Top 5 Movie Bands
There are plenty of musical biopics based on artists we know and love, but it’s a rare treat when a movie gives us a fictional band that’s so good, we almost believe they’re real.
5. Stillwater
The “hard-working band makes good” at the center of Almost Famous (2000), Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical ode to the ’70s rock scene he grew up in as a teen journalist. You’ll remember the band more for their bickering and offstage antics (“I AM A GOLDEN GOD!”) than their music, but the performance scenes really deliver the transcendent energy of a live rock show.
Song Highlight: “Fever Dog”
4. The Commitments
This Dublin-based outfit from the 1991 film of the same name proved an unlikely success when they channeled working-class frustration into soul magic. Watch out for Glen Hansard (who went on to star in Once, picking up a Best Original Song Oscar) as the lead guitar player.
Song Highlight: “Try a Little Tenderness”
3. The Wonders
The “Oneders,” as they were originally known, were the brainchild of Tom Hanks in his brilliant 1996 directorial debut, That Thing You Do! The director’s insistence on the four young actors actually learning to play their instruments helped sell the illusion of a 1960s garage band riding a wave of unexpected chart success. But the film’s real star is the titular song, written by Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger. It just may be the perfect ’60s pop song, even if it was written 30 years too late.
Song Highlight: “That Thing You Do” (of course)
2. The Blues Brothers
In the 1980 film, the first-ever SNL spinoff movie, Jake and Elwood (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) spend a lot of screen time getting the band back together. But once assembled, these guys can really cook. Casting the backing band with real-life blues/soul veterans made for one of the all-time great movie soundtracks.
Song Highlight: “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”
1. Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) introduced the world to the utter ridiculousness behind self-serious rock stars. It’s a hilarious parody, but ask any musician and they’ll probably tell you how often it hits close to home. It doesn’t hurt that the songs are just as hilarious as the dialogue.
Song Highlight: “Big Bottom”
