Great Bands That Don't Exist

Fictional bands from films that we wish were real

Spinal Tap. MCA

One thing that can make a movie great is a great soundtrack. The music can set a film in a particular place and time and preserve the era's zeitgeist. Some movies, such as the 1995 Empire Records, fit the 1990s era with indie rock and grunge songs. Other films, like Dazed and Confused, provide nostalgia, as the 1993 film set in 1976 features a classic rock soundtrack.

Then there are films with great soundtracks, but some of the songs feature a band that does not exist. The film may center on a fictional band or musician, or the band may be part of the plot. A few songs may make it on the soundtrack, and sometimes the actors are even the musicians.

In some cases, the fictional band is so good that the audience wishes it were real. A single track might become a popular favorite, and in some cases, can be a career boost for the real musician behind the fiction. Or it might launch a music career for one of the film's stars.

The following is a list of some of the best songs by fictional bands. Some of these songs are classics in their own right. And some of them become a reason to rewatch the film, even if the movie itself isn't all that great.

Stillwater (Almost Famous, 2000)

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The Cameron Crowe film Almost Famous is a fictionalized account of his own time as a teenage writer for Rolling Stone magazine. In the movie, our main character, William Miller, tours the country with the popular band Stillwater in an attempt to get a story for the famous magazine.

The film encapsulates the world of a touring rock band in the 1970s, on the cusp of greatness but not quite there yet. There is plenty of sex, drugs, and especially rock & roll. The soundtrack includes plenty of hits from the decade that help set the film's mood, but some of the best tracks come from the concert scenes with Stillwater.

One of the best of these songs is "Fever Dog". The music, like many of the Stillwater tracks, was written by Nancy Wilson (of Heart) and Peter Frampton. Having these two stars of the era write the music gives the song an authentic 1970s vibe, reminiscent of a Led Zeppelin hit.

While Jason Lee (Jeff Bebe) and Billy Crudup (Russell Hammond) portray the charismatic lead singer and guitarist of the band, they did not bring their own musical talents to the band. Instead, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready played lead guitar, and singer/songwriter Marti Frederiksen provided vocals. Rounding out the band is Nancy Wilson on rhythm guitar, Ben Smith on drums, and Jon Bayless on bass.

Spinal Tap (This Is Spinal Tap, 1984)

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If we are going to talk about fake bands and great music, we have to discuss the excellent mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap! The 1984 film, directed by the late Rob Riener, is a classic not only for the mockumentary genre but for comedy itself.

The film follows the fictional band Spinal Tap as they embark on a tour of the United States. The core band includes singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), as well as keyboardist Viv Savage (David Kaff) and a rotating list of drummers.

The film is full of gags that show the difficulties of being a band as well as the eccentric personalities of its members. Intercut with these behind-the-scenes moments is footage of the band performing live. There is "archival" footage of the band's early days as well.

The film's soundtrack is actually a whole album of Spinal Tap songs. The actors are talented musicians in real life, and wrote and performed all the songs on the album. They also made live performances on shows like SNL, playing Spinal Tap songs.

There are plenty of great songs to choose from, but I had to go with "Big Bottom". It's a perfect parody of British Heavy metal and pays tribute to the raunchy rock songs that declare their favorite parts of the female anatomy.

The Wonders (That Thing You Do!, 1996)

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In 1996, Tom Hanks wrote, directed, and starred in That Thing You Do!, an homage to 1960s rock culture. The film follows the rise and fall of the band, The Wonders (originally the "Onders" but changed because people kept calling them the "Oh-needers"). They go from playing high school dances to the Billboard charts before imploding, much like many one-hit wonders.

The band's hit and title track, "That Thing You Do," sounds like a classic Beatles song. It has a danceable rhythm, and after a couple of listens, you will likely be singing or at least humming along. The late Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger wrote the song. He and Tom Hanks wrote most of the film's music. Mike Viola of the Candy Butchers provided the lead vocals of the Wonders on the recordings.

The Wonders are played by actors Tom Everett Scott, Johnathon Schaech, Ethan Embry, and Steve Zahn, and of the four, Zahn and Embry had experience playing guitar and bass. The actors spent weeks learning and practicing performing as a group. They got so good that extras thought they were actually performing live rather than playing along to a recording.

Powerline (A Goofy Movie, 1995)

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A Goofy Movie is a Disney classic. Everyone's favorite cartoon dog attempts to take a father-son summer road trip with his son, Max. The attempted bonding experience hits many bumps in the road, especially when Max would rather spend the summer with his friends and wooing Roxanne.

A major plotline in the film is that Max wants Roxanne to join him for a viewing of pop star Powerline's concert in Los Angeles. He wins her over and his classmates with a lip-syncing version of one of Powerline's songs at a school assembly. While it gets him in trouble with the principal, he becomes a hero to his peers.

Powerline is based on 1990s pop stars such as Michael Jackson and Prince. The film features two songs by the fictional performer, "Standout" and "I2I". Both are catchy pop songs that could easily have been radio hits in the 1990s.

1990s R&B star Tevin Campbell provided the singing voice of Powerline. Hailed as Prince's protege, he had a successful career during the 1990s. While he may not be as popular as he once was, Campbell still performs and makes music today. He can also claim to be the voice of an iconic character in Disney films.

Crucial Taunt (Wayne's World, 1992)

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Wayne's World is a classic 1990s comedy. Based on the successful SNL sketch, the film follows Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) as they lead their slacker lives in Aurora, Illinois. Things change when a local network buys its cable access show, and the hijinks begin.

A central plot point in the film is Wayne's relationship with Cassandra (Tia Carrere), the beautiful bassist and lead singer of the band Crucial Taunt. Their relationship takes a turn when he suspects her of cheating on him with sleazily, producer Benjamin (Rob Lowe).

Throughout the film, we see Crucial Taunt perform several songs. Carrere is an accomplished musician and had actually released a few albums before her acting career took off. She performed her own vocals on all of the band's songs, including the famous cover of Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz".

The Cruisers (Eddie & The Cruisers, 1983)

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The 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers is pretty forgettable. It was a box office bomb and currently has a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If you haven't seen it, you're not really missing much.

The film centers on a news reporter investigating the disappearance of singer Eddie Wilson (Michael Paré). He was the lead singer of the 1960s pop band Eddie and the Cruisers, and the film shows flashbacks of Eddie's life and the rise and fall of the Cruisers. The fake documentary features interviews with the band members about the issues that often arise with bands.

So, if the film is so bad, why include it on this list? Because of one song. The single that sends the band into stardom is "On The Dark Side". It sounds like a classic rock anthem, with elements of heartland rock, like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp.

While the film tanked in the box office, it was shown on HBO's rotation in 1984. The song gained a cult following and became a radio hit. John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band performed the song. The only member of the band to appear in the film was saxophonist Michael Antunes, as the rest of the Cruisers were not musicians.

Steel Dragon (Rockstar, 2001)

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By 2001, Mark Walhburg had transitioned from a hip hop star in the early 1990s to a credible actor. He blended both his love for music and acting into the film Rockstar. The film, set in the heyday of 1980s hair metal, follows Chris "Izzy" Cole as he moves from cover-band singer to the new lead singer of Steel Dragon.

The film is loosely based on the story of Tim "Ripper" Owens, who sang in a Judas Priest cover band before taking over for the actual band when Rob Halford temporarily left the group. When Steel Dragon fires their lead singer, Chris is picked to take over lead vocals. He soon realizes the way to rock and roll heaven is paved in hell.

The film features several songs by Steel Dragon, including the power ballad "We All Die Young". Walhburg does not provide his own vocals on the song. Instead, Steelheart frontman Miljenko Matijevic and Brian Vander Ark of the Verve Pipe do the honors for the soundtrack. The rest of Steel Dragon consisted of musicians Jeff Pilson, Zakk Wylde, Dominic West, and Jason Bonham.

Rockstar had a mixed reception, with some enjoying the rock comedy and others finding it relied too heavily on rock clichés. Still, the soundtrack includes some great Steel Dragon songs that could have easily been ripped from the 1980s metal scene.

Conclusion

A great soundtrack can elevate a movie. In some cases, it can make a forgettable film memorable. And some mfilm include songs by bands that don't really exist, but we wish they did so that we could hear more of their music.

There are plenty more films with fictional bands. Which band/movie would you put on your list?