Updated on Apr 15, 2024

These 12 Bands Are So Good That I Bet You Forgot They Were Fake

These musical acts are so good I wish they were real, and some that I honestly need to remind myself are fake!

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Animated characters playing music; two with guitars, one singing, and one at a piano

Musical group Josie and the Pussycats headlined their own animated television series in the '70s after first emerging in the Archie Comics. Because of this connection, the fictional group also appears in CW's Riverdale.
For the purposes of this list, however, I'm specifically referring to the 2001 girl band trio of Rachel Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson, and Tara Reid who respectively play lead singer Josie, bassist Val, and drummer Melody. The film itself is a time capsule of the entertainment industry in the early 2000s and a wildly underrated self-aware satire. A soundtrack filled with bangers, "Three Small Words" and "Pretend to be Nice" (above) are two songs that stick out from the rest. If the vocals sound familiar it is because they were performed by '90s alternative rock band, Letters to Cleo, who you should recognize from the film 10 Things I Hate About You.
While we're here, DuJour — the boy band in the film — would undoubtedly hold their own with the likes of the very bands they were meant to mock, like Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and O-Town. Go listen to "Back Door Lover" if you don't trust me. — Fandango / Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

Musical group Josie and the Pussycats headlined their own animated television series in the '70s after first emerging in the Archie Comics. Because of this connection, the fictional group also appears in CW's Riverdale.
For the purposes of this list, however, I'm specifically referring to the 2001 girl band trio of Rachel Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson, and Tara Reid who respectively play lead singer Josie, bassist Val, and drummer Melody. The film itself is a time capsule of the entertainment industry in the early 2000s and a wildly underrated self-aware satire. A soundtrack filled with bangers, "Three Small Words" and "Pretend to be Nice" (above) are two songs that stick out from the rest. If the vocals sound familiar it is because they were performed by '90s alternative rock band, Letters to Cleo, who you should recognize from the film 10 Things I Hate About You.
While we're here, DuJour — the boy band in the film — would undoubtedly hold their own with the likes of the very bands they were meant to mock, like Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and O-Town. Go listen to "Back Door Lover" if you don't trust me.

Fandango / Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

Musical group Josie and the Pussycats headlined their own animated television series in the '70s after first emerging in the Archie Comics. Because of this connection, the fictional group also appears in CW's Riverdale.
For the purposes of this list, however, I'm specifically referring to the 2001 girl band trio of Rachel Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson, and Tara Reid who respectively play lead singer Josie, bassist Val, and drummer Melody. The film itself is a time capsule of the entertainment industry in the early 2000s and a wildly underrated self-aware satire. A soundtrack filled with bangers, "Three Small Words" and "Pretend to be Nice" (above) are two songs that stick out from the rest. If the vocals sound familiar it is because they were performed by '90s alternative rock band, Letters to Cleo, who you should recognize from the film 10 Things I Hate About You.
While we're here, DuJour — the boy band in the film — would undoubtedly hold their own with the likes of the very bands they were meant to mock, like Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and O-Town. Go listen to "Back Door Lover" if you don't trust me.

Three animated characters from Scooby-Doo: The Hex Girls, standing confidently together wearing gothic outfits.

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Freaky Friday is really the ultimate early 2000s gem. Besides being peak Lindsay Lohan, it also gave us Chad Michael Murray as a motorcycle riding, Britney Spears singing bad boy. Not to mention Jamie Lee Curtis absolutely slaying her guitar solo for one of the greatest fictional bands of all time: Pink Slip.
The song featured here is called "Take Me Away." With their pop-punk vibes, Pink Slip definitely would have headlined Warped Tour on the same stage as Simple Plan or New Found Glory. Nowadays, everyone is all "Coachella this" and "Lollapalooza that," when the more important question is when is Wango Tango? — Disney / Via youtube.com

Freaky Friday is really the ultimate early 2000s gem. Besides being peak Lindsay Lohan, it also gave us Chad Michael Murray as a motorcycle riding, Britney Spears singing bad boy. Not to mention Jamie Lee Curtis absolutely slaying her guitar solo for one of the greatest fictional bands of all time: Pink Slip.
The song featured here is called "Take Me Away." With their pop-punk vibes, Pink Slip definitely would have headlined Warped Tour on the same stage as Simple Plan or New Found Glory. Nowadays, everyone is all "Coachella this" and "Lollapalooza that," when the more important question is when is Wango Tango?

Disney / Via youtube.com

Freaky Friday is really the ultimate early 2000s gem. Besides being peak Lindsay Lohan, it also gave us Chad Michael Murray as a motorcycle riding, Britney Spears singing bad boy. Not to mention Jamie Lee Curtis absolutely slaying her guitar solo for one of the greatest fictional bands of all time: Pink Slip.
The song featured here is called "Take Me Away." With their pop-punk vibes, Pink Slip definitely would have headlined Warped Tour on the same stage as Simple Plan or New Found Glory. Nowadays, everyone is all "Coachella this" and "Lollapalooza that," when the more important question is when is Wango Tango?

Not to be confused with the obscure real '70s band of the same name, we are talking about Stillwater from the '97 cult classic film, Almost Famous, which follows the story of an aspiring music journalist. Stillwater has the look and sound of many enduring classic rock greats. The Led Zeppelin influence is the most distinct and the songs performed by the band in the movie are fully believable as hits. I mean, they were literally penned by Nancy Wilson of Heart and British rocker Peter Frampton who are both rightful members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sneak "Fever Dog" in on any '70s rock playlist and it might even go unnoticed that the band itself does not actually exist. — Dreamworks/Paramount / Via youtube.com

Not to be confused with the obscure real '70s band of the same name, we are talking about Stillwater from the '97 cult classic film, Almost Famous, which follows the story of an aspiring music journalist. Stillwater has the look and sound of many enduring classic rock greats. The Led Zeppelin influence is the most distinct and the songs performed by the band in the movie are fully believable as hits. I mean, they were literally penned by Nancy Wilson of Heart and British rocker Peter Frampton who are both rightful members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sneak "Fever Dog" in on any '70s rock playlist and it might even go unnoticed that the band itself does not actually exist.

Dreamworks/Paramount / Via youtube.com

Not to be confused with the obscure real '70s band of the same name, we are talking about Stillwater from the '97 cult classic film, Almost Famous, which follows the story of an aspiring music journalist. Stillwater has the look and sound of many enduring classic rock greats. The Led Zeppelin influence is the most distinct and the songs performed by the band in the movie are fully believable as hits. I mean, they were literally penned by Nancy Wilson of Heart and British rocker Peter Frampton who are both rightful members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sneak "Fever Dog" in on any '70s rock playlist and it might even go unnoticed that the band itself does not actually exist.

Their series premiered on Peacock and has been given a new season and life over on Netflix. The show's premise is a one-hit wonder girl group from the '90s reuniting 20 years later to find fame. Filled with nostalgia, each episode starts with their signature theme song that is too good to press "skip intro" and typically features a comical original song, such as "New York Lonely Boy." The girls who make up the group are portrayed by lyrical genius Sara Bareilles, Broadway powerhouse Renée Elise Goldsberry, comedy writer Paula Pell, and actress Busy Philipps, so it's not shocking that their fictional music is bright and rhythmic.
At one point the group was asked to headline a music festival celebrating the 2000s culture called Y2Gay and I found myself wishing it was a real festival. The Spice Girls are lucky they had no true girl group competition in their day because Girls5Eva would be in the running. I understand that they are a parody, but it is so well executed I would be buying front-row VIP tickets if they decided to go on tour tomorrow. Like they said, they're "gonna be famous 5eva because forever's too short." — Peacock / Via youtube.com

Their series premiered on Peacock and has been given a new season and life over on Netflix. The show's premise is a one-hit wonder girl group from the '90s reuniting 20 years later to find fame. Filled with nostalgia, each episode starts with their signature theme song that is too good to press "skip intro" and typically features a comical original song, such as "New York Lonely Boy." The girls who make up the group are portrayed by lyrical genius Sara Bareilles, Broadway powerhouse Renée Elise Goldsberry, comedy writer Paula Pell, and actress Busy Philipps, so it's not shocking that their fictional music is bright and rhythmic.
At one point the group was asked to headline a music festival celebrating the 2000s culture called Y2Gay and I found myself wishing it was a real festival. The Spice Girls are lucky they had no true girl group competition in their day because Girls5Eva would be in the running. I understand that they are a parody, but it is so well executed I would be buying front-row VIP tickets if they decided to go on tour tomorrow. Like they said, they're "gonna be famous 5eva because forever's too short."

Peacock / Via youtube.com

Their series premiered on Peacock and has been given a new season and life over on Netflix. The show's premise is a one-hit wonder girl group from the '90s reuniting 20 years later to find fame. Filled with nostalgia, each episode starts with their signature theme song that is too good to press "skip intro" and typically features a comical original song, such as "New York Lonely Boy." The girls who make up the group are portrayed by lyrical genius Sara Bareilles, Broadway powerhouse Renée Elise Goldsberry, comedy writer Paula Pell, and actress Busy Philipps, so it's not shocking that their fictional music is bright and rhythmic.
At one point the group was asked to headline a music festival celebrating the 2000s culture called Y2Gay and I found myself wishing it was a real festival. The Spice Girls are lucky they had no true girl group competition in their day because Girls5Eva would be in the running. I understand that they are a parody, but it is so well executed I would be buying front-row VIP tickets if they decided to go on tour tomorrow. Like they said, they're "gonna be famous 5eva because forever's too short."

Four women in 90s style clothing and headbands pose together on a city street

Music and Lyrics isn't the most memorable rom-com, but it did gift us with one of the best fictional bands ever, and for PoP! I am thankful.
Their sound is for fans of bands like Wham! or Devo, and their song "PoP! Goes My Heart" has a new wave feel and catchy chorus. Between their tacky coordinated outfits, hairstyles, and backdrops, if you showed this music video to someone under the age of twenty who had never heard of Hugh Grant and told them PoP! was a huge boy band in the '80s, they wouldn't doubt you for a second. — youtube.com / Via youtube.com

Music and Lyrics isn't the most memorable rom-com, but it did gift us with one of the best fictional bands ever, and for PoP! I am thankful.
Their sound is for fans of bands like Wham! or Devo, and their song "PoP! Goes My Heart" has a new wave feel and catchy chorus. Between their tacky coordinated outfits, hairstyles, and backdrops, if you showed this music video to someone under the age of twenty who had never heard of Hugh Grant and told them PoP! was a huge boy band in the '80s, they wouldn't doubt you for a second.

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

Music and Lyrics isn't the most memorable rom-com, but it did gift us with one of the best fictional bands ever, and for PoP! I am thankful.
Their sound is for fans of bands like Wham! or Devo, and their song "PoP! Goes My Heart" has a new wave feel and catchy chorus. Between their tacky coordinated outfits, hairstyles, and backdrops, if you showed this music video to someone under the age of twenty who had never heard of Hugh Grant and told them PoP! was a huge boy band in the '80s, they wouldn't doubt you for a second.

The Wonders are a fictional one-hit-wonder pop band who I ironically only discovered after creating a one-hit-wonder music trivia. They are the focus of the '90s film That Thing You Do!, written and directed by Tom Hanks. Within the film, they are a band from the '60s whose hit song was called (you guessed it) "That Thing You Do!"
The sunny-beach-vibes song itself earned a nomination for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. It was actually written by Adam Schlesinger, the bassist of Fountains of Wayne, the alternative rock band best known for "Stacy's Mom"! No WONDER it's so good. — LegacyRecordingsVEVO / Via youtube.com

The Wonders are a fictional one-hit-wonder pop band who I ironically only discovered after creating a one-hit-wonder music trivia. They are the focus of the '90s film That Thing You Do!, written and directed by Tom Hanks. Within the film, they are a band from the '60s whose hit song was called (you guessed it) "That Thing You Do!"
The sunny-beach-vibes song itself earned a nomination for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. It was actually written by Adam Schlesinger, the bassist of Fountains of Wayne, the alternative rock band best known for "Stacy's Mom"! No WONDER it's so good.

LegacyRecordingsVEVO / Via youtube.com

The Wonders are a fictional one-hit-wonder pop band who I ironically only discovered after creating a one-hit-wonder music trivia. They are the focus of the '90s film That Thing You Do!, written and directed by Tom Hanks. Within the film, they are a band from the '60s whose hit song was called (you guessed it) "That Thing You Do!"
The sunny-beach-vibes song itself earned a nomination for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. It was actually written by Adam Schlesinger, the bassist of Fountains of Wayne, the alternative rock band best known for "Stacy's Mom"! No WONDER it's so good.

In their titular film, Lemonade Mouth forms on a single day spent in detention à la The Breakfast Club. And yes, another band of Disney movie origin is making the list, but rightfully so. Listen to "She's So Gone" and try to tell me that you wouldn't catch them on tour with an angsty artist like Olivia Rodrigo. If that song sounds familiar, that's likely because vocalist Naomi Scott portrayed Princess Jasmine in the live-action Aladdin.
The band was comprised of a variety of talented (real) artists who all share the spotlight, including Bridgit Mendler, who used the film to launch her solo career, and Hayley Kiyoko, a lesbian pop queen. The guys rounding out the group are played by Adam Hicks, whose character has a couple of rap lines in-between shredding on the keytar, and Blake Michael as the drummer. It's not a top-tier Disney movie by any means, but Lemonade Mouth is one of the better fictional bands and is worthy of their spot on this list. — Disney / Via youtube.com

In their titular film, Lemonade Mouth forms on a single day spent in detention à la The Breakfast Club. And yes, another band of Disney movie origin is making the list, but rightfully so. Listen to "She's So Gone" and try to tell me that you wouldn't catch them on tour with an angsty artist like Olivia Rodrigo. If that song sounds familiar, that's likely because vocalist Naomi Scott portrayed Princess Jasmine in the live-action Aladdin.
The band was comprised of a variety of talented (real) artists who all share the spotlight, including Bridgit Mendler, who used the film to launch her solo career, and Hayley Kiyoko, a lesbian pop queen. The guys rounding out the group are played by Adam Hicks, whose character has a couple of rap lines in-between shredding on the keytar, and Blake Michael as the drummer. It's not a top-tier Disney movie by any means, but Lemonade Mouth is one of the better fictional bands and is worthy of their spot on this list.

Disney / Via youtube.com

In their titular film, Lemonade Mouth forms on a single day spent in detention à la The Breakfast Club. And yes, another band of Disney movie origin is making the list, but rightfully so. Listen to "She's So Gone" and try to tell me that you wouldn't catch them on tour with an angsty artist like Olivia Rodrigo. If that song sounds familiar, that's likely because vocalist Naomi Scott portrayed Princess Jasmine in the live-action Aladdin.
The band was comprised of a variety of talented (real) artists who all share the spotlight, including Bridgit Mendler, who used the film to launch her solo career, and Hayley Kiyoko, a lesbian pop queen. The guys rounding out the group are played by Adam Hicks, whose character has a couple of rap lines in-between shredding on the keytar, and Blake Michael as the drummer. It's not a top-tier Disney movie by any means, but Lemonade Mouth is one of the better fictional bands and is worthy of their spot on this list.

Animated character Chip Skylark with floating teeth showing various expressions around him

Spotify — Spotify / Via open.spotify.com

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