Let’s not mince words: the Fabulous Poodles were neither fabulous nor poodles. But I always chuckled at the name, dug the music, and, perhaps most important, it’s 30 years later and I still remember them. So what is it about the name of a rock band? If Air Supply managed to call themselves the Beatles, they still couldn’t suck any less. Bruce Springsteen could have called his band “Exit 9” and millions of ex-pat Jerseyites would still follow them to the ends of the earth. But that’s just my take. I’ve got a real expert on band names joining me today. Bart Bull is the author of Battle of the Band Names: The Best and Worst Band Names Ever (and All the Brilliant, Colorful, Stupid Ones in Between). Bull has worn a number of hats in his career. He was on staff at the birth of Bob Guccione Jr.’s SPIN magazine. And he was an editor of Vogue. He sees the world a little differently than most people, which often makes his reporting more compelling and a little confounding on first or second read.
