Time to solve the mysteries of life. The use of "the" in rock bandnames. Pretenders and Beatles can do without it. The The and The Who can't imo. Please submit cases that fall into an behind (Shins?) these classes for further investigation. Sometimes it feels that a band name is DELIBERATELY chosen to PREVENT the OMISSION of the the.

The-trapped:

The Who
The Fall
The The
The Band


Semi-trapped:

The Jam
The Rapture
The Move
The Roots
The Shins
The Orb
The Coral

When is it appropriate to skip the the?

What about The Hives?

The Smashing Pumpkins?
The Flaming Lips?
The Kinks?

And what about the Pixies?

tweeBlueboy vs novelty.clubbbbBlueboy...

read:

Blueboy.

and:

THE(!) Blueboy..