ROCKIN' THE BIG SCREEN
Ranking the 25 best movie bands of all time
From left, Johnathon Schaech, Tom Everett Scott, Ethan Embry and Steve Zahn are The Wonders in "That Thing you do!"
ENTERTAINMENT
Movies haven't just given pop culture a slew of legendary soundtracks, they've also delivered some top-notch musical groups.
OK, yes, they're fictional — though a few did become bands in real life. Even a faux ensemble can bring a joyful noise, though, from Irish soul and rock 'n' roll to K-pop and doo-wop. A couple are downright legendary in their own right, like Spinal Tap and the Blues Brothers. Others have reached cult status among different generations, such as Huntrix (ask your kids) and Powerline (ask a millennial).
The latest movie musicians to join this hallowed canon are the Analog Dogs, a teenage punk trio played by Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman and Ryan Foust in the coming-of-age music comedy "Nimrods," based on the early touring escapades of bonafide band Green Day. How do these new kids stack up against their on-screen ilk? Here are the best movie bands, definitively ranked.
1 The Wonders
'That Thing You Do!' (1996)
The Beatles of movie bands. (No, really.) Tom Hanks’ glorious 1960s-set movie puts an American spin on the Fab Four model, showing a little quartet going from pizza joints to prime-time TV. The Wonders (or the One-ders, if you’re fancy) do that thing you do whenever any spunky gang of musical youngsters gets together: write some finger-snapping tunes and embrace those big dreams.
2 Spinal Tap
'This Is Spinal Tap' (1984)
They have amps that go up to 11, sing songs about Stonehenge and large butts and made the all-black album cool before Metallica. Why Spinal Tap stands out is because, unless you’re a drummer, Michael McKean Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer’s goofy rockers make playing heavy metal just look like the most fun ever.
3 The Blues Brothers
'The Blues Brothers' (1980)
Joliet Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) are on a mission from God, and it’s to deliver the universal gospel of the blues. Their antics find them being chased by cops and tussling with Illinois Nazis, yet once they hit the stage, they prove that even a couple of white-bread guys in suits and shades can have heart and soul.
4 Soggy Bottom Boys
'O Brother, Where Art Thou' (2000)
This Southern-fried period take on “The Odyssey” stars George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson as escaped convicts on an epic journey who go into a radio station and record the old-timey “Man of Constant Sorrow.” And a heavenly group with an insanely nifty name is born.
5 Stillwater
'Almost Famous' (2000)
In Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical flick, Stillwater — with Billy Crudup as lead guitarist — was an amalgam of Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles and others of their ilk. Which meant a familiar 1970s rock sound but also, more importantly, an examination of these guys’ crazy lives off stage in the journey to becoming a “golden god.”
6 Hedwig and the Angry Inch
'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' (2001)
Superbly performed by John Cameron Mitchell (who also directs), Hedwig is a queer German rock star who makes American restaurants her tour stops in this electrifying musical dramedy about identity and self-discovery. That’s pretty neat, but the songs and stage presence are killer as well.
7 Figran D'an and the Modal Nodes
'Star Wars' (1977)
They say the Mos Eisley cantina is a hive of scum and villainy, and you need just the right house band to keep strange alien creatures somewhat calm, plus be the soundtrack for bar dustups and the occasional gunfight. Enter the Modal Nodes, a cool bunch of dudes who dole out the catchiest ditties in the galaxy far, far away.
8 Josie and the Pussycats
'Josie and the Pussycats' (2001)
While the early 2000s were a golden age of real-world female pop stars, Josie, Melody and Valerie should be mentioned right up there with Britney, Christina and Jessica. The trio had to thwart a subliminal-messaging scheme tricking fans into loving them, though “3 Small Words” and “Spin Around” are bangers that can do that on their own.
9 Huntrix
'KPop Demon Hunters' (2025)
Get you a K-pop girl group who can do both: hunt down pesky demons from the netherworld and also sell out arena shows around the world. And their music? Simply “Golden.” Be it little Netflix-loving kids or Oscar voters, everybody loves the powerful vocals, sheer passion and supernatural responsibilities of Rumi, Mira and Zoey.
10 Otis Day & the Knights
‘Animal House’ (1978)
The classic frat comedy features many delights: the toga party, the food fight, the Deathmobile. Don’t sleep on the fabulous tunes of the oh-so-smooth Otis and Co. They partake in pleasing doo-wop harmonies on the exquisitely titled “Shama Lama Ding Dong” and launched a party anthem for the ages with “Shout.”
11 Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
‘The Muppet Movie’ (1979)
It doesn’t get much better than the lineup for the Muppets’ mercurial house band: Dr. Teeth noodling keys, Janice wailing on guitar, Zoot playing that sweet sax, and Animal being the most dangerous thing to happen to a drum set since John Bonham. Need tearjerking melodies? Kermit the Frog’s got that covered. Wanna rock? Choose Mayhem.
12 Sing Street
‘Sing Street’(2016)
It’s the classic tale: Young boy (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) struggles in school, crushes on a girl (Lucy Boynton) and forms a band to win her over. The ’80s-tastic kid group Sing Street just ends up being out-freaking-standing as the youngsters craft their sound with influences including Elvis Costello, Spandau Ballet and The Cure.
13 Popstar: Never Stop Never
Stopping’ (2016)
As a solo act, Conner4Real (Andy Samberg) has his charms. The real magic is when he gets together with his Boyz, Owen (Jorma Taccone) and Lawrence (Akiva Schafer), to form their massively popular rap-pop group and do the iconic “Donkey Roll” dance, which counts the likes of Usher and Carrie Underwood as super-fans.
14 The Folksmen
‘A Mighty Wind’ (2003)
The kings of folk are three guys (played by Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean) who look a lot like the dudes from Spinal Tap and have the musicianship to bounce effortlessly between a feel-good, banjo-powered bop and a song about the Spanish Civil War.
15 Ellen Aim and the Attackers
‘Streets of Fire’ (1984)
Labeled a “Rock & Roll Fable,” the dystopian musical action flick is fueled by Diane Lane’s singer and her hard-charging band. She gets kidnapped by an outlaw biker (Willem Dafoe) and needs to be rescued by her soldier ex (Michael Pare), though on stage she rules on the operatic opening number “Nowhere Fast.”
16 Sex Bob-Omb
'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ (2010)
They are Sex Bob-Omb and they are here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff! The plucky indie Canadian power trio is always up for any battle of the bands becoming central to the plight of bass player Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) as he fights the seven evil exes of his new girlfriend.
17 Eddie and the Cruisers
‘Eddie and the Cruisers’ (1983)
This musical mystery drama almost seems like a real biopic, a deep dive into the rise and fall of the ’60s group the Cruisers and the disappearance of frontman Eddie Wilson (Michael Pare). That’s partly because of the gritty working-class ethos and E Street Band vibes of invigorating tunes like “On the Dark Side.”
18 Crucial Taunt
'Wayne's World' (1992)
The Mike Myers and Dana Carvey comedy became famous for its “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene. Just behind it in musical awesomeness? Tia Carre re as the mesmerizing, bass-playing powerhouse fronting a band that lights the Gasworks on fire and tears up “Ballroom Blitz.” As a great man once said: “We’re not worthy!”
Powerline
‘A Goofy Movie’(1995)
No one really cared about this movie featuring Goofy and his son Max 30 years ago. Now you’ve got TlkToks teaching the “121” dance. Thanks to the Internet — plus R&B crooner Tevin Campbell voicing this beloved animated pop star — Powerline has become a social-media sensation and nostalgic fave for millennials.
Pink Slip 20
'Freaky Friday' (2003)
Lindsay Lohan swaps bodies in the Disney fantasy comedy with Jamie Lee Curtis. she also plays a mean guitar in this all-girl garage band, and no matter if it's mother or daughter shredding on the strings, Pink slip rocks so hard that tunes like "Take Me away" have taken on a life of their own beyond the movie.
21 The Commitments
'The Commitments' (1991)
You wouldn't think a bunch of white working-class lads from Dublin would have the same kind of soul prowess as, say, James Brown and Wilson Pickett. A newspaper advertisement leads to an unlikely group of talented misfits who do rousing justice to standards like “In the Midnight Hour” and “Mustang Sally.”
22 Donny’s band
‘EuroTrip’ (2004)
Matt Damon turned in one of the great unexpected movie cameos as the pierced, tattooed singer of “Scotty Doesn’t Know.” This anthemic earworm — and worldwide phenomenon, no less — brutally (and hilariously) emasculates a poor kid on his worst day ever.
23 School of Rock
‘School of Rock’ (2003)
No one collects movie bands like Jack Black (hello, Sonic Death Monkey and Tenacious D). Put him alongside a bunch of spunky kids playing random instruments, throw in rebellious tunes railing against the establishment, and you’ve got something that will make you raise your goblet of rock high.
24 Analog Dogs
'Nimrods' (2026)
This Midwestern teenage punk trio embraces the old school and is more apt to use a four-track recorder than a smartphone. A prank call sends them scrambling to L.A. to “open” for Green Day, and no one gets their name right, but the Dogs nonetheless blaze their own musical trail, winning over youngsters and middle-aged bikers alike.
25 4*Town
'Turning Red' (2022)
Before the Saja Boys of “KPop Demon Hunters” became all the boy-band rage, it was the harmonizing dudes of 4 “'Town who were — ahem - in sync with animated teen girls. They can dance their way through hits like “Nobody Like U” (co-written by Billie Eilish) and weather a giant kaiju panda crashing their arena show like champs.
