Sometimes fictional bands, typically concocted for TV programs or films, end up becoming real bands: releasing records, making videos, touring … and creating hits.
The mother of all fictional bands will likely always be The Monkees. Manufactured for the eponymous NBC TV show, the band featured front man heart throb Davy Jones, guitarist Michael Nesmith (Liquid Paper anyone?), bass player Peter Tork, and drummer Micky Dolenz. They were initially sidelined in the studio, with chart-toppers “Last Train to Clarkesville” and “I’m A Believer” largely performed by session musicians. But, thanks to the power flowing from their enormous public popularity, they eventually managed to wrestle more creative control; and, despite initial skepticism about their authenticity, The Monkees did indeed establish themselves as a genuine and influential band, generating over 75 million album sales and 21 hits to their name.
Like The Monkees, The Partridge Family was also a combination of a fictional television show and a real-life musical act. Inspired by The Cowsills, a real-life American singing group of six siblings from Newport, Rhode Island, The Partridge Family, cast for a TV series that aired from 1970 to 1974, were so convincing as a real-life outfit that they even picked up a Best New Artist nod at the Grammys.
During their eponymous ABC sitcom’s four-year run in the early 1970s, the Californians also racked up nine hits including the chart-topping “I Think I Love You”. On-screen mother and son Shirley Jones and reluctant teenybopper pin-up David Cassidy were the only members to actually appear on the record, while precocious red-headed tween Danny Bonaduce was replaced by members of the Wrecking Crew, a legendary group of session musicians who played with everyone from Simon & Garfunkel to the Beach Boys.
Want more? Here are three more examples of fictional bands that ended up breaking free from their fictional confines to make waves as musicians:
Spinal Tap
A parody heavy metal band featured in the mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap (1984). Despite being fictional, the band became a cult favourite, and their music gained popularity.
The Blues Brothers
While originally created for a sketch on Saturday Night Live, Jake and Elwood Blues, played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, formed a real musical act. They released albums and had a successful career beyond the initial sketch.
The Archies
The Archies scored an impressive string of hits between the bubblegum pop heyday of 1968 and 1970, including the infectious “Sugar Sugar”, a worldwide No. 1. The animated quintet [Ed: Doubly fictional!] first appeared in the comic book Life with Archie, then moved to the small screen in the CBS Saturday morning programme The Archie Show.
So, how does this happen? Maybe it’s the case that the same thing that made them so compelling as characters (the je ne sai quoi) gave them a free pass, or at least an inside lane, on their paths to musical relevance.
Story Idea: Remo Giuffré
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References
wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkees
variety.com/lists/best-fictional-bands-movies-tv-shows
vanityfair.com/style/2021/08/the-most-influential-pop-rock-band-ever-the-monkees
mentalfloss.com/posts/fake-bands-who-created-real-hit-songs
Images
1. The Monkees
2. The Partidge Family
3. The Cowsills receives their gold record for "The Rain, the Park and Other Things" from MGM Records President Mort Nasatir, 1967
4. This is Spinal Tap
5. Video: Blues Brothers perform Soul Man on Saturday Night Live, 1978
