Movies about music bands have populated cinema for decades, and while many focus on true stories based on real artists, several have featured completely original bands. The quality of these films certainly varies, yet the bands themselves are pretty great.
Some of these fictional bands only pop up to play one or two songs, while others have nearly an entire soundtrack dedicated to their music. Regardless of how many songs we hear from them, these bands managed to find a way to stand out and have their music stuck in our heads for a long time after the credits rolled.
Sing Street (Sing Street)
One of the more underrated movies about a band arrived in 2016 with Sing Street. Set during the 1980s in Dublin, Ireland, the film centers on a teenage boy who starts a band with the intention of impressing a girl he’s romantically interested in.
That’s a tried and true concept in a lot of coming-of-age films, especially ones focused on music. However, what makes Sing Street stand out is the charm of the cast and the impressive screenplay, which all helped lead to the movie landing a Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Golden Globe nomination.
The movie is named after the band and they put out some memorable songs throughout the film. The standouts are “Drive It Like You Stole It” and “Up,” which are both among the most played songs from the movie on Spotify.
Pink Slip (Freaky Friday)
Sometimes, a great band pops up in a movie that isn’t even specifically about music. That’s the case with 2003’s Freaky Friday remake and adaptation of the novel of the same name, which features a band known as Pink Slip.
The band in the film features three teenage girls, led by protagonist Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan). The other bandmates are Maddie and Peg, and together, they are a perfect encapsulation of the time period.
Pink Slip’s music feels like something that could’ve played on the radio in 2003 and been a big hit. Their main track, “Take Me Away,” which was covered for the movie by Christina Vidal, is a great tune that also features a rocking guitar solo. Seeing them pop up again in Freakier Friday was a welcome sight.
The Ain’t Rights (Green Room)
Another movie featuring a tremendous band that isn’t directly about music is Green Room. Released in 2015, this indie thriller focuses on a punk band but instead of being centered on music, it’s about them getting attacked by neo-Nazi skinheads after they witness a murder at a club.
Before things get too intense, though, Green Room allows time for the band, known as The Ain’t Rights, to hit the stage and perform. When they do, it’s explosive and features a handful of memorable songs.
The Ain’t Rights’ playlist includes “What Have I Become?” and “Coronary,” but the one track that stands out is “Nazi Punks F*** Off.” It’s a short song, but it hits hard and is aimed at violence at punk shows. It’s the perfect hardcore introduction before Green Room becomes frightening.
Hedwig And The Angry Inch (Hedwig And The Angry Inch)
Along the same lines as Sing Street, 2001’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch features a band that shares their name with the movie тιтle itself. Based on a 1998 stage musical of the same name, this film wasn’t big upon arrival, yet it became a cult classic in the time since.
The movie tells the story of the тιтular Hedwig, an East German gay singer, who writes songs with her band, The Angry Inch, about having their music stolen and about her forced gender reᴀssignment surgery.
The performance of John Cameron Mitchell helps push the film into great territory and the vocals, which Mitchell also performed on the stage (and directed this film), are dynamite. Tracks like “Tear Me Down,” “Origin of Love,” and obviously, “Angry Inch,” are all great.
4*TOWN (Turning Red)
Pixar has made some incredible films throughout its history, yet Turning Red marked something different for the studio. Released in 2022 but taking place in 2002, the film capitalizes on the boy band craze of the late ’90s.
The main characters are obsessed with a boy band known as 4*TOWN and one listen to their songs makes that understandable. 4*TOWN feels like they would’ve fit right in alongside the likes of the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.
A few things help 4*TOWN be such a great boy band. For starters, their voices are great with the songs sung by true singing talents like Jordan Fisher and Finneas O’Connell. On top of that, Finneas and his sister, top music star Billie Eilish, wrote the songs for 4*TOWN.
School Of Rock (School Of Rock)
It feels like School of Rock was the perfect movie for Jack Black to star in. The hilarious actor is well-known for his appreciation of music and being a member of Tenacious D. Before his hit, “Peaches,” from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Black led one of the best music movies ever.
The film sees Black play a struggling musician who poses as a subsтιтute teacher. He forms a bond with the students through music, which leads them to form the film’s тιтular band, culminating in a fantastic performance.
The School of Rock band is picked out expertly, with kids playing to their strengths and everyone getting a moment to shine. When they all perform “School of Rock” together, it makes for one of the most heartwarming scenes you’ll find anywhere.
Stillwater (Almost Famous)
Almost Famous is basically a love letter to rock music. Writer, director, and producer Cameron Crowe made this as a somewhat autobiographical film because it focuses on a young Rolling Stone writer who tours with a ficтιтious band. Crowe was a Rolling Stone journalist as a teen.
The fictional band is known as Stillwater and they’re touted as one of the top musical acts of the ’70s, which is when the film takes place. Crowe’s history with bands is evident as Stillwater truly feels like a legitimate group of rock stars.
Almost Famous won an Oscar and took home a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, showcasing how good the music is. The standout track from Stillwater is “Fever Dog,” which has over 4 million streams on Spotify.
Clash At Demonhead (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World)
Based on a graphic novel of the same name, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a wild action comedy with a stellar cast helmed by the very talented Edgar Wright. However, one of the biggest aspects of the movie is music.
For starters, the тιтular Scott Pilgrim is part of a band called Sєx Bob-Omb and some of their songs, like “Garbage Truck,” are great. That said, for as good as they are, it’s hard to top Clash at Demonhead. Where Sєx Bob-Omb is an up-and-coming band, Clash at Demonhead are big stars.
Clash at Demonhead is connected to the story because their lead singer, Envy Adams, is Scott’s ex-girlfriend. They only get to play one song in the film, but it’s so good that it steals the show. Their performance of “Black Sheep” is incredible and Brie Larson’s vocals are top-notch.
Huntr/x (Kpop Demon Hunters)
The success of Kpop Demon Hunters came from out of nowhere and has taken the world by storm. The 2025 animated film has become Netflix’s most-watched movie of all time and one of the biggest reasons why is the band Huntr/x.
The emotional story is great, as are the action sequences and the stunning visual style, but the music of Huntr/x is special. They moonlight as demon hunters but they’re famous as a K-pop band and the music delivers in a big way.
“Golden” is their biggest hit and the most memorable song from the movie. However, there’s also “How It’s Done,” “Takedown,” and “What It Sounds Like” that prove Huntr/x is one of the best movie bands ever. Their rivals, the Saja Boys, are also fantastic.
Spinal Tap (This Is Spinal Tap)
In the past couple of decades, it seems like the mockumentary format has become more and more popular. Whether it’s TV shows like The Office or Daisy Jones and the Six (a stellar TV band) or movies like District 9, they’re big deals now.
However, the movie that really popularized the format in the United States is 1984’s This is Spinal Tap. Rob Reiner’s directorial debut uses the format to tell the story of the тιтular fictional band and remains one of the best looks at a band ever put to film.
Spinal Tap is a heavy metal band touted as “one of England’s loudest bands.” Their music is a high point of the movie, including major hits like “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight” and “Big Bottom.” The music is just as great as the performances and the film’s comedic aspects.
