20 of the Best Fictional Bands in Movies and TV, From Spinal Tap to Josie and the Pussycats

“The Partridge Family” (1970-1974)

How do you say no to a show with a theme song that begs you to “Come On, Get Happy?” At the start of the Me decade, “The Partridge Family” was a clean-cut, folksy show about a large family who became accidental pop stars when a widowed suburbanite mom stepped up to the mic in the garage one day. The half-hour series was loosely inspired by the real-life story of the Cowsills, who had hits with “I Love the Flower Girl” and “The Rain, the Park and Other Things” in the late 1960s. In Partridge-land, mom Shirley and siblings Keith, Laurie, Danny, Christopher and Tracy had to grapple with balancing their on-stage duties and touring the country in a garishly colored bus with typical teen and pre-teen angst storylines.

Behind the scenes, there was notorious tension between the star, Oscar winner Shirley Jones, and her real-life stepson David Cassidy, who scored a massive “Partridge”-boosted hit with “I Think I Love You” in 1970. And actor David Madden set the tone for the pushy music manager in pop culture with his portrayal of the ever-agitated Reuben Kinkaid. Like “The Brady Bunch,” “Partridge Family” reruns ran for years in syndication, which cemented the faux family outfit’s place in the hearts of Gen-Xers.

— Cynthia Littleton

‘The Blues Brothers’ (1980)

The John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd team-up originated on “Saturday Night Live” as a bit (in bee suits) but they honed their performance, and iconic black suits and fedoras, on and off the screen. These characters would shape into “Joliet” Jake Blues (Belushi ) and his brother Ellwood (Aykroyd). The band sparked a screenplay penned by Aykroyd and directed by John Landis for the 1980 musical comedy “The Blues Brothers.” The story was a classic “getting the band back together” fable, only the exciting twist was the Blues Brothers gang was made up entirely of famous soul and blues artists including Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Alan “Mr. Fabulous” Rubin, Blue Lou Marini, Murphy “Murph” Dunne, Steve “The Colonel” Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Willie “Too Big” Hall and Tom “Bones” Malone. And the show-stopping cameos didn’t stop there — James Brown, Chaka Khan, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles all performed, creating one of the best soundtracks in the history of film. The band was a celebration of jazz, soul, pop, blues and all music genres. 

– Meredith Woerner

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains” (1982)

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains” first caught on with viewers of the early ‘80s music show “Night Flight,” then it went on to become a cult curio admired by the next generation of female punk musicians in the Riot Grrrl movement. Teenaged Laura Dern and Diane Lane, adorable in their new wave get-ups, are members of the extremely amateur garage band the Fabulous Stains, who improbably rise to stardom. Directed by music entrepreneur Lou Adler and co-starring members of the Sex Pistols, “The Fabulous Stains” had a solid song with “Profesionals” and the ingredients for a great rock movie, but Adler’s desire to tone down the girl power message led to the screenwriter exiting the movie and taking her name off it. After it was shelved for two years, Adler put a new ending on, and it slowly made its way to cable TV, repertory screenings and eventually home video.

–- Pat Saperstein

“Eddie and the Cruisers” (1983)

I don’t know how many times I watched “Eddie and the Cruisers” on HBO — the number may actually be incalculable. However, I can tell you that the “Citizen Kane”-like (ha!) investigative story, directed by Martin Davidson — about a fictional New Jersey band led by a brooding, Jim Morrison-like singer (Michael Paré), who seemingly died in a car crash, leaving behind a lost, legendary album — spoke to my angsty, teenaged soul. And the music, written and performed by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, was genuinely good, and the soundtrack would, probably because of HBO kids like me, eventually go quadruple platinum (“On the Dark Side,” the soundtrack’s single, even cracked Billboard’s Top 10).

Until writing this entry, and reading up on the film’s history, I had no idea how hard-won its cult status was for Davidson (and why it was on HBO so much). For me, it’s one of those random movies that I just happened to see a million times, and so it became a touchstone for me: It’s why I always rooted for its co-star Tom Berenger, who played the band’s lyricist; it’s when I first saw future “Sopranos” star Joe “Pants” Pantoliano and, hilariously, how I first heard of the 19th-century French poet Arthur Rimbaud (whose work inspires Eddie to write the lost album).

— Kate Aurthur

Spın̈al Tap from “This Is Spinal Tap” (1984)

Even before the 1984 cult hit film “This Is Spinal Tap,” there was Spinal Tap, the band, renowned as “one of England’s loudest bands.” Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean played, respectively, band members Derek Smalls, Nigel Tufnel and David St. Hubbins, an overblown, pretentious and hilarious trio of hair-metal rockers. They first appeared on Rob Reiner’s “The T.V. Show,” and then Reiner went on to direct them in the pioneering mockumentary feature that spawned numerous memes like Tufnel’s amp that is so loud “it goes to 11.” In a nod to some notable rock drummers who died prematurely, Spinal Tap’s 18 drummers all met gruesome fates such as spontaneously combusting. Spinal Tap turned out to be one of the most long-lived fictional bands, playing concert gigs more than three decades after they formed, with a long-rumored sequel film planned for 2024.

The Beets from “Doug” (1991-1994)

“Doug” was a sensitive cartoon about an endearingly average young boy who spends plenty of time daydreaming about his favorite rockers, The Beets. The Beatles-inspired group released several anthems that burrowed deep into the brains of millennial fans, including “I Need Mo’ Allowance” and “Shout Your Lungs Out.” But the songwriting and performances were strong enough to help the tunes stand on their own beyond the show. Notably, The Beets’ most impactful single, “Killer Tofu,” perfects an anthemic Oasis sound and, frankly, does it better than anything on the real-life group’s final album, “Dig Out Your Soul.” Plus, The Beets had serious style, from their onstage moves to costumes and punky hairstyles.

— William Earl

Crucial Taunt from “Wayne’s World” (1992)

“Wayne’s World” is one of the funniest rock movies ever, and Crucial Taunt is a fake band epic enough to have musical moments that stand alongside classics from acts like Queen and Alice Cooper. The group is led by Cassandra (Tia Carrere), the dream woman of Wayne (Mike Myers), and the actress’ real voice gives the songs a big edge. Their covers — including “Ballroom Blitz,” “Fire” and “Touch Me” — have a dirty hair metal groove, and Carrere can, in the words of Wayne, really wail. In fact, Carrere is so at home in the role as a dynamic frontwoman that it’s a shame these rockers never tested the water by releasing a full album.

— William Earl

Stillwater from “Almost Famous” (2000)

When aspiring young journalist William Miller, played by Patrick Fugit, wants to break into Rolling Stone with a band profile, he wisely sets his sights on interviewing Stillwater – they’re not exactly Black Sabbath, but they’re perfect for the budding rock journalist to cut his teeth on. An extravagantly-mustached Billy Crudup is the guitarist and Jason Lee the lead singer of Stillwater, ur-70s rockers in the vein of Aerosmith. They play straight-up, blues-tinged good old American rock ‘n’ roll and expect a fair amount of adulation from groupies and journalists alike.

Miller, whose story is based on director Cameron Crowe’s early years, grows up fast when he goes on tour with Stillwater, watching them experience all the debauchery and inebriation the era calls for, but for all his swagger, Crudup’s Russell Hammond functions as a sort of protective older brother to Miller, even breaking down and giving him a good interview in the end. Stillwater’s songs were written by Crowe and his then-wife, Heart’s Nancy Wilson, and by Peter Frampton, with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready playing guitar, so Stillwater makes a convincing case for being a real, if not groundbreaking, 1970s rock band that nonetheless pales behind the film’s stellar lineup of soundtrack tunes by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Elton John.

– Pat Saperstein

“Josie and the Pussycats” (2001)

What started as a band introduced in a 1960s comic and ’70s animated series eventually led to a movie. In 2001, “Josie and the Pussycats” featured Rosario Dawson as Valerie, Tara Reid as Melody and Rachael Leigh Cook as Josie. Not only was it three best friends, but it was also three women who proved a rock band didn’t have to look like Blink-182. Sure, they wore cat ears but that didn’t mean they were a band for kids or just for little girls. Plus, Letters to Cleo frontwoman Kay Hanley lent her vocals for the tracks. To this day, the soundtrack still works.

— Emily Longeretta

Pink Slip from “Freaky Friday” (2003)

Is there a fictional band cooler than Pink Slip from body-switch classic “Freaky Friday”? With a simple yet sexy name and peak Lindsay Lohan as its spunky lead guitarist, it’s safe to say fans of the 2003 film all wish Pink Slip was real. Not to mention the band’s grunge-rock banger “Take Me Away,” which was covered for the film by Christina Vidal, who plays lead singer Maddie (the original song was written by Australian alt-rock band Lash). With a thumping bass line and killer guitar solo (hilariously executed by Jamie Lee Curtis via Lohan’s body during the band’s Wango Tango audition), it’s no wonder the song experienced a recent resurgence on TikTok – it’s that damn good.

—  Ellise Shafer

“The Cheetah Girls” (2003-2008)

Alright, I realize the Cheetah Girls may have crossed the line from fictional into a real girl group considering they actually went on tour. The band was initially illustrated in Deborah Gregory’s “The Cheetah Girls” book series, later being adapted into the Disney TV movie “The Cheetah Girls” (2003) with sequels “The Cheetah Girls 2” (2006) and “The Cheetah Girls: One World” (2008). With sisters Galleria “Bubbles” Garibaldi (Raven-Symoné), Chanel “Chuchie” Simmons (Adrienne Bailon), Aquanette “Aqua” Walker (Kiely Williams) and Dorinda “Do” Thomas (Sabrina Bryan), the Cheetah Girls were an essential part of my childhood. The Cheetah Girls were right, sometimes “you gotta strut like you mean it, free your mind.” By the way, “Cheetah-Licious Christmas” is a holiday essential.
— Julia MacCary

“Rebelde” (2004 – Present Day)

Today, Rebelde (Rebel) is recognized as a nostalgic touchstone of Spanish-language pop culture — and as one of the top-selling Latin music acts — but when the world first met the sextet, they were a fictional pop group on the Televisa network. While the Mexican telenovela (soap opera) only ran for three seasons, the band — comprised of preppy-punk boarding students — achieved the type of career-launching international success that far outlasted their breakup in 2009 and demanded they return 15 years after their farewell tour. The group’s biggest singles are the theme song, “Rebelde,” and the angsty love song, “Sálvame,” which fans of all generations were finally able to enjoy when it arrived on streaming in 2020. Some songs have drama and fashion-filled visual treatments that are pulled directly from the show, while others shine with that early ’00s music video glow.

— Thania Garcia

Dewey Cox from “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” (2007)

This cult favorite that lampoons rock biopics stars John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox, a Johnny Cash sendup who dabbles in many classic musical styles. The titular Cash-esque anthem is the soundtrack’s calling card, but there’s an impressive depth to the songwriting which extends beyond mimicry. Reilly’s genuinely moving “A Life Without You (Is No Life at All)” nods to Roy Orbison, while the weepy country anthem “Beautiful Ride” would fit comfortably on a Willie Nelson record. Even the more explicitly comedic tunes sound great, such as the verbose Dylan gag “Royal Jelly” and protest song “Dear Mr. President.” Though some parody films have slapdash elements, Dewey Cox’s songs were handled with care.

— William Earl

Love Händel from “Phineas & Ferb” (2007)

“Love Händel” isn’t the only edgy subliminal wordplay to make it into “Phineas and Ferb,” but kudos to creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh for nonetheless sneaking that in. It truly is the perfect band name for the washed-up glam metal/hair band, who reunite thanks to Phineas and Ferb after infighting had led the band to split up. Known for their hits like “You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart,” “Robot Riot,” “Giant 3-D Scrapbook” and “Regular Sized Scrapbook,” Love Händel appears in at least 12 episodes, and also showed up on “Milo Murphy’s Law,” the follow-up series from Povenmire and Marsh that also took place in the Tri-State Area.

— Michael Schneider

Sex Bob-Omb from “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” (2010)

There’s no denying the impact of that opening line: “We are Sex Bob-Omb,” followed by the crash of cymbal and fuzzy guitars. In this comic-book adaptation, the whole soundtrack sticks out as a gem with the alluring madness of the Sex Bob-Ombs vibrating in songs like “Garbarge Truck” and “Threshold.” All of the band’s songs were written by Beck, who handled instrumentation, while actors Allison Pill (Kim Pine), Mark Webber (Stephen Stills), and of course Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim), filled in vocals. We also have to give Brie Larson and Metric their flowers for the beloved “Black Sheep,” which plays just as Scott Pilgrim faces Ramona Flowers’ third evil ex at the crux of the cult classic.

— Thania Garcia

“Lemonade Mouth” (2011)

What would happen if five high school students got stuck in detention? They would form a killer band, of course. Based on Mark Peter Hughes’ novel, “Lemonade Mouth” (2011) was a Disney musical hit following in the footsteps of the “High School Musical” and “Camp Rock” franchises. The band had some star power with its cast of Bridgit Mendler, Hayley Kiyoko, Adam Hicks, Naomi Scott and Blake Michael. Mendler later released hits “Ready or Not” and “Hurricane” on her album “Hello My Name Is…” in 2012. Kiyoko became an LGBTQ icon with songs like “Girls Like Girls” and her most recent album “Panorama.” Like the other bands on this list, what sets Lemonade Mouth apart and lets them withstand the test of time is that they had some really good songs – and “Determinate” and “She’s So Gone” still make appearances on TikTok.

— Julia MacCary

Sev’ral Timez from “Gravity Falls” (2012-2016)

They’re non-threatening! Several Timez pops up on “Gravity Falls” as one of Mabel’s favorite boy bands. But when the group visits town, Mabel and her pals discover that the five band members were actually genetically cloned to make the perfect boy band. The group — made up of Creggy G., Creggy C., Leggy P., Chubby Z. and Deep Chris — are kept in cages between shows by their mercurial manager, Ergman Bratsman. (Among the voices behind the characters: Real boy bander Lance Bass.) Mabel eventually helps free the boys, and they scamper off into the Gravity Falls forest. 2013!

— Michael Schneider

Boyz4Now from “Bobs Burgers” (2013)

As uber-fan Tina Belcher says, “They wanted fewer than 3,000 words, about this boy band, but whatever.” Boys4Now — Allen, Boo Boo, Griffin and Matt — are Tina’s favorite band but the whole Belcher family is interested in the quartet. The group makes its first appearance in Season 3 when Tina is supposed to go to a concert with her Aunt Gayle. In an episode that spoofs Zayn Malik’s departure from One Direction, Boo Boo leaves the band and then returns, catching little Louise’s eye at the “audition” for a fourth singer. The band’s name is clearly a riff on Boyz II Men. Among the band’s top songs are “I Love You So Much (It’s Scary),” along with “Coal Mine,” and “(I Wanna Hear Your) Secrets.”

– Shalini Dore

Sing Street from “Sing Street” (2016)

Who among us hasn’t started a band to impress a girl? When, in 1985 Dublin, Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) becomes enamored by aspiring model Raphina (Lucy Boynton), he offers her a role in his band’s next music video. The only problem: Conor doesn’t have a band. So he recruits a handful of other misfits at his strict Christian school and forms Sing Street, a glammed-up rock band inspired by everyone from Duran Duran to the Cure, depending on the week. As the band picks up speed, so does Conor’s relationship with Raphina. The bandleader also recruits his high school bully as the group’s bodyguard, and rebels against the cruel principal with the protest song “Brown Shoes.” John Carney’s third music-centered movie features a tear-jerking, heartwarming ending and a stack of ‘80s-set songs so good they feel real.

— Ethan Shanfeld

4*TOWN from “Turning Red” (2022)

This boy band is essential to Meilin “Mei” Lee’s (Rosalie Chiang) and her adolescent friends in Domee Shi’s animated feature, “Turning Red.” Voiced by Jordan Fisher, Finneas O’Connell, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, and Grayson Villanueva, their songs, “U Know What’s Up,” “1 True Love,” and “Nobody Like U,” are the epitome of teen pop. Their flavor is very much in tune with bands from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

It wasn’t just Mei and her friends who fell in love with 4*Town, audiences did too. And while some wondered if they were real, some also wondered if the band would put on a concert.

And the geniuses behind the songwriting magic? They were none other than Finneas and his sister, Billie Eilish.

– Jazz Tangcay