I recently had a lot of fun putting together a Spotify playlist of popular bug songs. While putting it together, I found several bands that also shared their names with pests. Here is my top ten bands named after bugs or pests:
10. Katydids
The Katydids reached stardom briefly in the early 90’s before guitarist Adam Seymour left the bad to play with The Pretenders. Before splitting, The Katydids released two moderately successful albums entitled Katydids (1991) and Shangri-la (1991).
Katydids, also known as long-horned grasshoppers, are best known for their appearance that mimics that of a leaf.
9. Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants, led by singer Adam Ant, became notable as a British cult band during the late-1970s punk rock era. Adam and the Ants have had a major influence on artists like Nine Inch Nails and Fat Boy Slim during the band’s short career.
The lineup for Adam and the Ants in 1981. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Ants are one of the most successful groups of insects, and a common pest. They are social insects that live in underground colonies, but many enter buildings looking for food.
8. Iron Butterfly
Cover of Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly rose to fame in the late 1960’s. They were even booked to play at Woodstock, but were unable to after getting stranded at the airport. Their album, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is one of the world’s 40 top-selling albums, selling more than 30 million copies.
While Butterflies are generally not considered pests, some species can damage domestic crops or trees in their larval stages. Traditionally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts across many different cultures.
7. Papa Roach
Papa Roach has sold more than 18 million album copies worldwide, and are best known for their songs “Last Resort”, and “…To Be Loved.” Their music is best described as rap metal. Their first album, Infest, reached triple platinum in 2000.
Time and Time Again (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Roaches are one of the most common and hardy household pests in the United States. They invade our homes looking for their favorite foods like sugary sweets, salty snacks, and even hair or fingernails.
6. Alien Ant Farm
Alien Ant Farm got their name from a dream guitarist Terry Corso had about aliens cultivating the human race, like we were all in an ant farm. The band has had four successful albums, and has contributed to several Hollywood movie soundtracks; including 2002’s Spiderman. Their most popular song is “Smooth Criminal.”
Alien Ant Farm (Photo credit: woohoo_megoo)
The United States hosts almost 1,000 different species of ants. While they are considered one of the most common household pests, only 25 species commonly infest homes.
5. Ratt
One of the biggest bands in the early 80’s glam metal scene was Ratt. Their songs “Round and Round,” “Lay It Down,” and “Wanted Man” helped to launch the band into superstardom.
Lay It Down (Ratt song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Rats are very common household pests during the colder winter months. If you are seeing droppings, fresh gnawing, or tracks near your property; chances are you might have a serious rat infestation.
4. Buddy Holly and The Crickets
Even though Buddy Holly and The Crickets’ success was short lived because of an unfortunate plane crash, they may be one of the single most influential creative forces in early rock and roll. “That’ll be the Day” is the group’s most popular recording; and in 2011 Buddy Holly was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
01 – Buddy Holly & The Crickets (Photo credit: Bradford Timeline)
Crickets are best known for their characteristic chirping noise, used by males to attract female crickets. As the temperatures rises, their songs become louder and faster.
3. Scorpions
Just by listening to “Rock You Like a Hurricane” before any football game, one comes to the realization that Scorpions are one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time. In case you need any more proof, the band has sold over 150 million records, released 23 albums over the last 40 years, and played around 5,000 concerts in over 80 countries.
Ralph Rieckermann of Scorpions. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Much like the band, scorpions have been around a long time and are incredibly resilient. They require a focused pest control strategy. A testament to their durability was proven when lab experiments froze scorpions for weeks, leaving them unharmed when they were thawed. On top of that, after U.S. nuclear testing scorpions were discovered near ground zero with no adverse side effects.
2. Bee Gees
The Bee Gees, made up of brothers Robin, Maurice, and Barry Gibb were one of the biggest recording artists during the late 60’s to early 70’s. During the group’s 45 years of stardom, only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold them.
Publicity photo of the Bee Gees. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
While bees are considered beneficial insects by pollinating plants, they earn the title of pest by stinging and contributing to several deaths a year; common when a sting victim has a severe allergic reaction.
1. The Beatles
The Beatles are the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr have sold 177 million albums in the US, more than any other artist.
I’m Happy Just to Dance with You (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Beetles constitute almost 25 percent of all known life-forms; more than any other order in the animal kingdom. There are some species of Beetle that have been awarded the distinction of pest. A few include: the Colorado potato beetle, the boll weevil and the Carpet beetle. They repeatedly create insect control problems when they invade and destroy household items and agricultural crops.
I hope you enjoyed my list. Did I miss any?
Anthony Ball
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