sell $1500 worth of advance tickets. They succeeded.
• The B-52's members decided to form a band after sharing a Chinese dinner one night in Athens, GA.

• Roam

• The producer of "Roam" is Nile Rodgers, who led disco group Chic and is also responsible for David Bowie's "Let's Dance."

• Bad Company

• General

• Bad Company was the first band signed to Swan Song, the label owned by Led Zeppelin.
• Every member of Bad Company had already been in a major British band prior to joining Bad Company: Guitarist Mick Ralphs was in Mott the Hoople, bassist Boz Burrell in King Crimson, singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke were both in Free.

• Shooting Star

• "Shooting Star" namechecks the Beatles, and Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke later toured with Ringo Starr.
• Paul Rodgers was inspired to write "Shooting Star" after the deaths of rock heroes Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.

• Bang Camaro

• General

• Jimmy Fallon once joined Bang Camaro onstage in NYC for a performance of their song "Swallow the Razor."
• Members of Bang Camaro play Dungeons & Dragons weekly, but tell their girlfriends that it's "poker night."
• "Bang" and "Camaro" are the two sexiest words in the English language.
• Bang Camaro wants to start old-school beef with the other unlock bands... but why bother? They all suck.
• The sound of Bang Camaro is not measured in decibels, but in pheromones.
• "Pleasure (Pleasure)" should be performed by your high school's marching band. The chorus would be SWEET as interpreted by trumpet players.
• 4 out of 5 female prisoners polled preferred Bang Camaro to a pillow fight.
• Bang Camaro currently has 47 paternity suits pending in the northeast United States and Canada.
• Just before they cry themselves to sleep, the members of Bang Camaro like to gather around their tour van to discuss their favorite fantasy artwork.
• Due to their questionable lifestyle and hygiene, members of Bang Camaro age at the same rate as dogs.
• J. David Nugent is the hottest Bang Camaro member. Mike McKay is the prettiest.

• The Beastie Boys

• General

• The Beastie Boys' first EP "Polly Wog Stew" featured eight songs in less than ten minutes.
• The Beastie Boys were the opening act for Madonna on her "Like a Virgin" tour.
• The Brooklyn-based Beastie Boys started out as a hardcore punk band.
• One of the original Beastie Boys was a woman -- Kate Schellenbach was the group's first drummer.
• Reportedly, the "Beastie" in the Beastie Boys' band name is an acronym which stands for "Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence".
• In case you're wondering, Buddy Rich was a famous jazz drummer who was notorious for his acerbic sense of humor and offstage tantrums.

• Beck

• General

• Beck's grandfather Al Hansen was part of Fluxus, the pioneering art collective whose members included Yoko Ono.
• Before either got famous, Beck was part of a street-singing duo with Chris Ballew, leader of the Presidents of the United States of America.

• Bikini Kill

• General

• Bikini Kill members Kathleen Hanna and Tobi Vail were co-editors of the zine Riot Grrl, which gave its name to an important feminist punk movement.
• Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna went on to front another major feminist punk band, Le Tigre.
• Bikini Kill's Tobi Vail was temporarily involved with Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, and is credited with sparking some of the feminist consciousness in his songs.

• Rebel Girl

• "Rebel Girl" was produced by one of Bikini Kill's punk-rock role models, Joan Jett.

• Billy Idol

• General

• Billy Idol got his stage name when one of his grade-school teachers wrote "William is idle" on his report card. He changed the spelling to avoid confusion with Eric Idle of Monty Python.
• Billy Idol's fan base was shocked and scandalized in 2006, when the singer released a Christmas album.
• Billy Idol's first record with Generation X was "Your Generation," a shot back at The Who's "My Generation." He would later sing onstage with The Who.

• White Wedding

• Billy Idol wrote "White Wedding" when his sister got married. Despite the song's menacing tone, his sister's marriage is still intact.

• The Black Crowes

• General

• Before changing their name and sound, the Black Crowes were a punk band called Mr. Crowe's Garden.

• Black Sabbath

• General

• Black Sabbath was originally named the Polka Tulk Blues Company.
• After leaving Black Sabbath in 1979, Ozzy Osbourne was replaced by Ronnie James Dio, who was replaced by Ian Gillan, who was replaced by David Donato, who was replaced by Glenn Hughes, who was replaced by Ray Gillen, who was replaced by Tony Martin. And so on.
• While a member of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne had a fondness for shaving off his bandmates' eyebrows as they slept.
• Ozzy Osbourne was arrested and subsequently banned from performing in San Antonio, Texas for urinating on the Alamo while wearing future wife Sharon's evening dress.
• Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi is among the most revered guitarists in heavy metal. His playing abilities seem unhindered by the fact that he lost the tips of two fingers on his right hand at age 17 due to a welding accident.
• Guitarist Tony Iommi is the only musician who has been in every lineup of Black Sabbath.

• Paranoid

• This song is so popular in Finland that the phrase "Soittakaa Paranoid!" is now the Finnish version of "Play Freebird!"

• Blink-182

• General

• On one of their last tours, blink-182 drew attention by pricing all tickets at one dollar.
• While blink-182 have been on hiatus since 2005, they have never officially broken up.

• All the Small Things

• Blink 182's Tom DeLonge wrote "All the Small Things" after his girlfriend complained that he hadn't written any songs about her.

• Blue Öyster Cult

• General

• Blue Öyster Cult formed in 1967 under the name Soft White Underbelly.

• Don't Fear the Reaper

• Health tip: If you have a fever, the only prescription is more cowbell.
• Don't bother stopping to visit his grave while you're on tour -- Gene Frenkle is fictional.
• Blue Öyster Cult singer Eric Bloom claims that he was the cowbell player on "Don't Fear the Reaper." Former bassist Joe Bouchard, however, says that the cowbell virtuoso was his brother Albert.
• The real producer of "Don't Fear the Reaper" was Sandy Pearlman.

• Blondie

• General

• Blondie drummer Clem Burke briefly joined the Ramones in the '80s. He went by the name Elvis Ramone.
• Because singer Debbie Harry got so much attention, Blondie once issued buttons that read "Blondie is a Group."
• Debbie Harry made her Broadway debut with "Teaneck Tanzi," a wrestling-themed play that closed after one night.
• Debbie Harry made her first album in 1968, as part of the hippie folk band The Wind in the Willows.
• Blondie was the second-to-last band to headline at the New York punk mecca CBGB. Patti Smith played the closing.
• Before becoming Blondie's lead singer, Debbie Harry worked as a waitress at the New York punk hotspot, Max's Kansas City.
• In their early punk days, Blondie performed a change-of-pace number called "The Disco Song." This later became the hit "Heart of Glass."
• Blondie's Debbie Harry once escaped from a would-be abductor by forcing a locked door open and rolling out of a still-moving car.

• One Way or Another

• Blondie's bassist Nigel Harrison, who cowrote "One Way Or Another" was the only Englishman in the lineup.

• Bob Dylan

• Tangled Up in Blue

• "Tangled Up in Blue" opened "Blood on the Tracks," an album considered to be one of Dylan's masterpieces. Many of the songs are thought to refer to his failing marriage.
• There are many layers of meaning in "Tangled Up in Blue." The shifts in perspective were partly inspired by painting classes that Dylan was taking at the time.
• In live performances Dylan would add even more twists to "Tangled Up in Blue," changing the narration from first to third person and back.
• Performing "Tangled Up in Blue" during 1978, Dylan said that the song took him ten years to live and two years to write.

• Bon Jovi

• General

• Before joining Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora was slated to audition for KISS.
• Jon Bon Jovi's first recorded vocal was for the "Star Wars Christmas Album."
• Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora has taught himself to play numerous instruments in addition to the guitar, including the trumpet and the accordion.
• Jon Bon Jovi's given name is John Francis Bongiovi.
• Hailing from New Jersey, Bon Jovi has played major arenas on every continent except Antarctica.
• Jon Bon Jovi began playing piano and guitar when he was thirteen, forming his first band at the same age.
• Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres has played with Miles Davis and Chuck Berry.
• Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora used to date Cher.
• Tico Torres is a self-taught painter whose works involve moments with the band.

• Livin' on a Prayer

• After "Livin' on a Prayer," the characters Tommy and Gina appeared in at least two other Bon Jovi songs.

• Boston

• General

• Boston's first album ranks among the fastest-selling debuts in rock history.
• Before their first album was released, the band Boston was known as Mother's Milk.
• Boston's Tom Scholz did not start playing guitar until he was 21 and recorded "Foreplay" a year later.

• Foreplay/Long Time

• "Foreplay" was reportedly the first piece of music that Boston's Tom Scholz ever wrote.
• Singers: you have about two minutes and forty-three seconds to run around heckling your bandmates before you need to worry about actually singing. (Only if not in solo play)

• Breaking Wheel

• General

• Breaking Wheel is somewhat successfully trying to cultivate a sound which might be termed "Southern-fried-pirate-stoner-death-rock."
• Breaking Wheel once was named "Artillery", until they discovered that "Artillery" was actually the name of a seminal thrash band from the '80s. Way to know your metal history, doo-bags.
• The drums for Breaking Wheel's debut were tracked in a creepy colonial barn in Maine. In February.
• Breaking Wheel plays exclusively on pointy guitars.

C

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• The Cars

• General

• ars drummer David Robinson was formerly in two great Boston underground bands, the Modern Lovers and DMZ.
• Four of the five Cars made solo albums; drummer David Robinson was the only holdout.
• As a successful record producer, Cars leader Ric Ocasek worked with Weezer, Bad Religion, Guided by Voices and others.
• Ric Ocasek fronted a few bands before forming The Cars. Boston legend Jonathan Richman insisted that he call one of those bands Richard & the Rabbits, so he did.

• Cheap Trick

• General

• Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen is said to own more than 2,000 guitars.
• In 2007 the Senate of the State of Illinois proclaimed April 1 of every year as "Cheap Trick Day."

• Hello There

• Cheap Trick still opens most of its concerts with "Hello There" and closes with "Goodnight Now."

• The Clash

• General

• The Clash leader Joe Strummer admired folksinger Woody Guthrie so much that his friends called him Woody.
• The Clash toured with legendary rock singer/guitarist Bo Diddley in 1979.
• The Clash's singer/guitarist Joe Strummer once appeared on South Park and performed the song "It's a Rockin' World" on the record "Chef Aid: The South Park Album."
• Joe Strummer reportedly married a South African woman in exchange for about 200 dollars in order to grant her UK citizenship... and so that he could purchase a guitar.
• For a short time, The Clash co-founder Joe Strummer was a member of Celtic punk progenitors The Pogues.
• Despite being left-handed, The Clash's Joe Strummer was taught to play right-handed by the band.
• he Clash played their first gig on July 4th, 1976, opening for fellow punk progenitors the Sex Pistols.
• For a time, before joining The Clash, singer and guitarist Joe Strummer worked as a grave digger.

• I Fought the Law

• Sonny Curtis wrote "I Fought the Law" as a member of Buddy Holly's former group The Crickets. They were also the first group to record the song.
• "I Fought the Law" was never officially on a Clash album. It was added to the American track lineup of their debut.
• Sonny Curtis, who wrote the Clash's "I Fought the Law," also wrote and sang the Mary Tyler Moore theme.

• Should I Stay or Should I Go

• A decade after its original release, "Should I Stay or Should I Go" became The Clash's only single to hit number one on the UK charts.

• Coheed and Cambria

• General

• All of Coheed and Cambria's studio albums to date are segments of an overarching epic saga featuring two characters named Coheed and Cambria.
• An early incarnation of Coheed & Cambria, called Beautiful Loser, broke up over an argument over gas money.
• When Coheed and Cambria's Claudio Sanchez was asked to give advice to hopeful rock stars, his response was "Listen to Maiden."

• Credence Clearwater Revival

• Fortunate Son

• "Fortunate Son" was one of the last '60s anthems, going Top Five during Thanksgiving 1969.

• Crooked X

• General

• Crooked X has played over 85 gigs to-date, despite the fact that all the members are in their early teens.

D

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• David Bowie

• General

• On a '70s TV special, David Bowie sang "I Got You Babe" with Marianne Faithfull, who was dressed as a nun.
• The first name of Bowie's alter-ego Ziggy Stardust came from a London tailor's shop. He also explained it was one of the only names he could find that began with Z.
• During Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" period, he also produced albums for Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Mott the Hoople.
• David Bowie's former wife is rumored to be the subject of the Rolling Stones song "Angie."
• David Bowie's eyes appear to be different colors, but only because one of his pupils is permanently dilated, due to a childhood injury.
• David Bowie is one of music's most esteemed chameleons, having drastically transformed his image and sound many times over the course of his four-decade career.
• At a 2004 concert in Oslo, an audience member threw a lollipop at David Bowie which hit him in the eye, nearly blinding him.
• David Bowie allowed his fans to select the songs he would play during his 1990 greatest hits tour using a 1-800 number.
• David Jones changed his last name to Bowie to avoid confusion with the then more-famous member of the Monkees.

• Moonage Daydream

• During the instrumental break on "Moonage Daydream," Bowie plays both baritone sax and penny whistle.

• Suffragette City

• 'Droogie', slang, n. 1. a friend (see: Burgess, Bowie, Mustaine.

• Death of the Cool

• General

• Death of the Cool is one of those pretentious bands that tries to look cool by pretending not to be.
• The original lineup for Death of the Cool was a cat and dog. The cat knew karate. The dog knew "sit" and "heel."
• Death of the Cool has 30 fingers and only 6 are thumbs.
• Death of the Cool is not a Miles Davis tribute band... or ARE they?? No, they're not.
• Death of the Cool consists of the members of Count Zero, Breaking Wheel, and inter:sect.
• Death of the Cool's drummer Jeff Allen sometimes uses his mutton chops as 5th and 6th limbs to play the really tricky beats.
• Izzy Maxwell, Jeff Allen, and Pete Maguire are half of the Harmonix audio department and all of Death of the Cool.

• Can't Let Go

• Oddly enough, if you play "Can't Let Go"' backwards, it sounds like "Don't Fear the Reaper."
• Warning: the following song is in 11/4. If you don't know what that means, well... just keep playing and don't think about the beat.

• Deep Purple

• General

• As a member of Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore was one of the most influential guitarists in rock 'n' roll. He also has an awesome moustache.
• Besides being the lead singer for Deep Purple, Ian Gillan also spent a year as Black Sabbath's vocalist.
• In 1974, an imposter managed to scam Deep Purple fans out of meals and housing by posing as guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. He was arrested in Iowa after "borrowing," and subsequently totalling, a fan's car.
• Drummer Ian Paice is the only musician who has been in every lineup of Deep Purple.
• Deep Purple's first album was licensed by Tetragrammaton Records, a label co-founded by comedian Bill Cosby.

• Highway Star

• Deep Purple reportedly improvised "Highway Star" on their tour bus on the way to a show after a journalist asked them about their songwriting process.

• Devo

• General

• One of Devo's masterminds, Mark Mothersbaugh went on to be a big name in the world of TV and movie soundtracks. He's also scored a number of commercials and video games.
• Devo's cofounder Jerry Casale became a director and made videos for the Foo Fighters and Soundgarden.
• Devo had the same manager as Neil Young, who liked the band and used them in his movie "Human Highway."
• Devo's music was based on their "theory of de-evolution," that the human race is moving backwards. They now believe they've been proven right.

• Dinosaur Jr.

• General

• Dinosaur Jr. released their first two albums under the name Dinosaur, before a short-lived San Francisco band called the Dinosaurs filed suit and prompted the "Jr." addition.
• After getting kicked out of Dinosaur Jr., bassist Lou Barlow fronted the notable alternative bands Sebadoh and Folk Implosion.
• Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis and Lou Barlow first played together in the western Massachusetts hardcore band, Deep Wound.

• Feel the Pain

• On "Feel the Pain," J Mascis became Dinosaur Jr.'s drummer as well as its singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.

• Disturbed

• General

• Disturbed has had some bad luck during tours. Bassist Fuzz Kmak shattered an ankle when he fell off a fire escape in 2001. Five years later, David Draiman blew out his voice and had to undergo surgery.
• Disturbed singer David Draiman reportedly got himself expelled from five different boarding schools before finding a better outlet as a singer.

• Down With the Sickness

• Not only has "Down with the Sickness" appeared in five different movies, it has been the theme music for two professional wrestlers and used as game music by four different pro football teams.
• The violent mother/son dialogue in "Down with the Sickness" reportedly bothered a lot of parents and radio programmers, prompting the band to release a version without it.

• The Donnas

• General

• All four of The Donnas were born in 1979.
• The Donnas have at least nine different songs with the word "wanna" in the title.
• When The Donnas first toured Japan, all four members had to get permission to take a week off from high school.
• All four members of The Donnas originally claimed to be named Donna. Not until 2004 did they reveal their real names were Brett, Torry, Allison and Maya.

• Dream Theater

• Panic Attack

• "Panic Attack" comes from Octavarium, which is something of a concept album for math-heads. The numbers five and eight are referenced throughout the album, and "Panic Attack" is in 5/8 time. It was their eighth album and there were five guys in the band.
• At eight minutes, "Panic Attack" is relatively short for a Dream Theater song. Their longer epics have run as long as 42 minutes.
• "Panic Attack" was one of the last songs to be recorded at New York's famed studio, the Hit Factory.

• Duran Duran

• General

• Duran Duran's name was adopted from Dr. Durand Durand, the mad scientist in the cult movie "Barbarella."
• Three of Duran Duran's five original members were surnamed Taylor. None were related.

• Girls on Film

• The video for "Girls on Film" was intentionally made too naughty to be played on TV without editing.

E

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• Elvis Costello

• General

• Van Halen's singer David Lee Roth once said that all rock critics loved Elvis Costello because they all looked like him.
• Depending on the album, Elvis Costello's keyboardist was named either Steve Nieve, Steve Naïve, or Maurice Worm. His real name is Steve Nason.
• Elvis Costello made his recording debut in 1974, singing in a lemonade commercial written by his dad.
• Before changing his name to Elvis Costello, Declan MacManus worked as a data entry clerk for a cosmetics company.

F

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• Faith No More

• General

• Faith No More singer Mike Patton has also lent his vocals to numerous other bands, including Mr. Bungle, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Peeping Tom.
• Courtney Love was once the lead singer of Faith No More.
• Former Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin was allegedly fired from the band in 1993 by fax.
• After Mike "The Man" Morris left the band, "Faith No Man" became Faith No More.
• Faith No More has gone through at least 7 singers and 10 guitarists over the course of the band's history.

• We Care A Lot

• "We Care A Lot," released in 1985, had allusions to Mr. T which were removed on re-release in 1987, due to social relevance.

• Fall Out Boy

• General

• Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz reportedly knocked out a security guard at a show in New Mexico for handling his fans too aggressively.
• The members of Fall Out Boy, along with a handful of other popular bands, opened a bar in NYC in order to have a respite from typical New York nightlife.
• Fall Out Boy's guitarist Joe Trohman reportedly bought his first half-stack guitar amp with his bar mitzvah money.

• Fleetwood mac

• General

• Stevie Nicks' last appearance with Fleetwood Mac was at Bill Clinton's inaugural gala.
• Just before joining Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks had a waitress job that required her to wear a '20s flapper outfit.

• Go Your Own Way

• "Go Your Own Way" is thought to be about the romantic breakup between Fleetwood Mac singers Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.
• During the recording of the "Rumours" album, four Fleetwood Mac bandmembers broke up with each other and drummer Mick Fleetwood divorced his wife.

• Flyleaf

• General

• Flyleaf was originally called "Passerby" but in a longstanding rock tradition, another band had already claimed the name.

• Foo Fighters

• General

• Dave Grohl is the first artist to appear on Rock Band with three different bands (Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age) in addition to guest appearances on other tracks.
• The Foo Fighters are named after a WWII term for an unidentified flying object.
• Dave Grohl played all of the instruments (save for one guitar part) on the Foo Fighters' debut record.
• In addition to drumming for the Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins has recorded some tracks for Coheed and Cambria.
• Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters appears for about three seconds in an episode of The X-Files.

• Foreigner

• General

• Before starting Foreigner, guitarist Mick Jones was in Spooky Tooth. That band included Gary Wright of "Dream Weaver" fame.
• Foreigner's lead guitarist Mick Jones is not the same guy as the Clash's lead guitarist, Mick Jones.
• Foreigner's lead guitarist Mick Jones has never met the Clash's lead guitarist Mick Jones.
• Original Foreigner sax player Ian McDonald was formerly in art-rock band King Crimson.
• Before forming Foreigner, guitarist Mick Jones played with George Harrison and led the band Spooky Tooth.
• Along with Journey and Boston, Foreigner became known as one of the ultimate "arena rock" bands.

• Freezepop

• General

• Freezepop got arrested trying to enter Canada under false pretenses.
• Don't get arrested in Canada like Freezepop.
• If you get arrested in Canada, like Freezepop, at least the poutine is pretty great.
• When you tour outside the U.S., Freezepop says to tell people you're from "near Canada."

G

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• Garbage

• General

• Shirley Manson calls her iconic orange guitar "Rita."
• Garbage co-founder and drummer, Butch Vig, also happened to produce Nirvana's "Nevermind" and the Smashing Pumpkins' "Gish" and "Siamese Dream."

• The Go-Gos

• General

• Go-Go's guitarist Jane Wiedlin played Joan of Arc in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure."
• The Go-Go's "Vacation" was the first song ever to be released as a cassette single.
• During a show at Jones Beach in New York, singer Belinda Carlisle's skirt got tangled in her stiletto heel and the skirt came off onstage.
• Go-Go's guitarist Jane Wiedlin is an outspoken animal-rights advocate and anti-fur activist.
• The Go-Go's were the first all-female rock band to have a number one album.
• During her early punk days, Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle went by the name "Dottie Danger." Guitarist Jane Wiedlin went by "Jane Drano."

• We Got the Beat

• "We Got the Beat" was a hit single in England nearly two years before it hit in America.
• "We Got the Beat" was a hit single in England more than a year before its release in America.

• The Grateful Dead

• General

• After "Go to Heaven," the Grateful Dead didn't make another studio album for seven years.
• The first incarnation of the Grateful Dead was an acoustic band called Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions.
• The wild spirit of early Grateful Dead shows was described in Tom Wolfe's bestselling book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
• The original Grateful Dead house at 710 Ashbury St. in San Francisco is now a popular tourist attraction.
• The Grateful Dead's most-played song was "Me & My Uncle," which was performed at 613 of their 2,318 shows.
• Backup singer Donna Jean Godchaux was the only female member of the Grateful Dead, playing with them from 1972-79.

• Alabama Getaway

• This song appeared on the Grateful Dead album "Go to Heaven," whose cover marks the only known instance of the Dead in white disco suits.
• This song marked the debut of Brent Mydland, the Grateful Dead's keyboardist through the '80s.
• The Grateful Dead covered many Bob Dylan songs, and Dylan returned the favor by covering "Alabama Getaway."

• Sugar Magnolia

• This is the second-most played Grateful Dead song. They performed it at 596 of their shows.

• The Guess Who

• American Woman

• "American Woman" was the Guess Who's last hit to feature guitarist Randy Bachman, who went off to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
• What did the Guess Who have against American women anyway? According to guitarist Randy Bachman, it's an antiwar song and the "woman" is the Statue of Liberty.
• "American Woman" marked the first US number one hit single by a Canadian band.
• At Pat Nixon's request, the Guess Who agreed not to play "American Woman" when they performed at the White House.

• Guns N' Roses

• General

• Guns N' Roses began recording "Chinese Democracy" in 1994, making it one of the most expensive and longest-delayed albums in history.
• Among the contributors to the 15-year recording of "Chinese Democracy" were Queen's Brian May, Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro, basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, and at least three different producers.
• In 2003, punk rockers the Offspring announced that they were dissing Guns N' Roses and releasing an album called "Chinese Democracy (You Snooze, You Lose)." They have since thought better of the idea.
• Bass player Tommy Stinson from legendary punk band The Replacements has been a member of Guns N' Roses since 1998.

H

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• The Hives

• General

• The Hives claim that they always wear black and white because it makes their instruments sound better, and because it looks cool.
• The Hives' band house in Sweden has its own orchard. The band loves touring America but misses the apples.
• According to Hives singer Howlin' Pelle Almquist, the first perfect album in rock history was made by the Hives.
• The main industries of Fagersta, Sweden (population 11,000) are hard metal tools, stainless steel products, and the Hives.
• It is a verified true fact that no one on the planet Earth knows how to pronounce The Hives' singer Pelle Almqvist's name.
• The Hives hail from a very small town in Sweden called Fagersta.
• The Hives allegedly have a songwriter and Svengali named Randy Fitzsimmons who has never been interviewed and is rumored not to exist.

• Hole

• General

• Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur eventually replaced the Smashing Pumpkins' D'arcy Wretzky. Auf der Maur has since been replaced by Ginger Reyes, formerly of the Halo Friendlies.
• Courtney Love of Hole appeared in the film "Sid and Nancy," playing Nancy Spungen's best friend Gretchen.
• Former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur was also the frontman for Hand of Doom, a Black Sabbath cover band.

• Celebrity Skin

• Courtney Love performed "Celebrity Skin" topless at the 1999 Big Day Out Festival in Australia.

• Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives

• General

• Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives played their first gig in 1992, possibly before you were born.
• None of the members of Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives is named Bob, although they are all scrupulously honest.
• Yes, that is an F-sharp barre being played during the words "F-sharp barre."

I

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• Interpol

• General

• One of Interpol's first supporters was the legendary British DJ John Peel who had them guest on his BBC show.
• Guitarist and singer Paul Banks was given the nickname "Inter-Paul" in high school, hence the band's name.
• Drummer Sam Fogarino turned down a gig with Marilyn Manson in order to join Interpol.
• The members of Interpol don't like it when people suggest they sound like British bands from the early '80s.

• Iron Maiden

• General

• Iron Maiden's beloved zombie/mummy creature mascot is named "Eddie."
• In the early days of Iron Maiden, bassist Steve Harris and vocalist Bruce Dickinson would reportedly get into minor scuffles while each tried to take center stage.
• Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson is also a licensed commercial airline pilot.

J

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• Jane's Addiction

• General

• Though some fans didn't get the joke, Perry Farrell's stage name is a play on the word "peripheral." His real name is Peretz Bernstein.
• When Jane's Addiction played a farewell tour in 1991, singer Perry Farrell wanted the lineup to be a real Lollapalooza. This led to Farrell's becoming a music-festival entrepreneur.
• Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro has one of the fattest resumes in rock. He's also been a Red Hot Chili Pepper and played with Marilyn Manson and Christina Aguilera, when not appearing in movies or reality TV.
• During Jane's Addiction's final pre-reunion show in Hawaii 1991, both Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins performed in the nude.

• Jet

• General

• Jet named their band after a song by Paul McCartney's band Wings.
• Reportedly, Jet founders Cameron Muncey and Nic Cester became best friends in their youth when they discovered that they each had "Led Zeppelin" written on their bookbags.
• Jet's first record, "Get Born," takes its name from a lyric in the Bob Dylan song "Subterranean Homesick Blues."
• Before Jet got signed by Elektra Records, vocalist Nic Cester worked as a forklift operator.

• Jethro Tull

• General

• Guitarist Tony Iommi was briefly in Jethro Tull before forming Black Sabbath.

• Aqualung

• Legend has it that Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre played the flashy "Aqualung" solo to impress Jimmy Page, who visited the studio during the recording.
• Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson wrote "Aqualung" after his then-wife Jennie brought home some photographs she'd taken of street people in their neighborhood.
• Although Ian Anderson's flute is Jethro Tull's trademark, there isn't a note of flute playing on "Aqualung."

• Jimmy Buffett

• General

• Before his own music took off, Jimmy Buffett worked in Nashville as a music journalist.
• Jimmy Buffett made a cameo appearance in the cult movie "Repo Man."
• The Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit, then playing in Jimmy Buffett's band, was the first to refer to Buffett's fans as "Parrotheads."
• One of Buffett's musical friends, songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, was the first to invite him to Key West, FL. The rest is history.

• Jimmy Eat World

• General

• Jimmy Eat World played at Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge's wedding.
• Thanks to their urgent vocals, Jimmy Eat World was one of the first groups to get pegged as an emo band.
• Jimmy Eat World's name comes from a childhood drawing of guitarist Tom Linton's brother Jim, who didn't actually eat the world.

• The Middle

• The lyrics of "The Middle" were the band cheering itself up after losing a record-label contract. The song helped get them a second one.

• Joat Jett

• General

• Before going solo, Joan Jett was a member of the first great all-female punk band, The Runaways. She cowrote their trademark song "Cherry Bomb" and still plays it live.
• "Bad Reputation" was Joan Jett's first album after The Runaways. Backup players on the album included two of the Sex Pistols.
• The line "I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation" usually gets a little saltier when Joan Jett sings it live.
• Joan Jett celebrated the turn of the millennium by shaving her head at midnight.

• Journey

• General

• American Idol judge Randy Jackson was at one time the bassist for Journey.
• Journey's famous lead singer Steve Perry didn't join the band until the fourth album.
• Two of the founding members of Journey, guitarist Neal Schon and organist Gregg Rolie, had previously been in Santana.

• Any Way You Want It

• Great thinkers worldwide have pondered over the line "She loves to move, she loves to groove, she loves her lovin' things."

• Judas Prist

• General

• Judas Priest and Black Sabbath were the only metal bands to perform at Live Aid.

• Painkiller

• During the "Painkiller" tour, singer Rob Halford rode a motorcycle onstage and collided with a drum riser. He finished the show before going to the hospital.
• "Painkiller" was considered Judas Priest's return to glory after going through a controversial high-tech phase.
• "Painkiller" was singer Rob Halford's last album before leaving Judas Priest for more than a decade.

• You've Got Another Thing Comin'

• Tom Allom, the producer of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," engineered the first five Black Sabbath albums. He also produced two albums by Annie Lennox's first band, The Tourists.
• That urban legend about "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" being written in an hour in order to stretch the length of the "Screaming for Vengeance" record is NOT true. Sorry. The song is still really awesome though!
• Judas Priest's two guitarists took turns playing lead. On "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" it was Glenn Tipton's turn.

K

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• Kansas

• General

• Kansas are considered America's first major progressive or art-rock band, after years of UK domination in that genre.

• Carry On Wayward Son

• Kansas keyboardist Kerry Livgren, who wrote "Carry on Wayward Son," later became a big name in Christian rock.
• "Carry on Wayward Son" was meant to be a sequel to "The Pinnacle," the final song on Kansas' previous album.
• Despite its heavenly sound, "Carry on Wayward Son" was recorded on a swamp in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The band sometimes had to chase armadillos out of the studio during the recording process.

• The Killers

• General

• Before joining The Killers, Brandon Flowers worked at a Las Vegas casino.
• While on tour, The Killers' guitarist Dave Keuning was "accidentally" abandoned by his bandmates after stopping at a gas station.
• The Killers' bassist Mark Stoermer once had a job transporting human transplant organs as a medical courier.

• KISS

• General

• KISS wrapped up their official "farewell" tour on April 14, 2001. They have toured four times since then.
• KISS's first appearance without makeup was on an MTV special that aired September 18, 1983.
• The original version of KISS's famous logo was designed by guitarist Ace Frehley. The band name came from Paul Stanley.
• In the mid-seventies, two KISS comic books were released. Allegedly the band members' blood was mixed with the red ink used to print the books.
• In their make-up, all of the original members of KISS have alter-egos named the Demon, the Star Child, the Space Man, and the Cat Man.
• While the letters K-I-S-S are rumored to stand for "Knights in Satan's Service," the band has claimed that the name was spontaneously conceived while they were driving around Queens, New York.
• For the ultimate KISS fan, a $4500 licensed KISS coffin became available for purchase in 2001.
• KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was electrocuted at a concert in 1976 and, after treatment, returned to the stage to finish the show.
• For years, rumors circulated that KISS's Gene Simmons had grafted a cow's tongue onto his own tongue. It's probably not true.

• The Knack

• General

• The brother of The Knack's Doug Fieger was Jack Kevorkian's defense attorney.

• My Sharona

• The Knack's "My Sharona" was written for guitarist Berton Averre's girlfriend, who is now a real estate agent.
• Dave Grohl has stated that 'My Sharona' is his favorite song.

• The Konks

• General

• The Konks' Kurt Davis protects his drum heads by covering them in duct tape. This also makes them sound pretty cool.
• As both the drummer and singer for The Konks, Kurt Davis props up his kit at the front of the stage using old record crates.
• Collectively, The Konks have 29 fingers. Six of them are thumbs.

L

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• L7

• General

• L7's name is hip slang for square. Make an L and a 7 with your thumbs and forefingers and you'll get it.
• Though they're known as one of the grunge era's greatest all-female bands, L7 originally had a male drummer for a short time.
• L7 founded the feminist rockers' organization Rock for Choice, which produced benefit concerts between 1991 and 2001.

• Pretend We're Dead

• This song, from L7's third album "Bricks Are Heavy," was produced by Butch Vig, who also did landmark Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth albums in the same two-year stretch.

• Lacuna Coil

• General

• Lacuna Coil originally went by the band name Ethereal, before finding that a Greek band had already claimed it.
• Lacuna Coil's half-Italian band name means "Empty Spiral."

• Libyans

• General

• Libyans went on their first Midwest tour with a cassette, and an eight minute set.
• Harmonix lighting artist and Libyans bassist Aaron DeMuth was once told that he should unplug his bass the next time Libyans play live.
• Former Harmonix employee Carl Harders is the sole reason the Libyans started playing music together, and he continues to be an inspiration for the band... and the rest of the world.

• Linkin Park

• General

• Before becoming a singer, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington worked in the fast food industry.
• Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington was bitten by a poisonous recluse spider while on tour in Mansfield, MA and required hospitalization.
• Linkin Park drummer Rob Bourdon's mother used to date Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer.

• Lit

• General

• The members of Lit have a thing for Las Vegas and the Rat Pack, and guitarist Jeremy Popoff even has a tattoo of Frank Sinatra.

• My Own Worst Enemy

• "My Own Worst Enemy" was the Lit members' way of scolding themselves for getting big-headed after their first taste of success.
• By the time they broke through with "My Own Worst Enemy," Lit had already been together for a decade.
• Pop star Avril Lavigne has done a cover version of "My Own Worst Enemy" in her live show.

• Lush

• General

• Thanks to their low-key stage presence, Lush was one of the first bands called "shoegazers" by the UK press.
• Lush singer Miki Berenyi's mother was a Japanese actress who appeared in the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice."
• During her time with Lush, singer/guitarist Miki Berenyi sported bright purple hair.
• After Lush broke up, singer Miki Berenyi left music and became an editorial assistant for the BBC.

• Lynyrd Skynyrd

• General

• Before joining Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1971, guitarist Ed King cowrote the Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incense and Peppermints."
• The real Leonard Skinner was a gym teacher at a high school in Jacksonville, Florida.
• Gimme Three Steps
• Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant really did get a gun pulled on him for dancing with someone else's girlfriend. He wrote "Gimme Three Steps" on the way home.

M

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• The Main Drag

• General

• The Main Drag has way too many people in it. They should kick someone out. And then that person should make delicious cookies for the rest of the band all day long.
• Main Drag drummer John Drake is more energetic than a shopping cart full of puppies being wheeled through a bacon factory.
• The Main DRAG often performs in... you guessed it... Boston.

• A Jagged Gorgeous Winter

• The music video for "A Jagged Gorgeous Winter" was filmed in 4 hours in Vermont and edited in the van on the ride back to Boston.

• Mastodon

• General

• The four members of Mastodon first met at a High on Fire show that guitarist Brent Hinds put on in his basement.
• Shortly after taping MTV's Video Music Awards in 2007, Mastodon's Brent Hinds reportedly got into an altercation with System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian. Hinds is said to have ended up with a broken nose and two black eyes.

• Colony of Birchmen

• The title "Colony of Birchmen" is a tribute to a Genesis epic, "Colony of Slippermen."
• Mastodon are pals with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, who has played "Colony of Birchmen" with them live.

• Maxïmo Park

• General

• Maxïmo Park's singer Paul Smith was discovered by drummer Tom English's girlfriend, who saw him performing Stevie Wonder songs in a pub.
• The real Maximo Gomez Park is in the Little Havana section of Miami. It's known as Domino Park because retirees like to play dominoes there.
• Maxïmo Park's Paul Smith reportedly gets a lot of songwriting inspiration by reading obituaries.

• Girls Who Play Guitars

• "Girls Who Play Guitars" was produced by Gil Norton, famous for handling the Pixies' "Doolittle."

• Megadeth

• General

• It took years for Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine to get over his rage at being booted out of Metallica. He presumably feels better now.
• Soon after "Peace Sells" was released, leader Dave Mustaine fired half the band.
• Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has a black belt in karate.
• Megadeth's Dave Mustaine is part owner of Alice Cooper's restaurant in Phoenix, AZ. The place serves a dish called Megadeth Meatloaf in his honor.

• Metallica

• General

• As part of bassist Jason Newsted's initiation to Metallica, the band tricked him into eating a ball of wasabi.
• Metallica missed a major TV appearance in 1987 after James Hetfield broke his arm by skateboarding in an empty swimming pool.
• Metallica's "And Justice For All" was nominated for the first heavy metal Grammy in 1989, but famously lost to Jethro Tull.
• Metallica fired original guitarist Dave Mustaine by waking him up one morning and handing him a bus ticket.
• James Hetfield's mother was an opera singer.
• Metallica's James Hetfield was almost killed onstage in 1992 when he walked into a special effects flame pod during a concert in Montreal.
• "Enter Sandman" was covered by clean-cut crooner Pat Boone on his 1997 album "In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy."
• Metallica was the biggest-selling rock band of the 1990s.
• Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich's home studio is called "The Dungeon."
• Before meeting singer/guitarist James Hetfield, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich had planned to become a professional tennis player.

• Battery

• This song was inspired by the Old Waldorf Club on San Francisco's Battery Street, where Metallica often played in the early days.
• Performing "Battery" over the years, Metallica would often dedicate the song to young musicians in the crowd.
• For years after its release, "Battery" would be the regular opening song at Metallica concerts.

• The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

• General

• Bosstones' singer Dicky Barrett used to draw a comic strip for the now-defunct magazine Boston Rock.
• The Bosstones' bass player Joe Gittleman was once stabbed by a t-shirt bootlegger while on tour in Italy.
• A bartender from Boston's legendary Rat club was responsible for adding "Mighty Mighty" to the Bosstones' name.
• Bosstones singer Dicky Barrett used to wear his plaid bathrobe onstage. This led to the Bosstones' tradition of plaid stage clothes.

• Modest Mouse

• General

• One of Modest Mouse's longtime heroes, the Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr, became a full-time band member in 2006.
• Modest Mouse's name came from a Virginia Woolf line about "modest, mouse-colored people."
• Shortly after Modest Mouse's commercial breakthrough, frontman Isaac Brock did a solo album and tour under the name Ugly Casanova.

• Float On

• Modest Mouse weren't the first group to have a hit single called "Float On." Soul and disco group The Floaters had one in 1977.

• Molly Hatchet

• General

• Most of Molly Hatchet's album covers feature Vikings in various forms of combat, including one astride a unicorn destroying a kraken.
• Between recording and touring over the years, Molly Hatchet has featured no fewer than 3 singers, 11 guitarists, 9 bassists, and 7 drummers.
• Molly Hatchet is named after a mythical Southern prostitute that allegedly beheaded her clients.

• The Monkees

• General

• When the Monkees toured in 1967, opening act Jimi Hendrix was nearly booed off the stage.

• Last Train to Clarksville

• "Last Train to Clarksville" is about a soldier shipping out to Vietnam. That's why he doesn't know if he's ever coming home.

• The Mother Hips

• General

• The Mother Hips formed at Chico State in sunny California in 1991.
• The Mother Hips' singer Tim Bluhm has worked as a mountain guide.

• Mötley Crüe

• General

• Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee's mother was Miss Greece in 1957.
• During a misadventure in December 1987, Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx was declared technically dead for more than two minutes.
• When Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil was married in 2005, the ceremony was officiated by MC Hammer.

• Saints of Los Angeles

• "Saints of Los Angeles" marked the first full album by Mötley Crüe's original lineup in a decade.

• Motörhead

• General

• Long before forming Motörhead, singer/bassist Lemmy was a guitar roadie for Jimi Hendrix.
• Singer/bassist Lemmy formed Motörhead shortly after getting kicked out of the psychedelic band Hawkwind.
• Motörhead leader Lemmy is an avid collector of World War II memorabilia.

• Ace of Spades

• "Ace of Spades" is considered one of the first and greatest speed-metal songs.

• Mountain

• General

• It is rumored that Mountain took their name in reference to singer/guitarist Leslie West's rather substantial physique.
• Mountain singer/guitarist Leslie West played guitar for The Who's demo of "Won't Get Fooled Again."
• There is an unconfirmed story about Mountain drummer Corky Laing getting run over by the Rolling Stones' limo... allegedly he insisted on playing a scheduled gig the next day.
• The fourth gig that Mountain had ever played was Woodstock.

• Mississippi Queen

• Ozzy Osbourne covered "Mississippi Queen" on his 2005 album Under Cover.
• It is rumored that "Mississippi Queen" was spontaneously written by drummer Corky Laing during a power outage in a club on Nantucket and was inspired by a nubile vacationer.

• The Muffs

• General

• The name of The Muffs' second album "Blonder & Blonder" came from Courtney Love's comment on the state of frontwoman Kim Shattuck's hair.
• The Muffs took an indefinite break in 2006 so that leader Kim Shattuck could study photography.

• Kids in America

• Both singers who scored a hit with "Kids in America" were named Kim. The original was performed by Kim Wilde, and The Muffs' Kim Shattuck performed it for the "Clueless" soundtrack.
• Marty Wilde, the songwriter of "Kids in America," was an English teen idol in the late '50s. He wrote "Kids in America" for his daughter Kim to record.

• Muse

• General

• Muse drummer Dominic Howard has been known to wear superhero costumes and yellow trousers in concert.
• Muse producer Rich Costey began his studio career in Boston, working with indie bands The Lilys and The Swirlies.

• Hysteria

• When Muse released "Hysteria" as a single, they had a contest to let one of their fans design the cover art.

N

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• The New Pornogrophers

• General

• In her other life, New Pornographers singer Neko Case is one of the darlings of alternative country music.
• Before the band formed, nearly everybody in the New Pornographers was famous... in Canada.
• The New Pornographers' founder Carl Newman claims that the band did NOT choose their name in response to Jimmy Swaggart's assertion that music was "the new pornography."
• The New Pornographers formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997.
• The New Pornographers once played in New York as part of an Independence Day celebration. Nobody seemed to mind that they were Canadian.

• Nine Inch Nails

• General

• Before Nine Inch Nails were famous, leader Trent Reznor appeared in the Michael J. Fox movie "Light of Day," also starring Joan Jett.
• When Nine Inch Nails made the graphic video for "Happiness in Slavery," Trent Reznor sent one of the first copies to his mom.
• Though he occasionally involves other musicians, Trent Reznor generally plays all of the instruments and produces all of the tracks on Nine Inch Nails recordings.
• Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails has been known to use the pseudonym "Steve Austin" while on tour.
• Trent Reznor first worked as a janitor in the sound studio where he recorded his initial tracks for Nine Inch Nails.

• March of the Pigs

• "March of the Pigs" is in 29/8 time signature, one of the most complicated meters ever to appear in a hit song.

• Nirvana

• General

• A teenage Kurt Cobain once failed an audition for the band Melvins, who are considered to have been the forefathers of grunge.
• Though known as a Seattle band," Nirvana actually hail from the small harbor town of Aberdeen, Washington.
• Nirvana went through five previous drummers before adding Dave Grohl as a permanent member.

• Drain You

• "Drain You" has more guitars on it than any other song on Nirvana's "Nevermind." Kurt Cobain played all five parts.
• Instruments that appear in the bridge of "Drain You" include a rubber duck, chains and an aerosol can.
• "Drain You" was one of Kurt Cobain's favorite songs to perform, and it turned up in most of Nirvana's live setlists.
• Some Nirvana fans are sure that "Drain You" is a love song, others think it has a more sinister meaning. Only Kurt Cobain knew for sure.

• Norman Greenbaum

• Spirit in the Sky

• Norman Greenbaum was reportedly inspired to write "Spirit in the Sky" after seeing country singers Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner perform a religious song on TV.
• Norman Greenbaum's followup single to "Spirit in the Sky" was "Canned Ham," a song about... canned ham. It was not a hit.
• A few years after "Spirit in the Sky" became a hit, Norman Greenbaum left the music business and bought a dairy farm in Petaluma, CA.
• The unique guitar sound in "Spirit in the Sky" was achieved by using a cheap homemade fuzzbox and finger-picking the guitar.

O

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• Oasis

• General

• Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher took over as lead singer during a 1996 American tour, when brother Liam temporarily left the band.
• Before forming Oasis, Noel Gallagher was a roadie for the band Inspiral Carpets, famous for the hit "This is How It Feels."
• The calendar on the cover of Oasis' album "Be Here Now" reads August 21, 1997 -- the album's release date.
• The calendar on the cover of Oasis' "Be Here Now" reads August 21 - the date of the album's release.

• Don't Look Back in Anger

• Although the name is featured in the song lyrics, Noel Gallagher says he didn't know anyone named Sally when "Don't Look Back in Anger" was written.

• Wonderwall

• "Wonderwall" borrows its title from a 1968 movie that was scored by George Harrison.
• Liam Gallagher originally told brother Noel that he thought "Wonderwall" was too corny, but he agreed to sing it anyway.

• The Offspring

• General

• The Offspring's "Conspiracy of One" was one of the first albums to be willingly released on the Internet for free.
• Offspring guitarist Noodles was working as a school custodian when he joined the band. He was the only member who was NOT underage.
• The Offspring's tour contract rider demands ten cases of chocolate milk per show.
• Dexter Holland and Greg Kriesel were inspired to form the Offspring after both attended a concert by California punk band Social Distortion.
• The Offspring appeared in the camp horror film Idle Hands. Dexter Holland had one speaking line before getting killed off.

• Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated)

• The Offspring's album Smash, which included "Come Out & Play," set a record as the biggest-selling album for a band on an indie label.

• OK Go

• General

• The estimated production cost of OK Go's breakthrough video for "A Million Ways" was 25 bucks.
• OK Go's singer Damian Kulash and bassist Tim Nordwind reportedly met at summer camp as children.
• The members of OK Go have an imaginary robot named Jorge.

• The Outlaws

• General

• The Outlaws singer and guitarist Hughie Thomasson defined the band's signature Southern sound with his impressive and influential guitar skills. Thomasson also later played as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd in the '90s.

• Green Grass and High Tides

• This 1975 hit by The Outlaws is entitled "Green Grass and High Tides." The 1966 greatest hits album by the Rolling Stones is entitled "High Tide and Green Grass." Try not to get confused.
• You only have 3,058 notes to hit in this song. No problem. (Only as a solo guitarist on expert)

P

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• Panic! At the Disco

• General

• Panic at the Disco singer Brendon Urie was temporarily knocked out onstage at the Reading Festival in 2006 when an audience member threw a bottle at his head.
• Panic at the Disco officially changed their name from "Panic! At the Disco" in 2008.

• Papa Roach

• General

• Papa Roach's founders Jacoby Shaddix and Dave Buckner met during a high school football game, when both were on the same team.
• Papa Roach's first gig was covering Jimi Hendrix at a high-school talent contest, which they lost.
• Papa Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix also fronts the alt-metal band Fight the Sky.

• Paramore

• General

• Before asking her to join them in Paramore, brothers Josh and Zac Ferro used to give singer Hayley Williams mix tapes of their favorite punk-pop bands.
• Paramore's Hayley Williams has dyed her hair so often that she claims she's lost track of what the real color was.
• One of Paramore's first influences was Jimmy Eat World. They've since toured together, become friends and recorded for the same label.

• Pearl Jam

• Alive

• Eddie Vedder wrote the lyrics to "Alive" after learning that the man he thought was his father was actually his stepfather. This revelation prompted a handful of Vedder's songs.
• When they recorded "Alive," Pearl Jam were still going by their original band moniker, Mookie Blaylock, named after the New Jersey Nets basketball player.
• At the Seattle release show for Pearl Jam's "Ten" album, Eddie Vedder climbed a wobbly tower of speaker cabinets and managed to avoid getting hurt.
• "Alive" is the second-most frequently played song at Pearl Jam concerts; only "Even Flow" has been played more often.

• Pixies

• General

• Urban legend has it that the first Pixies performance took place at the infamous Rathskeller in Boston, MA... but more reliable sources claim that the show took place at the now defunct Jack's.
• Pixies frontman Black Francis reportedly found bassist Kim Deal by taking out an ad looking for a bass player who was influenced by both Hüsker Dü and Peter, Paul and Mary.

• The Police

• General

• All three members of The Police once bleached their hair for an English chewing-gum commercial.
• Before joining the Police, guitarist Andy Summers was a member of Eric Burdon & the Animals.
• Before joining the Police, drummer Stewart Copeland not only played in the progressive rock band Curved Air; he also married the lead singer.
• From 1974-76, Sting was a teacher at St. Paul's First School in Cramlington, UK.
• The Police played their first American show at New York's punk mecca CBGB, one of the tiniest places they ever played.
• The Police's reunion tour was the top-grossing concert tour of 2007.
• During the recording of "Synchronicity," the Police members were getting along so poorly that they recorded many of their parts separately.
• The Synchronicity album knocked Michael Jackson's "Thriller" off the top of the charts.
• The Police singer/bassist Sting played Ace Face in the film "Quadrophenia," a cinematic adaptation of The Who's album of the same name.
• Sting, born Gordon Sumner, got his nickname from constantly wearing a yellow and black striped sweater.
• In the '70s, weary of correcting the spelling, The Police guitarist Andy Somers finally changed his last name to "Summers."

• Roxanne

• The lyrics of "Roxanne" proved too controversial for a couple of BBC disc jockeys who refused to play it.

• Synchronicity II

• The Police's "Synchronicity II" is the only hit song ever to include the words "humiliating kick in the crotch."
• "Synchronicity II" is the only hit single in history to include the phrase "humiliating kick in the crotch."

• The Pretenders

• General

• The Pretenders' 1981 tour was postponed when drummer Martin Chambers cut his hand punching a porcelain lamp stand.

• Brass in Pocket

• Pretenders leader Chrissie Hynde thought "Brass in Pocket" was a lousy song and begged her producer to keep it off the album.

• The Presidents of the United States of America

• General

• The Presidents of the United States of America (or PUSA) are known for their unique modded guitars known as the guitbass and the basitar.
• Chris Ballew, singer of the Presidents of the United States of America, formerly played in a band called Supergroup with Morphine's Mark Sandman.

Q

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• Queens of the Stone Age

• General

• At last count, over twenty-five different musicians have performed in Queens of the Stone Age.
• In 2001, former Queens of the Stone Age member Nick Oliveri was arrested in Rio for performing onstage wearing only his bass.
• Queens of the Stone Age reportedly opted not to be called "Kings of the Stone Age" because they thought it would sound overly masculine.
• Queens of the Stone Age album "Lullabyes to Paralyze" featured guest shots by members of Garbage and ZZ Top.
• Queens of the Stone Age were originally called "Gamma Ray," but another band had already claimed the name.

• Little Sister

• "Little Sister" was recorded live in the studio, on the first take.

R

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• Radiohead

• General

• Radiohead took their name from the title of a lesser-known Talking Heads song.
• All five members of Radiohead went to the same all-boys prep school outside of Oxford, England.
• The name Radiohead was borrowed from the title of a lesser-known Talking Heads song.
• Guitarist Ed O'Brien was invited to join Radiohead on his 16th birthday. Singer Thom Yorke told him he looked like Morrissey.
• Radiohead's lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood originally joined the band as a harmonica player.
• Radiohead's line-up has never changed since forming under the name "On a Friday" in 1986.

• Creep

• This song was given limited airplay on the BBC's Radio One because it was deemed "too depressing."

• Rage Against the Machine

• General

• Rage Against the Machine's first performance was in a friend's living room in Orange County, California.
• Rage Against the Machine played their official last show in September 2000 in Los Angeles. They didn't reunite until seven years later.

• Testify

• Part of the "Testify" lyrics were cribbed from George Orwell's "1984," a longtime inspiration for political rock song.
• The video for "Testify" was directed by Michael Moore, a move that didn't endear the band to conservatives.

• Ramones

• General

• The Ramones took their name from "Paul Ramon," a hotel pseudonym used by Paul McCartney.
• The Ramones' original drummer Tommy Ramone and their record producer Tom Erdelyi were the same guy.
• Notorious producer Phil Spector worked with the Ramones on 1980's "End of the Century" - the last album Spector ever finished.
• One of the Ramones' record producers, Tony Bongiovi, is Jon Bon Jovi's cousin.
• Tommy Ramone took the drum throne for the Ramones when no one else wanted the job. Up until then, he was happy managing the band.
• Dee Dee Ramone quit the band in 1989. His post-Ramones activities included putting out a rap album, playing in a Ramones spin-off band called the Ramainz, and writing a really weird novel.
• The first Ramones album featured fourteen songs and was less than thirty minutes in length.
• Throughout the Ramones' career, singer Joey and guitarist Johnny maintained one of the most well-documented animosities in music history.

• Rockaway Beach

• "Rockaway Beach" was the opening song at many Ramones shows, until they replaced it with "Teenage Lobotomy."
• The words to this song were written by Dee Dee, the only Ramone who liked going to the beach.

• Teenage Lobotomy

• Despite what the lyrics say, a lobotomy does not involve removal of the cerebellum.
• At the time "Teenage Lobotomy" was recorded, each of the Ramones pulled in a salary of $125 per week.

• Ratt

• General

• Ratt have toured three times with fellow hair-metal dudes, Poison. The idea of a "Ratt Poison" tour was apparently too good to resist.
• For a time in the '80s, Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby and Motley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx were roommates.

• Round & Round

• "Round & Round" was covered live at least once by Metallica. They played it in Maryland during 1993.
• The video for "Round & Round" featured comedy legend Milton Berle, whose nephew Marshall was Ratt's manager.

• Red Hot Chili Peppers

• General

• The Red Hot Chili Peppers' record producers have included funkmaster George Clinton, Gang of Four member Andy Gill, and industry mogul Rick Rubin.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea was a temporary member of Jane's Addiction... and Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro was a temporary Chili Pepper.
• The Chili Peppers' most famous stage outfit was a set of strategically placed tube socks. Nobody knows how they stayed on.
• For their first gig, the Red Hot Chili Peppers went by the name Tony Flow and his Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem.
• As a child, Anthony Kiedis played the son of Sylvester Stallone in the movie "F.I.S.T."
• The first Red Hot Chili Peppers gig consisted of one song. Based on the enthusiastic audience response, they were invited to return for another set... of TWO songs.
• Before settling on their current band name, the Red Hot Chili Peppers once considered calling themselves "Spigot Blister and the Chest Pimps."

• R.E.M.

• General

• R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe is the godfather of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's daughter Frances Bean Cobain.
• In 2001, R.E.M. bassist Peter Buck was arrested for allegedly throwing yogurt at a crew member on a flight from Seattle to London.
• Hailing from Athens, Georgia, R.E.M. are one of the first acts to be labeled "alternative" by the music press.
• In 1998, R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe published a book of his photographs of influential singer/songwriter Patti Smith on tour.
• R.E.M. held their first rehearsals in a converted church.

• The Replacements

• General

• In the band's early days, Minneapolis locals referred to The Replacements as "the Placemats." Their fans have called them the "Mats" ever since.
• Bassist Tommy Stinson joined The Replacements at the tender age of 12. After the band split, he wound up as a member of Guns N' Roses.

• Alex Chilton

• "Alex Chilton" is a salute to the frontman of Big Star, one of the ultimate indie-rock cult heroes. Chilton also sang for '60s hitmakers, the Box Tops.
• Alex Chilton was once asked what he thought of "Alex Chilton." He said it was one of The Replacements' better songs.

• Rise Against

• General

• The members of Rise Against are committed animal rights activists.
• Rise Against guitarist Zach Blair was formerly Flattus Maximus of GWAR.

• The Rolling Stones

• General

• Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts allegedly punched Mick Jagger in 1984 for referring to Watts as "his" drummer.
• The Rolling Stones take their name from the title of a Muddy Waters song.
• Reportedly, Keith Richards and Ron Wood both prefer "an arrangement of white Casablanca lilies and weeping eucalyptus" in their dressing rooms while on tour.
• Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones was reportedly expelled from school for truancy.
• The first single released by the Rolling Stones was a cover of Chuck Berry's "Come On" and was not liked by either the press or the Stones themselves.
• The legendary Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are known as the "Glimmer Twins."
• At Rolling Stones performances, Mick Jagger often introduces drummer Charlie Watts as "The Wembley Whammer."
• The debut singles by the Rolling Stones and Rush were cover versions of the same song: Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away."

• The Runaways

• General

• Because all the band members were underage, The Runaways were once referred to as "jailbait on the run."

• Cherry Bomb

• The title of the Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" was a play on lead singer Cherie Currie's name.

• Rush

• General

• In the '70s, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson often performed onstage wearing a silk kimono.
• Rush is one of the biggest-selling rock bands ever with a total of 23 gold records and 14 platinum records.
• Drummer Neil Peart, not frontman Geddy Lee, is the main lyricist for Rush. Apparently he's pretty into Ayn Rand novels and science fiction.
• Neil Peart's drum kit is one of the most legendary in rock -- set upon a rotating riser, the set features wind chimes, a gong, a triangle, and an array of cowbells.

• Tom Sawyer

• "Tom Sawyer" was the theme song for the TV show MacGyver... in Brazil.

• The Trees

• Though Rush fans have found many deep meanings in "The Trees," drummer/lyricist Neil Peart has said it was inspired by a cartoon where trees acted like people.
• The quiet part of "The Trees" features Neil Peart playing a tuned wooden percussion device known as "temple blocks."

S

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• Silversun Pickups

• General

• The name Silversun Pickups comes from a convenience store in the band's stomping ground, the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles.
• The original lineup of Silversun Pickups included two romantic couples, so they nearly called themselves A Couple of Couples.
• One of Silversun Pickups' videos was directed by actor Joaquin Phoenix.

• Lazy Eye

• Silversun Pickups named their album Carnavas after the maiden name of lead singer Brian Aubert's mom.

• Smashing Pumpkings

• General

• For a Halloween show in 1998, Smashing Pumpkins performed in costume as the Beatles.
• Billy Corgan was working at a used-record shop in Chicago when Smashing Pumpkins were formed.
• Billy Corgan and Smashing Pumpkins bassist D'Arcy Wretzky first met at Chicago's Avalon Ballroom, where they had a heated argument about the band they were watching.
• At six foot four, Billy Corgan may be the tallest frontman in alternative rock.
• Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon was briefly the manager of the Smashing Pumpkins.
• Billy Corgan, vocalist/guitarist for Smashing Pumpkins, released a book of poetry in 2004.

• Today

• When he wrote "Today", Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan was battling writer's block, feeling pressure to make a hit, fighting with his bandmembers, and breaking up with his girlfriend. Otherwise, things were great.
• In 2007, Billy Corgan made an unsuccessful attempt to locate the two girls who appear on the "Siamese Dream" album cover.
• Billy Corgan played every instrument on "Today" except the drums.

• Social Distortion

• General

• Social Distortion leader Mike Ness is a hero to many young punk rockers, who refer to his long-running band as "Social D."
• Social Distortion was one of the first bands to turn Orange County into a punk hotspot. Other key OC bands include The Adolescents, The Offspring and Lit.

• I Was Wrong

• The drummer on "I Was Wrong" is Deen Castronovo, who later became a member of Journey.

• Sonic Youth

• General

• Proving that inter-band relationships can work, Sonic Youth members Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon have been married since 1984.

• Teen Age Riot

• According to the band, "Teen Age Riot" is about a vision of the future when Dinosaur Jr. leader J Mascis is elected President.
• When Kim Gordon sings "we will fall" at the start of "Teen Age Riot," she's quoting an older tune by Iggy Pop & the Stooges.
• "Teen Age Riot" was the leadoff track on Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation, a double album considered one of alternative rock's benchmarks.

• Soundgarden

• General

• The strangest song Soundgarden ever recorded, "One Minute of Silence," was just that.
• Chris Cornell was originally Soundgarden's drummer as well as lead singer. He moved upfront to give the band more stage presence.
• Soundgarden named themselves after a sculpture on public display in their native Seattle.
• Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell was originally also the band's drummer.
• Soundgarden bassist and co-founding member Hiro Yamamoto departed the band in order to complete a Master's Degree in Physical Chemistry.

• Spoonman

• "Spoonman" is about street performer Artis the Spoonman, who does indeed play spoons on Soundgarden's song.
• After being immortalized by Soundgarden, Artis the Spoonman performed on Broadway, on network television and at music festivals throughout the world.

• Speck

• General

• Speck is composed entirely of Harmonix employees, consisting of three Rock Band 2 leads and a director.
• Speck's first album, "Working as Intended," was recorded as part of the "record an album in a month" RPM Challenge for 2007. The laziness of the band's members meant they didn't start writing songs until halfway through the month.
• Speck lead guitarist Kelly Scott has been permanently banned from multiple clubs in Boston, due to what her friends refer to as her "encourageable" personality.
• When not playing drums for Speck, Mike Verrette is known for kicking people off Rock Band 2 demonstrations in order to drunkenly sing "Any Way You Want It" by Journey.
• Struggling for a nickname for Speck bassist Dan Teasdale? Try "Kangaroo Dan", "Respectable Australian Dan", or "Crocodile DanT".

• Conventional Lover

• Despite what you might infer from this song's lyrics, all four members of Speck have actually felt the touch of a woman. Different women, probably.

• Squeeze

• General

• Squeeze's keyboardist Jools Holland went on to become the host of one of England's most popular music TV shows.

• Cool For Cats

• If you're wondering what the line about the Sweeney doing 90 means, "The Sweeney" was a hugely popular British crime show in the '70s.
• Squeeze had a lyric writer, Chris Difford, who usually didn't sing. "Cool for Cats" was one of his few leads.
• During the '90s "Cool for Cats" was used in a British milk commercial. The song became a hit single all over again.

• Steely Dan

• General

• Steely Dan guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter went on to work for the Pentagon as a missile defense consultant.
• One of the first artists ever to record a song by Steely Dan masterminds Walter Becker and Donald Fagen was Barbra Streisand.

• Bodhisattva

• "Bodhisattva" led off Steely Dan's "Countdown to Ecstasy." Now considered a classic album, it flopped on release and didn't produce any hit singles.
• In Buddhist teachings, a bodhisattva is any highly enlightened being.

• The Sterns

• General

• "Supreme Girl" was recorded on the same 2" tape machine formerly used for doing voiceovers on the hit TV series "Family Ties." The tape machine is now named Alex, for the show's Alex P. Keaton, who happens to bear resemblance to The Sterns' own Alex Stern. Hooray!

• Supreme Girl

• Supreme Girl is actually a reference to failed supreme court nominee Harriet Miers.

• Steve Miller Band

• General

• The original co-guitarist in the Steve Miller Band was Boz Scaggs, who would later become a famous solo artist.
• One of the Steve Miller Band's notable ex-members is bassist Ross Valory, who has since been in every lineup of Journey.
• Steve Miller's godfather was the legendary guitarist Les Paul, who also gave him his first guitar lesson.

• Stone Temple Pilots

• General

• Stone Temple Pilots had its origins when bassist Robert DeLeo met vocalist Scott Weiland at a concert and discovered they shared many of the same interests... and were dating the same girl.

• The Strokes

• General

• Strokes singer Julian Casablancas, guitarist Nick Valensi, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti all met while attending the Dwight School in uptown Manhattan.

• Survivor

• General

• Survivor member Jim Peterik sang lead on a hit record more than a decade earlier: "Vehicle" by the Ides of March.
• What do Survivor, Cher, and Elvis Costello have in common? Drummer Mickey Curry has played with all three.

• Eye of the Tiger

• "Eye of the Tiger" was written for the movie "Rocky III". But of course, you already knew that.
• The movie version of "Eye of the Tiger" featured tiger noises that mysteriously vanished from the version on the hit single.

• Sweet

• General

• Sweet's Mick Tucker and Deep Purple's Ian Gillan were originally in a band called "Wainwright's Gentlemen."
• To settle any arguments between music nerds, first they were "The Sweet." Then they were just "Sweet." So there you go.

• Ballroom Blitz

• "Ballroom Blitz" was reportedly conceived when the members of Sweet were forced to leave the stage due to "a shower of bottles" during a concert in Scotland.

• System of a Down

• General

• All four members of System of a Down are of Armenian descent.

• Chop Suey!

• The Ramones also have a song called "Chop Suey." Neither song is actually about chop suey.
• Of the five albums by System of a Down, "Toxicity" is the only one to avoid getting a parental advisory sticker.

T

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• T. Rex

• Bang A Gong

• The high voices in T. Rex's "Bang a Gong" are Flo & Eddie, the same guys who sang the Turtles' "Happy Together."

• Talking Heads

• General

• Talking Heads keyboardist Jerry Harrison was about to go to architecture school before deciding to join Talking Heads.

• Psycho Killer

• "Psycho Killer" was David Byrne's attempt to describe what went on in a criminal's mind. He has said he got the idea from listening to a lot of Alice Cooper.
• Producer Tony Bongiovi (Jon Bon Jovi's cousin) worked on "Psycho Killer" soon after wrapping up the second Ramones album.

• Tenacious D

• General

• The phrase "Tenacious D" was first coined by sportscaster Marv Albert to refer to the New York Knicks' defense.

• Master Exploder

• Tenacious D released a clean version of the "Pick of Destiny" soundtrack, replacing all the cusses with made-up nonsense words.
• "Master Exploder" appears in Tenacious D's movie "The Pick of Destiny" as they start their quest for the guitar pick that will give them rock supremacy.
• Already one of the busiest guys in rock, Foo Fighter Dave Grohl played with Tenacious D on the "Pick of Destiny" soundtrack.

• Testament

• General

• Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick was taught by California guitar legend Joe Satriani.
• Testament singer Chuck Billy beat cancer in 2001. A roll call of Bay Area thrash bands played at benefit concerts to pay his medical bills.
• Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick has also played with everyone from metal band White Zombie to jazz great Miles Davis.

• That Handsome Devil

• General

• That Handsome Devil's hobbies include, but aren't limited to: muttering to themselves, plotting against the establishment, and throwing punches in the air.
• fter a near-fatal staring contest, That Handsome Devil's drummer now violently refuses to remove his helmet and mouthguard.
• That Handsome Devil once toured the amazon by piggyback.
• Do you know how long a human being can last without food water or sunlight? That Handsome Devil does!
• When not making music, That Handsome Devil participates in cults, and cons simple folk.
• Members of That Handsome Devil met while handcuffed in the back of the same cop car.
• That Handsome Devil's first show took place in the cafeteria of a mental institution. The crowd went crazy.

• Tribe

• General

• The members of Tribe recorded their first album (released on vinyl!) in the basement of the house where they all lived in Brighton, MA.
• Tribe had a radio hit in South Africa and continue to make about $2.00 a year from South African airplay royalties.

V

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• VAGIANT

• General

• Pronunciation tip: VAGIANT rhymes with defiant. Sort of.
• One time when she was a child, VAGIANT drummer LoWreck decided to dig up her dead pet parakeet "Peachy." It was gross so she put it back.
• VAGIANT's drummer LoWreck can bench press your mom.
• VAGIANT's drummer LoWreck sometimes tells people that she made out with Joan Jett. She did not. But it would've been cool if she had.
• The VAGIANT logo features three rat skulls -- an homage to the rat infestation of their beloved hometown of Allston, MA.
• The Hellion, singer and guitarist for VAGIANT, plays on the Durotan server. The rest of the band makes fun of her for it.
• VAGIANT played their first show opening for The Acro-brats. VAGIANT played only four songs and then instigated six fights and lost three instruments. Yay!
• VAGIANT bassist Ivahna Rock bought her first motorcycle from a member of the Hells Angels... on a payment plan.
• When VAGIANT drummer LoWreck was a child, she used to wrap paper towels around her wrists and pretend that she broke her arm, and then would go to her friends' houses and get cookies and candy from their moms. She later graduated to medical bandages and it was much more believable.
• The Hellion of VAGIANT shares the same birthday as Johnny Ramone, which is kind of sad because her favorite Ramone is Dee Dee. But hey, it's still sort of cool.

• Seven

• VAGIANT guitarist Smokey can totally do the robot. Totally. Big time.

W

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• Weezer

• General

• Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo was raised in an ashram in Connecticut.
• Weezer leader Rivers Cuomo attended college between stints with the band, finally graduating in June 2006.
• Weezer played their first gig in LA opening for Dogstar, a band featuring Keanu Reeves on bass.

• Buddy Holly

• To show her appreciation for being mentioned in the lyrics, Mary Tyler Moore signed a copy of the "Buddy Holly" single and sent it to Weezer.
• The release date of Weezer's "Buddy Holly" single would have been Buddy Holly's 58th birthday -- September 7, 1994.

• The Who

• General

• Keith Moon of The Who is credited with coming up with Led Zeppelin's band name, asserting that the band would go over like a lead Zeppelin.
• Audience member Scot Halpin took the stage as drummer for The Who for three songs at a concert in 1973 after drummer Keith Moon passed out mid-gig.
• "Won't Get Fooled Again" was the last song Keith Moon performed with The Who, on May 25, 1978.
• Despite his desire to sing back-up, drummer Keith Moon was banned from the studio while the rest of The Who were recording vocals.
• The Who was formerly named The High Numbers and released an unsuccessful single called "Zoot Suit" in 1964.
• The guitar that Pete Townshend used to record all of "Who's Next" was reportedly given to him by Joe Walsh of The Eagles.
• The Who's Pete Townshend is arguably the most iconic guitar smasher in rock 'n' roll. He destroyed his first guitar on stage in 1964 due to frustration, an act which is widely considered to have been a milestone in music history.

• Pinball Wizard

• Pete Townshend wrote "Pinball Wizard" in honor of a UK rock critic who was a pinball fanatic. Townshend figured the song would guarantee him a good review.
• In the movie version of the rock opera Tommy, "Pinball Wizard" was sung by Elton John. It has also been covered by Rod Stewart.
• Because the Who spent so much time and energy recording the rock opera Tommy, bassist John Entwistle claimed he never listened to the album.
• Nobody has ever successfully played pinball by sense of smell. You could be the first.

• Won't Get Fooled Again

• You've got 3,372 drum beats to the finish. Grab a sweatband. (Expert drums only)
• You have about fifty-six seconds to use the bathroom during the organ solo. (Only if not in solo play)

• Wolfmother

• General

• It took the members of Wolfmother almost four years of rehearsals before they felt that they were ready to perform a gig in public.

• Joker & the Thief

• The title "Joker & the Thief" is borrowed from a Bob Dylan lyric.

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• Yeah Yeah Yeahs

• General

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O's last name is Orzolek.
• Formed in 2000 in Brooklyn, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs get their band name from a phrase commonly heard among impatient New Yorkers.
• Karen O, singer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, is notorious for her constantly changing, often outlandish stage wardrobe.

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Category: CategoryTrivia, CategoryStubs