Band names starting with the letter “O” have undeniably impacted the musical landscape, from pioneering British rock to uncompromising metal to smooth electronic pop. Although there are not many bands that starts with ‘O’ but we have managed to find some great musical bands that impacted the masses with their undeniably greatest music.
This article explores the origins, iconic albums, and musical legacies of 10 diverse yet iconic bands whose names start with the underrated letter O. Despite coming from different backgrounds and genres, each of these bands has left an unforgotten mark on music history thanks to their memorable songs, sounds, and sensibilities.
| Band Name | Genre/Style | Most Iconic Album | Key Member(s) | Notable Songs |
| Oasis | Britpop | (What’s the Story) Morning Glory | Noel & Liam Gallagher | Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back in Anger, Champagne Supernova |
| Offspring | Punk Rock | Smash | Dexter Holland & Noodles | Come Out and Play, Self Esteem, Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) |
| Outkast | Hip Hop | Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | André 3000 & Big Boi | Ms. Jackson, Hey Ya!, The Way You Move |
| OneRepublic | Pop Rock | Waking Up | Ryan Tedder | Apologize, Counting Stars, I Lived |
| Of Monsters and Men | Indie Folk | My Head Is an Animal | Nanna Bryndís & Ragnar Þórhallsson | Little Talks, Mountain Sound, Crystals |
| Owl City | Synthpop | Ocean Eyes | Adam Young | Fireflies, Good Time, When Can I See You Again |
| Opeth | Progressive Metal | Blackwater Park | Mikael Åkerfeldt | Ghost of Perdition, The Drapery Falls, Deliverance |
| Ozzy Osbourne | Heavy Metal | Blizzard of Ozz | Ozzy Osbourne | Crazy Train, Mr. Crowley, No More Tears |
| Olly Murs | Pop | Never Been Better | Olly Murs | Troublemaker, Dance With Me Tonight, You Don’t Know Love |
| OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) | Synthpop | Architecture & Morality | Paul Humphreys & Andy McCluskey | Enola Gay, Electricity, If You Leave |
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10 Best Bands That Start With O
1. Oasis
Oasis rose to prominence in the early 90s Britpop era, led by the Gallagher brothers’ brash attitude and guitar-driven anthems. Their explosive 1994 debut Maybe became the fastest-selling debut in UK history. Oasis brought a renewed swagger to rock with Noel’s Beatles-esque songcraft and Liam’s Lennon-like snarl. Their legendary live shows such as back-to-back nights at Knebworth cemented their status as the biggest UK band since the Beatles.
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? sold 22 million copies with huge hits like “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Champagne Supernova.” Be Here Now continued their imperial phase. When their popularity dipped after 2000, they remained a commanding live act capable of headlining Glastonbury and major venues worldwide.
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Noel and Liam’s volatility boiled over publicly many times. After multiple lineup changes, the band imploded following a backstage fight where Liam smashed Noel’s guitar before a 2009 festival appearance. Though permanently estranged personally, their music remains hugely influential among UK bands today.
2. Offspring
Growing out of the vibrant southern California punk scene, The Offspring brought punk aggression into the mainstream with their 1994 breakthrough album Smash. Their sound had a widespread pop culture impact with punk tempos, metal guitars, and tongue-in-cheek humor. Smash has sold over 11 million copies worldwide.
Smash spawned the hit “Come Out and Play,” while later albums like Americana contained cheeky hits like “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)” and “Why Don’t You Get a Job?” Conspiracy of One produced radio staples like “Original Prankster.” Their longevity and continued touring make them one of punk rock’s most enduring bands.
The Offspring took punk/pop crossover into multi-platinum success, mixing punk tempos and metal riffs with catchy melodies and sarcastic, smartass lyrics. They proved punk could be playful, hook-driven fun while retaining its rebellious spirit. Their sound-influenced bands like Green Day and Blink-182 in the mainstream punk explosion.
3. Outkast
Outkast were trailblazers who made southern hip hop globally popular, blending funk, psychedelia, and Atlanta soul. Rappers Andre 3000 and Big Boi had an incredible musical chemistry, evidenced by six critically acclaimed albums. Songs like “Elevators (Me & You)” showed their creative storytelling and fluid rhymes.
Albums like ATLiens and Aquemini bent hip-hop rules with their funkadelic sampling and musical ambition. Crossover hits like “Ms. Jackson” and “The Way You Move” featuring Sleepy Brown blended hip hop with funk/pop perfectly. The diamond-selling Speakerboxxx/The Love Below made them the only rap group with an Album of the Year Grammy.
Outkast won Best New Rap Group at the 1995 Source Awards. Over their 20+ year career, they have won six Grammys and impacted hip-hop culture immensely. Both members also have successful solo work and side projects in film, fashion, and music production between occasional reunion shows.
4. OneRepublic
OneRepublic started out writing pop songs for artists like Timbaland before finding their success. Initially known for piano-driven adult pop songs like “Apologize” and “Stop and Stare,” their sound has evolved to embrace more synthesizers, vocal processing, and electronic dance influences. Through this growth, they’ve retained emotional vulnerability in their songwriting.
OneRepublic broke out internationally with their smash hit “Apologize,” later followed by popular singles like “Good Life,” “Counting Stars,” “If I Lose Myself,” “I Lived” and “I Ain’t Worried.” Ryan Tedder’s production and falsetto vocals have become staples of anthemic pop hits from Adele to Taylor Swift to U2.
OneRepublic’s polished production and positive lyrics earned them one of the most successful crossover pop/rock acts in the 2010s, appealing to multiple formats like Top 40, Hot AC, and Adult Top 40. Their music influenced much of the EDM-pop landscape and culture of motivational, aspirational themes.
5. Of Monsters and Men
Of Monsters and Men is a six-piece indie folk-pop band from Reykjavík who broke out internationally with their 2011 debut My Head Is an Animal, led by the single “Little Talks” which won Song of the Year at the Icelandic Music Awards.
Their debut album reached the top 20 across Europe, North America, and Australia, achieving platinum certifications in several countries. The album blended folk instrumentation like acoustic guitars and horns with male/female vocal harmonies and accessible, singalong melodies.
Of Monsters and Men takes inspiration from Nordic storytelling, personal lyrics centered on dreams and imagination, and elements of acoustic and arena rock while retaining a rustic, intimate indie folk sound true to their Icelandic heritage. Their hook-driven anthems connect widely.
6. Owl City
Owl City’s electronica project gained popularity initially through MySpace in the late 2000s. The music consisted of synth-pop layered with electronic effects and highly melodic hooks, shaped by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Adam Young. His shy persona contrasted with the extroverted dance music trends of the time.
Owl City’s breakout hit was “Fireflies” in 2009, a tender expression of insomnia that connected widely. Songs like “Good Time” with Carly Rae Jepsen and “When Can I See You Again” from Wreck it Ralph established his style of optimistic, emotive anthems accented by his gentle voice.
While remaining faithful to emotional synthpop, Owl City has incorporated more influences like EDM, dubstep, and orchestral flourishes over subsequent releases. The common thread is Adam Young’s intimate lyrics and soaring melodies creating a whimsical, optimistic world for fans to get lost in.
7. Opeth
Opeth is a pioneering progressive metal band from Sweden that uniquely combines extreme metal with mellow, beautiful passages influenced by 70s prog rock and folk. This dynamic contrast of brutal and serene has become their signature.
They began firmly rooted in extreme metal before expanding their palette. Albums like Still Life and Blackwater Park began bridging from their death metal origins into more progressive territory with longer songs and acoustic passages.
Watershed marked a clear transition toward progressive rock while retaining metal aggression. Their recent releases like Sorceress and In Cauda Venenum feature only clean vocals and explore 70s prog and jazz fusion while keeping their dynamic songwriting. After 30 years, Opeth remains dedicated to its creative evolution beyond metal genres.
8. Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne earned the name “Prince of Darkness” as the legendary frontman of heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath in the 1970s. His bizarre and transgressive behavior made him one of the most iconic figures in rock. Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to substance abuse issues.
After leaving Black Sabbath, Osbourne launched a massively successful solo career with guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads. Their albums Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman became metal classics, featuring Osbourne’s chilling vocals and Rhoads’ guitar skills on songs like “Crazy Train” and “Over the Mountain.”
Osbourne attracted controversy many times for acts like biting the head off a bat onstage. Yet his honest lyrics connected with millions of fans. The Osbournes reality show introduced Ozzy to a new generation before he returned to recording and touring the world annually with the solo band lineup he has led for over 35 years.
9. Olly Murs
Olly Murs finished runner-up on The X Factor in 2009 before rising to become one of the most successful male solo artists in the modern UK singles chart. He made a seamless transition from reality show contestant to accomplished recording artist across six albums. His music fusion of pop, soul, R&B, and hip-hop connected widely.
Murs has achieved multiple #1 UK hits like “Please Don’t Let Me Go,” “Heart Skips A Beat,” “Troublemaker,” “Dance With Me Tonight,” “You Don’t Know Love,” “Wrapped Up” and “Shine.” In 2017 he also had a #1 album with 24 Hrs. His music showcases his versatility and energetic performance persona along with consistent hitmaking skills.
While criticized early on for a perceived lack of depth, Murs has focused on developing his musicianship, songwriting skills, and style over several albums to be regarded as an authentic pop artist with his niche, while retaining his cheerful public persona as the “cheeky chappy” persona that endeared him to fans initially through reality TV.
10. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
OMD were pioneers in the electronic and synthpop genres of the late 70s/early 80s. Along with peers like Depeche Mode and The Human League, they helped expand pop music with synthesizers and drum machines, shaping the futuristic sounds that became common in techno/electronic artists.
Their 1981 album Architecture and Morality and its three classic singles “Souvenir,” “Joan of Arc,” and “Maid of Orleans” were especially influential. The album has appeared on several Best Albums of the 1980s lists from major UK music publications.
OMD’s melodic synth-based style emphasizing emotion over traditional instruments made them a critical inspiration for Pet Shop Boys, Radiohead, MGMT, and many other major artists exploring electronic pop music over the past 40 years. They were both hitmakers and sonic innovators.
bands starting from letter ‘O’: Conclusion
From Oasis’ Beatles-inspired Britpop to OMD’s synth-based innovation, the 10 bands profiled show the breadth of creativity possible from artists whose names start with O.
Though only one letter connects these disparate bands, each one pioneered new sounds or styles that influenced wider musical landscapes, for those wishing to discover phenomenal bands that might be hiding in plain sight, using an O name has proven to be a strong indicator of success across 50 years of diverse yet outstanding musical heritage.
