3 Fictional Rock Bands That Would Blow the Charts Open if They Were Real

Sometimes, fictional rock bands in movies and TV shows are so good that one can’t help but wonder if they’d be successful in real life. That’s the case for the following three made-up bands, in my opinion. If they were real, I think they’d hit the charts pretty hard, or at least gain a dedicated group of fans. Let’s take a look!

Videos by American Songwriter

The Venus In Furs (‘Velvet Goldmine’ from 1998)

This fictional band would have done amazingly well if they were real, mainly because they were heavily based on David Bowie and his backing band, The Spiders From Mars, as well as The Velvet Underground. 

The whole of Velvet Goldmine from 1998 is a musical wonderland that hails back to the gritty, glamorous countercultural underground music movements of the 1970s. Honestly, the character Brian Slade (who was heavily inspired by Bowie) and his band, The Venus In Furs, would have been massively popular if they existed in that era, or even this era. Considering how enormously popular David Bowie was, their success wouldn’t be much of a surprise.

The Fabulous Stains (‘Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains’ from 1982)

Remember this gem of a movie? It took me forever to realize I was looking at a very young Diane Lane when I first saw Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains from 1982. The film follows the story of three teen girls who start their own punk band in the 1980s. The band, called The Fabulous Stains, were iconic and distinct but struggled to prove themselves in an otherwise male-dominated music niche. 

This fictional band and film inspired plenty of modern-day real-life musicians, including members of Bikini Kill and Courtney Love.

Sex-Bob-Omb (‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ from 2010)

If Sex-Bob-Omb were real and debuted during the Tumblr indie rock days, they would have blown up enormously. This entry on our list of fictional rock bands comes from the cult classic film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World from 2010. 

You can tell the director of this film loves music, because Sex-Bob-Omb is genuinely a treat to see and listen to. That unpolished vibe makes them even more charming, and a real-life Sex-Bob-Omb would have fit in quite well with the indie sleaze movement of the 2000s and 2010s.

Photo by Michael Crabtree – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images