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Alabama Alabama formed in the late ‘60s and by the ‘80s was one of the best-selling country music acts in the country. On Jan. 13, 2003, they won the Award of Merit at the 30th annual American Music Awards (seen here). "Love in the First Degree" is probably their biggest hit, topping the country charts and hitting #5 on the pop charts, too. (Reuters)![Asia_album_cover]()
Asia This British rock band was one of the biggest supergroups of its day, boasting former members of prog rock groups King Crimson, Yes, and ELP. After many lineup changes over the years, the original members got back together in 2006 and toured the world. Guitarist Steve Howe (one of the Yes guys) announced his retirement from the band in 2013. And a continent wept...![Tom_Scholz_Boston_Reuters]()
Boston These guys are actually from the city! Lead singer, Tom Scholz (shown here) first started writing music in the late ‘60s while attending MIT. He got together with his bandmates in the ‘70s and released their self-titled debut album in 1976. The record went on to become one of the best-selling debut albums in U.S. history, selling more than 17 million copies. And if you listened to rock radio in the 70s and 80s, you heard Boston several times a day -- mostly "More That a Feeling," "Don't Look Back," and "Amanda." (Reuters)![Backstreet_Boys_Reuters]()
Backstreet Boys As ubiquitous as Boston was to rock radio in '80s were the Backstreet boys to pop radio of the '90s. But did you ever wonder where this boy band got their name? Back Street Market is actually a shopping area close to where many of the band’s members grew up in Orlando, FL. Who knew? (Reuters)![Tokyo_Police_Club_Reuters]()
Tokyo Police Club This Indie rock band got together in Toronto in 2005. That’s a long way from Japan. (Reuters)![Cypress_Hill_Reuters]()
Cypress Hill This isn’t the name of a country or city, but Cypress Hill is actually the name of a street in South Gate Calif. where members Sen Dog, B-Real, and Eric Bobo are from. The hip-hop band was popular in the late ‘80s and ‘90s and is still releasing new music. (Reuters)![Phoenix_Reuters]()
Phoenix Their name may be the capital of the U.S. state of Arizona, but the members of this band are actually French. They began releasing albums in Europe in 2000 and came broke into the US music scene in 2009 with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. From left to right, Deck D'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai, Thomas Mars and Laurent Brancowitz pose at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards on Jan. 31, 2010. (Reuters)![Robert_Lamm_Chicago_Reuters]()
Chicago Chicago’s original name was Chicago Transit Authority back in 1967. After shortening their name, they became famous for "25 or 6 to 4" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." The band saw many members come and go over the years, none quite as talented as Robert Lamm, the original keyboardist, song writer and singer, seen here. (Reuters)![E_Street_Band_Reuters]()
The E Street Band These guys, named after a street in New Jersey, are one of the most popular bands on this list. They garnered loads of attention while backing Bruce Springsteen in the ‘80s, and they’ve played with many other musical giants since they formed in 1972, including Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Aretha Franklin. (Reuters)![Kansas_album_cover]()
Kansas The original members of this rock band are from Topeka, Kansas. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1974, but they hit their stride a couple years later with albums that included classics "Carryon Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind." The band is currently on their 40th Anniversary tour.![Arctic_Monkeys_Reuters]()
Arctic Monkeys These guys aren't from the arctic, they’re from South Yorkshire, England. The indie rock band, formed in 2002, has had a few changes over the years and now consists of Jamie Cook, Alex Turner, Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders (seen here). (Reuters)![Earth_Wing_and_Fire_Reuters]()
Earth, Wind and Fire The Earth is a place. (Reuters)![sugar_hill_gang]()
Sugar Hill Gang Most people know Sugar Hill Gang for their 1979 hit “Rapper’s Delight,” which was one of the first hip-hop songs to land on Billboard’s Top 40 chart. The group’s name was inspired by the Sugar Hill section of Harlem, even though all the band member’s are from Englewood, New Jersey. Because everything cool has its origins in New Jersey.![Calexico_Reuters]()
Calexico The Indie rock band released its first album, Spoke, in 1997 and has released six more albums since. The band is named for the border town of California by the same name, even though the members actually hail from Arizona. Calexico does sound cooler. (Reuters)![America_album]()
America This '70s English-American folk band got together in London in 1970 and throughout the years making music they released 16 studio albums, four live albums, seven compilation albums, and a whopping 45 singles. But everyone still knows them for one song: "A Horse With No Name." What are you gonna do?Bands named after places
You don’t have to be from a place to name your band after it.
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- Bands named after places
