It’s one thing to love real bands, but what about fake bands? You know, the bands that inspired you to learn to play guitar (Zit Remedy), or helped you figure out how to spell Albuquerque (thank you, Partridge Family).

Like cover tunes, fake bands featured in movies and on TV introduced generations of kids to real bands and genres – or, at least, I hope '90s youth picked up a Violent Femmes album (or three) after watching Ethan Hawke’s fake band Hey That’s My Bike cover the Femmes’ Add It Up in the movie Reality Bites.

Below is the first edition of our Encyclopedia of Fake Bands, complete with links to songs – the good, the bad and Dirk Diggler.

Have a band to add? Expand the encyclopedia with your links in the comment section!

#
2Gether, U + Me = (Calculus). 2Gether.
A
Alvin & the Chipmunks, Christmas Song.  Alvin & the Chipmunks.
B
Barry Jive and the Uptown Five, Let’s Get it On (cover). High Fidelity.
The Bee Sharps, Baby on Board. The Simpsons.
Blueshammer, Untitled Authentic Delta Blues. Ghost World.
Brian Slade, Ballad of Maxwell Demon. Velvet Goldmine.
C
Cassandra and the Crucial Taunts, Ballroom Blitz (cover). Wayne’s World.
Citizen Dick, Doghouse. Singles.
D
DC3, More than Friends. Cory in the House.
Dirk Diggler, You Got The Touch/Feel My Heat. Boogie Nights.
Drive Shaft, You All Everybody. Lost.
E
Electric Shoes, Untitled. The Wonder Years.
F
Fingerbang, Fingerbang. South Park.
H
Hannah Montana, Best of Both Worlds. Hannah Montana.
Hard Core Logo, Something’s Gonna Die Tonight. Hard Core Logo.
Robbie Hart, Somebody Kill Me. The Wedding Singer.
Hey, That’s My Bike, Add It Up (cover). Reality Bites.
J
Jessie and the Rippers, Forever (cover). Full House.
L
Lestat, Slept So Long. Queen of the Damned.
The Lone Rangers, Degenerated. Airheads.
M
The Monkees, Last Train to Clarksville. The Monkees.
Mouse Rat, The Pit. Parks and Recreation.
P
The Party Posse, Drop Da Bomb. The Simpsons.
Partridge Family, I Think I Love You. Partridge Family.
S
Scab, Franz Kafka Rock Opera. Home Movies.
School of Rock, Zach’s Song. School of Rock
Scrantones, Scrantonicity, Scrantonicity II. The Office.
Sex Bob-Omb, We Are Sex Bob-Omb. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Spinal Tap, Stonehenge. Spinal Tap.
Steel Dragon, We All Die Young. Rockstar.
Stephen and the Colberts, Charlene. Colbert Report
Stillwater, Fever Dog. Almost Famous.
Strange Fruit, Flame Still Burns. Still Crazy.
The Silver Platters, Keep On. The Brady Bunch.
V
Vesuvius, Promised Land. The Rocker
W
The Wild Stallions, Jam Session. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
The Wonders, That Thing You Do. That Thing You Do.
Z
Zack Attack, Friends Forever. Saved by the Bell.
The Zit Remedy, Everybody Wants Something. Degrassi.

As you can see we are missing a few letters in our Encyclopedia (G,I, K,O,Q, T & U), help us fill out the list!

Post your fake band suggestions in the comments below.

For inspiration check out Rocklopedia Fakebandica.

posted by Lana Gay on Feb 22, 2012