Killers’ Band Name Mystery Solved After Two Decades
For a quarter-century, fans have belted out The Killers’ hits without knowing the origin of the band’s name. Now, the inspiration behind anthems like “Mr. Brightside” is revealed, offering a fresh look at the Las Vegas-formed rock icons and their surprising creative genesis.
The Name’s Origin
The band, founded in 2001 in Las Vegas by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning, didn’t find its name in a dusty record store or a brainstorming session. Instead, the name “The Killers” came from a fictional band featured in the music video for New Order’s 2001 song “Crystal.” Flowers, a major New Order enthusiast, noticed the name on a drum kit.
The band members, including bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr., decided to adopt it.
Fan Reactions
The revelation has sparked online discussions, with one Reddit user asking, “How did the band name ‘The Killers’ survive until the early 2000s without being claimed by someone else?
” Another user chimed in, “The band actually saw the name ‘The Killers’ on the drum head of a fictional band in a New Order music video, and when they found out it was available, they decided to take it.
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MGMT’s Pronunciation Revelation
In a related note, fans of the band MGMT recently learned the correct pronunciation of the band’s name. The band’s name isn’t pronounced letter by letter, but rather, MGMT stands for “Management.”
The band, who first gained prominence in the early 2000s, has since released several albums, with a peak of 47,000 sales in the first week of their 2010 album.
The Impact on Fans
This type of revelation highlights how much fans are engaged with the bands they love, how a band’s name can linger in the minds of fans, often without them realizing the roots of the band name. For example, 30% of music listeners consider themselves die-hard fans of artists (Statista, 2024).
These recent revelations reveal the connections between bands and fans. For The Killers, the name’s origin is a surprising detail that solidifies the band’s identity within the music industry and its ongoing influence on the music scene.
