When an artist has an iconic name, it's tempting to use that name wherever possible, especially within the title of an album. Here are 10 albums that incorporate the artist's name without being simply self-titled.
1 & 2. Miles Davis - Miles Ahead/Milestones (1957/1958)
If your first name is Miles and you recorded nearly 50 studio albums over the course of your career, then there are bound to be at least a few "Miles" puns in there, such as two of Davis' albums from the '50s, Miles Ahead and Milestones.
3. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? (1967)
This is the sort of title that could have only been given to a debut album, because it also serves as a declaration of arrival, or even a challenge to the listener, who might not have been exposed to Hendrix's style of aggressively psychedelic guitar playing before.
4 & 5. The Who - Who's Next/Who Are You (1971/1978)
To be honest, it's surprising that the Who didn't abuse the obvious "who" puns more often. If anything, they should have gotten them out of their system at the start of their career in the mid-60s, but both Who's Next and Who Are You came during the band's more experimental and conceptual '70s period.
6. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
Black Sabbath weren't exactly geniuses when it came to lyrics, but they definitely knew a cool, dramatic title when they saw one. After opting out of an actual title for Black Sabbath Vol. 4, they came back the next year with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.
7. The Beat - Special Beat Service (1982)
The Beat had some trouble with their name back in the late '70s and early '80s, having to go by "The English Beat" outside of their native UK to avoid confusion with an American band also named The Beat, but great albums such as Special Beat Service assured their place in history as The Beat that everyone would remember.
8. Primal Scream - Screamadelica (1991)
Primal Scream's classic third album Screamadelica basically invented an entirely new genre with its blend of psychedelic rock and dance music, which is probably why they decided to title it with a word that sounds like a new genre.
9. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
White Blood Cells was the only time that the White Stripes ever incorporated their name into an album title (other than their self-titled debut), but when Redd Kross bassist Steven Shane MacDonald decided to record bass parts to the album and release them online, he cleverly re-titled it Redd Blood Cells.
10. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (2013)
Vampire Weekend's sunny, afropop-influenced indie rock has never really lived up to the "Vampire" half of their bizarre band name. The only time they've ever even acknowledged it is in the title to their most recent album Modern Vampires of the City, which again doesn't live up to the promise of vampires (hopefully Ryan Adams' upcoming Vampires EP will come through in that regard).
What are some other album titles that incorporate the band name? Let us know down in the comments section!
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