10 Rock Bands Who Had Horrible Original Names
9. Earth - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath is the reason why hard rock went in a darker direction. Starting from the band's self-titled debut, they took the typical blues formula of the day and injected it with aggression and horror to create what has become metal music. Just the name Black Sabbath conjures up images of dark macabre rather the band's blase original name.
When Tony Iommi started to get the ball rolling, the band originally had the name Earth, with which they would gig around the English club scene. While a fantastic drone outfit named Earth would resurface decades later, the band felt it didn't suit their darker style and the hunt was on for a new name. Rather than brainstorming too intensely, the band decided to look to the cinema for inspiration.
Given bassist Geezer Butler's fixation with occult literature, the band became intrigued when he brought up a horror movie called Black Sabbath starring the famed Boris Karloff. Once the band figured out their name, things began to run their course, with their music getting heavier and heavier by the day. By the time they finally got their sound onto vinyl, Black Sabbath had lived up to their name as something dark, brooding, and absolutely massive.