Just because a band or artist doesn’t actually exist in real life doesn’t mean they can’t make great music. Films are full of fictional musicians whose songs are sometimes so catchy that they reach the actual charts. Really, this isn’t all that surprising, considering these songs are often penned by successful musicians.
To qualify for this list, not only do the songs have to be written specifically for a movie, but they can’t be performed in the film by someone who has a high-profile career as a musician in real life. So you won’t find “Shallow” from A Star is Born (2018) or “The Climb” from Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) on this list.
Related: Top Ten Musical Moments from Musical TV Shows
10 “Through the Trees” by Low Shoulder
In Jennifer’s Body (2009), the troubles of the titular character (played by Megan Fox) start when the indie rock band Low Shoulder takes her into the woods and sacrifices her to Satan. The ritual turns Jennifer into a demonic man-eater, but it gives Low Shoulder the success they were chasing, launching their song “Through the Trees” into the limelight.
Amy Driscoll-Dunning—head of Fox Searchlight at the time—suggested Test Your Reflex (now known as Wildling) as a band that could write a song that sounded like Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars.” The band’s frontman, Ryan Levine, was given the song’s title and first few lyrics, which were written by the film’s writer, Diablo Cody. Levine added the rest of the lyrics and the riff, with keyboardist Andrew Ampaya adding the piano track and strings.
In the film, Adam Brody plays Low Shoulder’s evil frontman, Nikolai, and he lip-synced to Levine’s vocals. Levine also appears in the film, though, as Low Shoulder’s guitarist, and his bandmate Sal Cortez plays the drummer. The bassist and keyboardist are played by actors Juan Riedinger and Colin Askew.[1]
9 “Pretend to Be Nice” by Josie and the Pussycats
Although “Sugar, Sugar” (1969) by The Archies is the most famous song released by a fictional band comprised of characters from Archie Comics, that tune wasn’t written for a movie. Many years later, in 2001, Josie and the Pussycats burst onto cinema screens with an entire album of songs.
The band is formed of Riverdale residents Josie McCoy (Rachael Leigh Cook), Melody Valentine (Tara Reid), and Valerie Brown (Rosario Dawson). The three actresses provided backing vocals, but Kay Hanley from Letters to Cleo provided the main vocals for Josie. The tracks were written and produced by a variety of musicians, including Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne, Jane Wiedlin from The Go-Go’s, and Adam Duritz from Counting Crows.
The band’s first single, “Pretend to Be Nice,” was written by Schlesinger. The song hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the movie, and while that success wasn’t matched in real life, the soundtrack of the movie was pretty popular. Not only did it reach No. 16 on the Billboard 200, but it was also certified gold.[2]
8 “Nobody Like U” by 4*Town
Pixar’s Turning Red (2022) is set in 2002 and follows 13-year-old Mei as she starts turning into a red panda. But Mei doesn’t let that get in the way of going to a 4*Town concert. The boy band has three songs in the animated film: “1 True Love,” “U Know What’s Up,” and their biggest hit, “Nobody Like U.”
The songs—which mimic the sound of *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys—were written by Billie Eilish and her older brother Finneas O’Connell (who often writes and produces for his sister). The members of the band—Robaire, Jesse, Aaron Z., Aaron T., and Tae Young—are voiced by Jordan Fisher, O’Connell, Josh Levi, Toher Ngo, and Grayson Villanueva.
“Nobody Like U” had a life beyond the movie, peaking at No. 49 on the Hot 100 and even being performed live by some of the voice actors. At the 20th Unforgettable Gala, Levi, Ngo, and Villanueva were joined on stage by Will Jay and Raymond Ortiz—who filled in for the two missing members—to perform “1 True Love” and “Nobody Like U.”[3]
7 “Garbage Truck” by Sex Bob-Omb
Music is a huge part of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) due to the titular main character’s (Michael Cera) band, Sex Bob-Omb, competing in a competition to win a record deal. Director Edgar Wright said that he “had this idea that each of the fictional bands within the film should have a different artist doing them. So it was sort of like casting.”
Beck wrote the songs for Sex Bob-Omb, and the actors playing band members had to learn how to sing and play their instruments—aside from Cera, who already knew how to play the bass guitar. Although the opening title track, “We Are Sex Bob-Omb,” won the 2010 Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Song, “Garbage Truck” is the fan favorite (if Spotify numbers are anything to go by).
Other artists who wrote music for the film include Metric, who wrote “Black Sheep” for The Clash at Demonhead, and Dan the Automator, who wrote “Slick” for Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha).[4]
6 “Drive It Like You Stole It” by Sing Street
Sing Street (2016) is set in 1985 in Dublin and follows teenage boy Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) as he starts a band with his classmates. Among Sing Street’s soundtrack of Duran Duran, Hall & Oates, and The Cure are a few songs by the titular fictional band themselves. Although U2—which was formed in Dublin—was originally going to help with crafting Sing Street’s sound, writer and director John Carney said that “our schedules didn’t match up. I think they were on tour, and we were shooting back at home, and it didn’t work out on a timeline.”
Instead, Gary Clark, the frontman of Scottish band Danny Wilson, took on the role, with help from Carney, plus Ken and Carl Papenfus from Relish. The musical peak of the film is the fantasy scene where Sing Street performs “Drive It Like You Stole It” in the style of Back to the Future’s Enchantment Under the Sea dance. Both the San Diego Film Critics Society and the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association gave the film awards for its music.[5]
5 “Fever Dog” by Stillwater
The soundtrack of Almost Famous (2000) features an impressive roster of artists—including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, and The Who, plus the fictional band Stillwater. It even won a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.
Based on the life of writer and director Cameron Crowe, the plot sees a teenage boy with journalistic aspirations follow a rising rock band, Stillwater, on tour in the ’70s. Stillwater’s sound was crafted by a number of musicians, including Nancy Wilson from Heart and Peter Frampton. As well as penning Stillwater’s hit “Fever Dog” with Crowe, Wilson also played rhythm guitar for the group. The guitar skills of Stillwater’s Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) are actually down to Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready.
Although Stillwater’s success didn’t immediately crossover into the real world, in 2021, the Stillwater Demos EP scored the No. 95 spot on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart.[6]
4 “On the Dark Side” by Eddie and the Cruisers
When adapting P.F. Kluge’s 1980 novel Eddie and the Cruisers into a movie, director Martin Davidson knew that he needed to find the right band to write the music. He hired Kenny Vance from Jay and the Americans to help track down a suitable Jersey bar band. Vance came up with the goods, presenting John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, who were reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Although most of the onscreen band is comprised of actors, the saxophonist of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, Michael “Tunes” Antunes, was cast in the movie. The main song from the 1983 film, “On the Dark Side,” proved to be a massive hit, reaching No. 7 on the Hot 100, while “Tender Years” made it to No. 31.[7]
3 “Walk Hard” by Dewey Cox
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) is a parody of the music biopic genre, but even though it’s a comedy, John C. Reilly (who plays Dewey Cox) said, “We never wanted to lose the listenability of the songs.” The main character and his ever-evolving musical style draw from a huge variety of artists, including Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, and Bob Dylan. 40 songs were recorded, with around 33 of them making it into the final movie.
Dan Bern and Mike Viola wrote many of the songs, but for the titular song, “Walk Hard,” submissions were open, with Marshall Crenshaw’s song being chosen. Reilly not only sang and played guitar on the tracks, but he also received writing credits for a handful of them, including “Walk Hard.” He even performed the songs live on the Cox Across America tour.[8]
2 “That Thing You Do!” by The Wonders
Back in the mid-1990s, Tom Hanks was looking for a song for his movie That Thing You Do! (1996), which follows a band called The Wonders and their rise to fame in the mid-1960s.
Adam Schlesinger—who a few years later found fame with Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacy’s Mom” (2003)—heard that Hanks and his team were asking for demos that sounded “like an American band that was blown away by The Beatles right after they arrived and was trying to imitate them.” Schlesinger loved ’60s pop and rock, so he wrote a song in a couple of days, recorded it with two friends, and sent it in, describing it as “a shot in the dark.”
Hanks loved the track and hired Schlesinger to co-produce the song, as well as his friend Mike Viola, who sang on the demo, to provide vocals for the finished tune. Although the song didn’t make quite as much noise as it does in the movie, it did reach No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100.[9]
1 “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight” by Spinal Tap
Perhaps the most famous fictional band is Spinal Tap, who started out on TV, but in 1984, the band starred in This Is Spinal Tap, a mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner. The film follows the band as they embark on a hilariously disastrous tour, with the majority of the dialogue being improvised. The main band members are Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins, Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel, and Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls—all of whom wrote and performed the songs themselves.
Spinal Tap has a large discography for a parody band, with some of their most popular songs being “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight,” “Stonehenge,” and “Big Bottom.” They’ve also played many live shows, going on tour and even performing at prestigious venues such as Wembley Stadium and the Royal Albert Hall. As for chart success, two of their songs have made it onto the Hot 100: “Break Like the Wind” hit No. 61, and “Back From the Dead” hit No. 52.[10]
