Top 5: Movies About Fictional Bands

I was listening to my IPod on shuffle in my car when a song came on that I really love, a song performed by a fictional band.  It got me thinking about movies about fictional bands and how good some of the music can be and before long I had an idea for a top 5 list.  There could be a ton of off shoots on this idea, Top 5 Fictional Music Groups, Top 5 Songs Sung By Fictional Groups, Top 5 Videos By Fictional Groups, but I decided to go with Top 5 Movies About Fictional Bands.  The key to my list is that the movie needs to be about the band, it can’t just have a band in it.  Citizen Dick may be the one of the greatest bands ever on the big screen, but as important as music is to Singles I’m pretty sure it’s about mass transportation, so it doesn’t qualify.  It also needs to be about a fictional band so Backbeat doesn’t count either.   My list is also limited to movies I’ve seen, so don’t get all mad that I left off Purple Rain, get mad that I’m a child of the eighties who hasn’t seen it yet.

            This list could have easily been a top 10 because there are so many good music movies, it was tough narrowing it down, but here’s my top 5…

5) The Five Heartbeats

            An extremely underrated Robert Townsend film about the rise and fall of a Motown band called the Five Heartbeats.  Co-written by frequent collaborator Keenen Ivory Wayans, this movie has a little bit of everything, clever comedy, heavy drama, and great music.  The biggest hit from the movie was “Heart Is a House for Love” which was actually sung by The Dells.  Some of the twists and turns may feel cliché at this point, but it is still a well told and well acted story.

4)  Almost Famous

            Cameron Crowe has always showcased his love affair with music in his movies, but this is the only one that tells the story of a band.  Arguably his best movie (he did make Say Anything), this semi-autobiographical tome is a wonderful depiction of road life as a band in the 70’s.  It’s filled with career performances by the likes of Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup and Jason Lee.  Stillwater was the movie’s band, which consisted behind the scenes of Peter Frampton, Mike McCready, Gordon Kennedy and others, and their big hit was “Fever Dog” written by Heart’s Nancy Wilson.  I’m sure there are plenty that would argue this should be number one, but it only makes it to four on my list.

3)  Blues Brothers

            A comedy classic about two brothers trying to get the band back together one last time to raise money for a failing orphanage.  Although there aren’t any Blues Brother originals, the movie is filled with blues, soul and R&B greats and all the great music that goes along with it.  As much as we can all blame this movie for all the horrible SNL movies that would follow, it can’t be denied that this is not only one of the greatest fictional band movies ever, but one of the greatest comedies ever.

2)  This Is Spinal Tap

            This is a movie that not only rivals Blues Brothers in comedy, but spawned a whole genre of movie and television as well.  The original mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap is certainly the definitive fictional band movie in most people’s eyes.   Directed by Rod Reiner and written by Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shear, this send up of metal music and it’s ridiculous scene as well as non-fiction movie making set the standard that all ad libbed fake documentaries have come to follow.  The three band members are responsible for all the music as well, including songs “Tonight I’m Going to Rock You Tonight,” “Sex Farm,” and “Stonehenge.”  The movie spawned three actual Spinal Tap albums and is one of the funniest movies ever made.

1) That Thing You Do

            Okay, okay, there is no way I can come up with an argument that this movie is better then either This Is Spinal Tap or Blues Brothers, but it’s one of my all time favorite movies.  It follows the comet like rise and fall of a one hit wonder band in the 60’s.  It’s really funny and heart felt in a totally earnest way that helps paint wonderful depiction of the era.  It’s also the movie that introduced me to Steve Zahn and ever since every movie Steve Zahn is in has been a Steve Zahn movie in my eyes.  The movie’s big song, “That Thing You Do,” written and performed by Fountains of Wayne, is easily one of the catchiest songs ever written, which only helps the movie’s plausibility.  I know I’ll take some flack for this being number one, but I love the movie.

Honorable Mentions: Eddie and the Cruisers, Fear of a Black Hat, A Mighty Wind, The Rutles

What are your top 5?