Name That Flip: 26 Opposite Bands

[B] The White Stripes | Black flips to white, dots to stripes. Jack and Meg’s Detroit duo kept a red, white, black look. “Seven Nation Army” became the world’s favorite sports chant.

[A] Panic! at the Disco | Relax turns to panic, library swaps with disco. Brendon Urie launched from Vegas. Debut album mixed cabaret and pop punk. The exclamation mark is part of the name.

[B] The Go-Gos | Stay becomes go. The Go-Go’s were a self-contained LA group. They wrote and played their hits. Beauty and the Beat hit number one in 1982.

[C] Yeah Yeah Yeahs | No no nos answers with yeah yeah yeahs. Karen O led New York’s arty noise into clubs and festivals. Try “Maps” for tender fire and “Heads Will Roll” for mayhem.

[A] Talking Heads | Silent tails hints at talking heads. David Byrne’s art school crew fused funk, polyrhythms, and nervous poetry. Start with “Once in a Lifetime” and “Psycho Killer.”

[D] Men Without Hats | Women with shoes flips cleanly to men without hats. Canadian synth pop delivered “The Safety Dance.” That medieval video helped MTV audiences remember the name instantly.

[B] Live | Recorded is the opposite of live. York, Pennsylvania band pushed spiritual rock anthems. “Lightning Crashes” and “I Alone” turned mid 1990s radio into sing along sermons.

[C] Spoon | Fork points you to Spoon. Austin stalwarts favor tight grooves and space. Britt Daniel’s rasp and precise drums make small ideas hit hard.

[A] Fall Out Boy | Spring in girl inverts to fall out boy. Chicago quartet married emo drama with giant hooks. Early singles had parentheses and unforgettable earworms.

[D] Death Cab for Cutie | Life bus for ugly becomes death cab for cutie. Ben Gibbard’s soft storytelling made long distance ache. Hear “Transatlanticism” for patient build and huge feelings.

[D] My Chemical Romance | Your organic tragedy contrasts with my chemical romance. The band staged comic book melodrama. The Black Parade turned grief into spectacle and arena singalongs.

[A] Green Day | Red night points to green day. Three Bay Area punks crashed 1994 with Dookie, then rebooted as political theater on American Idiot. Power chords, sharper aims.

[B] Silversun Pickups | Goldmoon drops nudges toward silversun pickups. Fuzzy guitars swell from whisper to blast on “Lazy Eye.” Shoegaze colors, radio sized choruses.

[C] Queen | King naturally pairs with Queen. Freddie Mercury’s operatic range and Brian May’s homemade guitar built stadium folklore. Try the claps of “We Will Rock You.”

[B] Twisted Sister | Straight brother reads as twisted sister. Dee Snider fronted playful defiance. “We’re Not Gonna Take It” made detention feel like a music video.

[A] Poison | Antidote points straight at poison. Glam metal gloss, giant hooks, and one legendary ballad. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” ruled late night call in shows.

[C] Boyz II Men | Girls from women reverses to Boyz II Men. Philadelphia harmonies dominated the 1990s. “End of the Road” and “One Sweet Day” set Billboard records.

[D] Nirvana | Samsara contrasts nirvana in Buddhist terms. The Seattle scene broke global with “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Loud guitars, sticky melodies, cultural reset.

[D] The Doors | Windows suggest doors. Jim Morrison’s baritone and Ray Manzarek’s organ defined hypnotic rock. Light My Fire introduced extended solos to radio listeners.

[A] Rush | Dawdle leads to rush. Canada’s trio loved odd meters and sci fi lyrics. Drummers test themselves on “Tom Sawyer” and “YYZ.”

[B] Foreigner | Native implies foreigner. Anglo American lineup chased sleek radio hooks. Power ballad “I Want to Know What Love Is” brought a choir and chills.

[C] Badly Drawn Boy | Well painted girl flips to badly drawn boy. Damon Gough won the Mercury Prize. The About a Boy soundtrack pairs gentle tunes with big emotions.

[A] The Wallflowers | Floorweeds steer you to wallflowers. Jakob Dylan balanced heartland guitars and 90s polish. “One Headlight” idled forever on rock radio.

[C] Barenaked Ladies | Clothed gentlemen points cheekily at Barenaked Ladies. Canadian pop wizards cram jokes and tight musicianship together. “One Week” name checks everything and still grooves.

[D] Survivor | Casualty lines up with survivor. The band wrote Eye of the Tiger for Rocky III. Those punchy chords fuel workouts and movie montages.

[B] The Police | Criminals meet their opposite, the police. Sting’s trio mixed reggae rhythms with new wave polish. “Roxanne” warned about bad choices while staying catchy.