Ever wonder where some bands come up with their names? Well, we do, and we’re sick of sitting around scratching our heads about it. We’re hitting the streets (aka. “Internet”) to find the origins behind some of the more bizarre, intriguing or just plain random band names in the scene. Every Wednesday we’ll be pulling the curtain back on a different band and this week it’s the pop-punk turned indie rock (sorta) band Blink 182.
The name Blink was thought up by Tom DeLonge when the band consisted of Tom, Mark, and their friend Scott Raynor (before Blink they called themselves Duck Tape). They were forced to change it because an Irish electronica artist was already using that name, so they added “182” to the end. Why 182, specifically? According to the band, its is how many times Al Pacino says “fuck” in the movie Scarface. Of course.
Fun fact: Blink’s debut album Cheshire Cat had just been released at the time of their name change, and the cover art had to be updated on later pressings. If your copy of this record doesn’t have “182” tacked on to the band’s name, it’s probably worth a pretty penny.
Check out last week’s Band Name Origin story: Thrice