When it comes time for bands to adopt name, many of them have found inspiration from nature’s various creatures, be they insects like a beetle or primates such as monkeys. A few groups have even chosen extinct animals, so that music fans are familiar with the T. Rex of classic rock and the modern alt band Dinosaur Jr.
Seldom, however, have musicians decided to name themselves after creatures that dwell in the water. Therefore we have in the Rock Hall of Fame no groups named Octopus or Dolphin or The Squids, although there have been some popular bands who found inspiration from beings in the sea.
Here are ten of those groups.
The Turtles
They gained notoriety for turning Bob Dylan songs like “It Ain’t Me Babe” and “My Back Pages” into hits, but their most enduring classic is no doubt the love anthem “Happy Together.”
The Eels
Mark Oliver Everett has been the brain behind this alternative group since its onset in the late Nineties, and he is still making intelligent records like 2007’s Blinking Lights or 2010’s Tomorrow Morning or The Deconstruction released just last month.
Hootie & the Blowfish
Almost ubiquitous in 1986 because of Cracked Rear View, Darius Rucker and his mates never came close to matching the success of that debut. Rucker has in recent years become quite popular in the country genre.
Catfish and the Bottle Men
Sounding like an alloy of the Strokes and the Killers, this quartet enjoyed immediate success with an album titled The Ride.
The Sharks
Andy Fraser, bass player for Paul Rogers and Free, formed this group which split after just two records.
Whale
These guys hit their peak in the Nineties before disbanding just prior to the turn of the century.
Great White
After turning Ian Hunter’s “Once Bitten Twice Shy” into a Top Ten smash, this hard rock ensemble set off on a lengthy career.
The Stingrays
Travel back to the late Seventies and early Eighties, and you are sure to hear this group mentioned among the top acts considered the British New Wave.
Chocolate Starfish
The best Australian rock group in the Nineties, this alt rock outfit became known primarily for its ear-catching cover version of Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.”
Hot Tuna
Probably the oldest member of this list, its original lineup was so popular it once appeared in an episode of the sitcom F. Troop.