With all the pressure that comes with starting a band, who has time to labor over a name? The following 11 musical groups decided to keep things simple and named their bands after places.

1. Alabama

One of the best-selling country music acts of the 1980s continues to hold ground as one of the most commercially successful music groups ever. The four-piece group, named for their home state, might be known to noncountry listeners via their hit "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)."

2. Boston

When their self-titled debut album was released in 1976, members of the rock 'n' roll band Boston had no idea how popular their progressive new sound would be. The record would become one of the best-selling debut albums in U.S. history, selling more than 17 million copies. Boston's distinctive sound can be heard in songs such as "More Than a Feelin'" and "Don't Look Back."

3. Chicago

When Chicago formed in 1967, they actually called themselves Chicago Transit Authority. Trouble was, that was the name of the, uh, Chicago Transit Authority. The powers that be didn't want any confusion about what was a rock band and what was a public transportation system, so they made the guys change their name. After becoming Chicago, hits such as "25 or 6 to 4" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" made the band a household name.

The band Chicago was originally named "Chicago Transit Authority."

4. The E Street Band

Named after a street in New Jersey, The E Street Band garnered major media attention while backing Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s, most notably on the Boss's mega-popular album Born in the U.S.A., which sold 15 million copies. But the band has played with many other musical giants since they formed in 1972, including Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Aretha Franklin.

5. Europe

Swedish band Europe had a big influence on the heavy metal, hair-band rock scene that was growing in the 1970s and 1980s. With hits such as "Carrie" and "The Final Countdown" these rockers have sold more than ten million albums worldwide and released a new album, Secret Society, in 2006.

On the next page, you will find six more bands named after places.

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