Have artist names been getting longer?
On Quora, someone asked the question: Are band names getting longer? To answer that question I used the Echo Nest API to get the top 500 artists for each five year window starting in 1950 and calculated the average name length for each of the artists.
The answer to the question as to whether artist names have been getting longer is a surprising No. The average length of artist names peaked in the period from 1955-1959. This was the age when bands were called 'XX and the YY' like Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony and Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Surprisingly, the era of the shortest names is 1990-1994 . The bands "... And you will know us by the trail of the dead" (1994) and "The Presidents of the United States of America" (1993) were really bucking the trend.
And the longest name, and my favorite is 2010's Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam .
Here's a chart showing the mean and maximum length over the years.
Overall Longest Names
Here are the longest artist names and their start year:
51 2010 Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam
48 1994 ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead
47 1967 Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band
46 1993 The Presidents of the United States of America
44 1959 Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony Orchestra
43 2000 Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine
43 1950 Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos
41 1981 Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra
39 1972 Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force
37 2010 Antoine Dodson & The Gregory Brothers
37 2005 Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
37 1999 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
36 1977 Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
36 1970 Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
36 1964 Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band
35 2010 RPA and the United Nations of Sound
35 2005 Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
35 1975 Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers
35 1959 Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
34 2010 Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
34 1978 Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft
34 1959 Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
33 2010 RPA & The United Nations Of Sound
33 1995 Robbie Williams And Jane Horrocks
33 1978 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
33 1974 George Thorogood & The Destroyers
33 1965 Big Brother & The Holding Company
33 1957 Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
33 1955 The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
32 2010 The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger
32 2007 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
32 2005 Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
32 1990 Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
32 1967 Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
32 1962 Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
32 1961 Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
32 1960 Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
32 1960 Astor Piazzolla & Kronos Quartet
32 1959 Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs
32 1954 The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
31 1992 Jools Holland And Stereophonics
31 1990 Armand van Helden's Sampleslaya
31 1977 Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung
31 1976 Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
31 1966 Nancy Sinatra And Lee Hazlewood
31 1964 Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson
31 1963 The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
31 1963 John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
31 1962 Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
31 1957 Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
31 1950 Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart
Longest Names by Year
1950 - 1954
Mean name length: 13.086
Median name length: 13
Longest name length: 43
Longest Names
43 Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos
32 The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
31 Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart
30 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
28 The Dutch Swing College Band
28 Le Mystère des voix Bulgares
28 James Carter & The Prisoners
27 Master Musicians of Jajouka
26 Los Guaracheros de Oriente
26 Los Corraleros De Majagual
24 The Dave Brubeck Quartet
24 The Charlie Daniels Band
24 Lee Andrews & The Hearts
24 Gladys Knight & The Pips
24 Dutch Swing College Band
23 Vieja Trova Santiaguera
23 The Oscar Peterson Trio
23 Johnny & The Hurricanes
22 The Sweet Inspirations
1955 - 1959
Mean name length: 13.486
Median name length: 12
Longest name length: 44
Longest Names
44 Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony Orchestra
35 Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
34 Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
33 The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
33 Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
32 Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs
31 Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
30 Van Mccoy & the Soul City Symp
30 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
30 Little Anthony & The Imperials
29 Van Morrison & The Chieftains
29 Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra
29 George Clinton and Parliament
29 Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
29 Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
28 John Fred & His Playboy Band
27 Rocio Durcal & Juan Gabriel
27 Paul Revere and The Raiders
27 Cliff Richard & The Shadows
27 Byron Lee & The Dragonaires
1960 - 1964
Mean name length: 13.18
Median name length: 12
Longest name length: 36
Longest Names
36 Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band
32 Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
32 Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
32 Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
32 Astor Piazzolla & Kronos Quartet
31 The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
31 Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
31 John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
31 Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson
29 Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs
29 Quicksilver Messenger Serv...
29 Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood
29 Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
29 La Arrolladora Banda El Limón
29 Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas
28 Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
28 El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico
27 Tommy James & The Shondells
27 Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs
27 Eric Burdon and the Animals
1965 - 1969
Mean name length: 12.688
Median name length: 12
Longest name length: 47
Longest Names
47 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band & Kris Kristofferson
47 Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band
33 Big Brother & The Holding Company
32 Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
31 Nancy Sinatra And Lee Hazlewood
29 Quicksilver Messenger Service
29 New Riders of the Purple Sage
28 The United States of America
28 Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
28 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
28 Creedence Clearwater Revival
27 The Flying Burrito Brothers
26 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
26 The Incredible String Band
24 The Chocolate Watch Band
24 The Allman Brothers Band
24 The 13th Floor Elevators
24 Country Joe and the Fish
23 Van der Graaf Generator
1970 - 1974
Mean name length: 12.276
Median name length: 12
Longest name length: 39
Longest Names
39 Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force
36 Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
33 George Thorogood & The Destroyers
30 Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
30 Grandmaster Flash & The Furiou
30 Elvis Costello & The Imposters
29 The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
29 England Dan & John Ford Coley
28 The Love Unlimited Orchestra
28 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
25 The Fabulous Thunderbirds
25 Premiata Forneria Marconi
25 Manfred Mann's Earth Band
24 The Marshall Tucker Band
24 Love Unlimited Orchestra
24 Kenny G & Lenny Williams
24 KC and The Sunshine Band
24 Electric Light Orchestra
24 Bachman-Turner Overdrive
1975 - 1979
Mean name length: 11.458
Median name length: 11
Longest name length: 36
Longest Names
36 Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
35 Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers
34 Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft
33 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
31 Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
31 Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung
27 Richard Hell & The Voidoids
27 Ian Dury and the Blockheads
26 Marius Müller-Westernhagen
25 Siouxsie and the Banshees
24 The Alan Parsons Project
24 Television Personalities
24 Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds
23 Prince & The Revolution
23 Os Paralamas do Sucesso
23 Evelyn "Champagne" King
22 Yellow Magic Orchestra
22 Michael Schenker Group
22 Martha and the Muffins
22 Leevi and the Leavings
1980 - 1984
Mean name length: 11.32
Median name length: 11
Longest name length: 41
Longest Names
41 Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra
29 Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
27 The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
27 Lloyd cole & the commotions
25 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
25 Frankie Goes to Hollywood
25 Fantastic Plastic Machine
25 Bruce Hornsby & The Range
24 The Jesus and Mary Chain
23 The Legendary Pink Dots
23 Juan Luis Guerra y 4.40
23 Everything but the Girl
23 Corrosion of Conformity
22 Fields of the Nephilim
22 Einstürzende Neubauten
21 Red Hot Chili Peppers
21 New Kids on the Block
21 Katrina and the Waves
20 They Might Be Giants
20 The Vaughan Brothers
1985 - 1989
Mean name length: 11.322
Median name length: 11
Longest name length: 29
Longest Names
29 Béla Fleck and The Flecktones
26 The Future Sound of London
25 Los Auténticos Decadentes
24 The James Taylor Quartet
23 Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
23 Boogie Down Productions
22 Manic Street Preachers
22 Die Fantastischen Vier
21 Toad the Wet Sprocket
21 The Smashing Pumpkins
21 The Innocence Mission
21 The Brand New Heavies
21 Steven Curtis Chapman
21 Mary Chapin Carpenter
21 Hootie & the Blowfish
21 Engenheiros do Hawaii
21 Donavon Frankenreiter
21 Compton's Most Wanted
20 Terence Trent D'Arby
20 Switchblade Symphony
1990 - 1994
Mean name length: 10.872
Median name length: 10
Longest name length: 48
Longest Names
48 ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead
46 The Presidents of the United States of America
32 Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
31 Jools Holland And Stereophonics
31 Armand van Helden's Sampleslaya
28 The Brian Jonestown Massacre
27 Godspeed You! Black Emperor
26 Chester Charles Bennington
25 Del tha Funkee Homosapien
24 Trans-Siberian Orchestra
24 Sixpence None the Richer
24 Rage Against the Machine
23 Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
23 Medeski Martin and Wood
23 John Michael Montgomery
23 G. Love & Special Sauce
22 Harry Gregson-Williams
22 Bonnie "Prince" Billie
21 The Chemical Brothers
1995 - 1999
Mean name length: 11.268
Median name length: 11
Longest name length: 38
Longest Names
38 Jessica Simpson duet with Marc Anthony
37 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
33 Robbie Williams And Jane Horrocks
29 Someone Still Loves You Boris
29 Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
28 Handsome Boy Modeling School
27 Ted Leo and The Pharmacists
27 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
25 The Dillinger Escape Plan
25 Supreme Beings of Leisure
24 The All-American Rejects
24 Mindless Self Indulgence
24 Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
23 The Cinematic Orchestra
23 The American Analog Set
23 Queens of the Stone Age
23 Flight of the Conchords
23 DaRude Vs Zombie Nation
23 Bullet for My Valentine
23 Buena Vista Social Club
2000 - 2004
Mean name length: 11.26
Median name length: 11
Longest name length: 43
Longest Names
43 Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine
26 The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
24 Architecture in Helsinki
23 The Boy Least Likely To
23 The Black Dahlia Murder
23 Scary Kids Scaring Kids
21 The Whitest Boy Alive
21 The Pigeon Detectives
21 Streetlight Manifesto
21 Death From Above 1979
20 The Secret Handshake
20 The Polyphonic Spree
20 Midnight Juggernauts
20 Manchester Orchestra
20 Funeral for a Friend
20 From Autumn to Ashes
20 Bring Me the Horizon
19 Theory of a Deadman
19 The Beautiful Girls
19 Secondhand Serenade
2005 - 2009
Mean name length: 12.118
Median name length: 11
Longest name length: 37
Longest Names
37 Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
32 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
32 Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
30 Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
29 You, Me, and Everyone We Know
29 The Good, the Bad & the Queen
27 dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip
27 The Rural Alberta Advantage
25 The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
25 Does It Offend You, Yeah?
24 The Tallest Man On Earth
24 The Airborne Toxic Event
24 Selena Gomez & The Scene
24 I Set My Friends on Fire
24 Forever the Sickest Kids
24 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
23 The Last Shadow Puppets
23 Reverend and The Makers
2010 - 2014
Mean name length: 11.658
Median name length: 11
Longest name length: 51
Longest Names
51 Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam
37 Antoine Dodson & The Gregory Brothers
35 RPA and the United Nations of Sound
34 Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
32 The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger
30 Destroy Rebuild Until God Show
27 Pussycat Dolls & Snoop Dogg
26 Rend Collective Experiment
25 Giorgos Alkaios & Friends
25 Frankie Rose and the Outs
25 Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
24 Unknown Mortal Orchestra
24 Den svenska björnstammen
24 California Swag District
24 A Pale Horse Named Death
23 Young Artists for Haiti
23 The Jet Age Of Tomorrow
23 Jessie and the Toy Boys
23 Black Country Communion