There’s nothing better than when two of your interests combine into one thing, and for me, that’s when movies and shows feature music as part of the story. That’s what drew me to Amazon Prime Video’s The Runarounds, which is one of those shows that ended so strongly, it was worth the binge (I still hope we get a second season, though). As a story, it’s nothing new or particularly fantastic, but the music from the eponymous band is infectious and so much fun to listen to.
That got me thinking about other fictional bands over the years, with nothing more than movies or television to give them life. What surprised me was how many truly great fake acts are out there, just waiting to be heard.
8
Spinal Tap—This Is Spinal Tap
Watch This is Spinal Tap on Xumo Play
It’s difficult to create a list like this and not include This is Spinal Tap, so why fight the urge? This mockumentary focuses on Spinal Tap, a heavy metal band that always likes to crank it up to 11. The film itself is very funny, and an influential example of how great a mockumentary can actually be. But what’s astounding is how great the music actually is.
Singles like “Big Bottom” and “Rock and Roll Creation” actually sound like they could have played on the radio in the ’80s, and you’ll find yourself wishing that this was an actual band that you could catch on tour every year. As it is, this fictional band does do limited shows, and a sequel film is set to be released on September 12, 2025. Time will tell if it can become one of the best movie sequels ever made, though.
7
Pink Slip—Freaky Friday
Watch Freaky Friday on Disney+
You might remember Freaky Friday more for its body-swapping concept and the hilarious performances of Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan than anything else, but I remember rocking out to the fictional band Pink Slip. Lohan’s character plays guitar in this fictional garage rock band, and it’s the exact kind of music you’d expect from a teenage band in the ’00s.
“Take Me Away” is the ultimate earworm of a song, and it still hits like a nostalgic truck today. The band even reunited for the sequel film, Freakier Friday, which was a fun little callback. I really miss the days when teenagers had bands in fictional media, which is probably why The Runarounds appealed to me so heavily. Now, if we could just bring skateboarding back, my younger self would be filled with joy.
6
Powerline—A Goofy Movie
Watch A Goofy Movie on Disney+
Okay, so maybe I’m stretching the definition of “band” here just a little bit, but hear me out. Anyone who remembers A Goofy Movie probably remembers the fictional mega pop star Powerline. The concert that Max (Jason Marsden) wants to attend is one of the big focal points of the entire plot, and honestly, I get why Max is so desperate to attend (romance aspirations aside).
Powerline’s song “Stand Out” has one of the most catchy choruses I have ever heard in a fictional song, and it still lives in my head to this day. And the performance near the conclusion of A Goofy Movie made me jealous that I, too, couldn’t be a cartoon existing in this fun and colorful world with such fun pop music. It’s not even a genre of music I usually enjoy, but I would be first in line for a real-life Powerline concert.
5
Stillwater—Almost Famous
Watch Almost Famous on Paramount+
As someone who grew up in a household that worshipped bands like Led Zeppelin and The Eagles, hearing the fictional Stillwater in Almost Famous for the first time was something that instantly resonated with me. Not only do I believe that this film is director and screenwriter Cameron Crowe’s crowning achievement as a filmmaker, but it truly captured the spirit of what it means to be in a band.
Not that it should surprise anyone. Crowe spent a lot of his formative years at Rolling Stone covering real-life bands just like Stillwater. But above anything else, this is a band that feels like it should exist in the real world, almost like it’s a forgotten relic of music that Crowe discovered himself, rather than something created for fiction. “Fever Dog” is a brilliant classic rock jam, and one that I go back to on Spotify, regardless of whether I’ve seen Almost Famous recently or not.
4
Mouse Rat—Parks and Recreation
Watch Parks and Recreation on Peacock
Who could forget the brilliant Mouse Rat from Parks and Recreation? Fronted by Chris Pratt’s character Andy Dwyer, Mouse Rat is sillier than it is anything else. And yet, I bet if you fall into a pit anytime soon, the first song that might pop into your head is “The Pit.” Even in the world of fiction, an award-winning band Mouse Rat is not, but they’re just goofy enough to fit perfectly into the world of Parks and Recreation.
Mouse Rat’s crowning achievement in the show is the performance of “5000 Candles in the Wind,” a tribute to the late mini-horse Li’l Sebastian. For as ridiculous as the lyrics are, it’s actually an emotionally heavy song in its own way. And say what you want, but the boys in Mouse Rat can write a catchy hook if nothing else.
3
The Blues Brothers
Watch The Blues Brothers on Netflix
Perhaps no other fictional band on this list has as much of a storied history and pedigree as the eponymous band from The Blues Brothers. Created by legendary comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi during their time on Saturday Night Live, the Blues Brothers evolved into a film released in 1980. While it didn’t win over every critic out there, it became a massive financial success and was praised for its energetic musical numbers.
This fictional band continues even today, with Aykroyd still very much involved. After the death of Belushi, other comedians like Jim Belushi and John Goodman stepped in, but that original line-up remains the most legendary. The band covered a lot of truly seminal blues songs from past eras, but one of my favorites from that original film is their cover of “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love.”
2
Soggy Bottom Boys—O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Watch O Brother, Where Art Thou? on Hulu
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is perfect for those looking to add some catchy folk music into their life. Starring George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson as three escaped convicts who form the Soggy Bottom Boys, a folk band. Now, unlike a lot of the films on this list, the actors themselves don’t actually sing the music, as their voices are dubbed over by actual musicians.
But don’t let that stop you from finding something to love here, because the Soggy Bottom Boys are a lot of fun. “Man of Constant Sorrow” is one of the catchiest earworm songs ever put on film, and it fits perfectly with the film’s aesthetic. Also, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is just genuinely a hilariously fun movie that has all the style you’d expect from a Coen Brothers film (Joel Coen solo directs this one, though both brothers wrote the screenplay).
1
Crucial Taunt—Wayne’s World
Watch Wayne’s World on Netflix
Wayne’s World may just be a silly little comedy about a couple of lovable doofuses who love rock and roll (and is based on the Saturday Night Live sketches), but at the center of the film is actually a pretty talented fictional band in Crucial Taunt. Led by co-star Tia Carrere, Crucial Taunt brings some infectious rock tunes that actually sound like a band that could make it big.
One of my favorite moments in Wayne’s World is when Crucial Taunt does a cover of “Ballroom Blitz” near the conclusion of the film. It’s upbeat, fun, and fits in perfectly with the narrative elements playing beneath it. As a kid watching this film, I often found myself wishing Crucial Taunt was an actual band with a big discography of songs to blast on my stereo.
Fictional bands can help make a fake world feel lived in
Not every film or show needs a fictional band filling the airwaves, but something about it makes a fake world feel much more alive to me. And these bands are almost like a time capsule that captures the time period these films and shows were made in. Speaking of lived-in fictional worlds, if you’re looking for sitcoms to watch that will never get boring, these might be for you.
