6 Bands That Aren’t Real But Still Rock

Sometimes a band doesn’t have to be real to create a lasting impression on music-lovers; there are a number of fictional bands featured in films and television shows that have proven their writers and producers know a thing or two about music.

Written by Micaela Garza

There have been a number of cartoons, TV shows, and films that have featured a fictional band as a main feature — your parents can probably name a few from their childhood, and you can probably think of a few yourself. Sometimes these bands only appear in the work once or twice, but still manage to steal our hearts (and ears, too)! Even though the bands on this list are fictional, they all have some kind of lasting cultural impact, producing at least one song that we all remember. Real or not, they deserve to be celebrated for their musical contributions.

1. The Hex Girls

The Hex Girls are an all-female eco-goth rock trio that come from the Scooby Doo universe. Thorn, Dusk, and Luna had some seriously good songs from their times with Scooby and the gang, including “The Hex Girls” and “Earth, Wind, Fire and Air.” Wind and Air are pretty much the same thing, but silly song titles aside, the sexy eco-goths proved spooky girls can do music well. Their first appearance was October of 1999, and it’s needless to say that 20 years later, we still stan them, not just for being women in a male-dominated genre, but for being women who care about the environment, too.

2. School of Rock

School of Rock, the corny band Jack Black formed in the 2003 film of the same name, was made up of amateur child musicians — and was actually pretty dope. The band featured a young female vocalist in a male-dominated genre and rocked a classic ‘80s sound with a hint of blues. These kids made being in the school band seem like it was cool, and Jack Black’s enthusiastic character made every band nerd wish for a director like him. As hilarious as the movie was, it was also inspiring to watch a bunch of kids pick up instruments and create music.

3. The Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers, originally a skit on SNL in the ‘70s, was a band created by Dan Akroyd and John Belushi. The brothers are instantly recognizable with their suits, fedoras, and classic Ray Ban Wayfarers, and your parents likely remember watching the movie when it came out in 1980. What makes The Blues Brothers so noteworthy is that they were one of the few fictional bands to actually record an album. Their first album, Briefcase Full of Blues, was recorded in 1978 and went double platinum, and it is now one of the highest selling blues albums of all time.

4. Dethklok

Image courtesy of Williams Street Records

Metal is often overlooked by most mainstream media coverage and by those who don’t realize how much the genre has in common with classical musical literature. The genre does not get enough credit for the musical genius behind all of the screaming and heavy guitar riffs. Ask any metalhead about death-metal band Dethklok or the Adult Swim show “Metalocalypse” (a comedy focusing on the fictional band), and they’ll probably have something to say. The show is extremely entertaining with its references to the culture behind the music and characters who can’t grasp the concept of anything beyond death metal. Show creator Brendan Small is responsible for playing all of the instruments and performing all vocals for in Dethklok songs featured on the show — however, there is an actual band that toured and recently got back together to perform at the Adult Swim Festival in November.

5. Sex Bob-Omb

“We are Sex Bob-Omb and we’re here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff!” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is undoubtedly a classic indie film, and the band of the titular character is an indie group many wish existed in real life. The film was originally based on a series of graphic novels, and Sex Bob-Omb are the only band on this list that doesn’t originate from a movie or television show. While “Black Sheep,” a song by the band’s rival group The Clash at Demonhead, is many people’s favorite song from the movie, Sex Bob-Omb is the band that is remembered by most fans of the film.

6. PinkSlip

Mr. Dude, you rock! Lindsay Lohan starred in a string of iconic films from 2003 to 2004 (“Freaky Friday,” “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,” etc.), but something those other films lack is the band Lohan played guitar in when she starred as Anna in “Freaky Friday.” PinkSlip’s “Take Me Away” is undoubtedly the best song to be featured in a Disney movie, and their female-driven, punk-rock sound made them the ultimate early 2000s cool girls.