The Best Band Movies

There have been some bad movies about those in the music industry (Glitter suddenly comes to mind). But, there have also been some worth not only watching, but listening to, over and over again. The following is our list of best band-related movies. Sit back, relax, and, for goodness sake, turn up the volume.

Eddie and the Cruisers (1983):  This early 1980s film told the tale of a 1960s rock band that becomes famous after playing gigs throughout New Jersey. After this band, aptly named Eddie and the Cruisers, makes an album that is everything Eddie hoped it would be, the album is rejected by the head of the record company. Devastated, Eddie drives his car off a bridge and Eddie, as well as his reject album, disappears. Twenty years later, a television producer decides to do a documentary on Eddie and the Cruisers and reconnects with many of the band mates, all of whom have moved on. It is during this time that an older looking Eddie resurfaces, thus setting up the sequel: Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives.

Not only did this movie touch on the frustration and sacrifices of the music industry, but it also put an unknown band on the map: John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. Performing the soundtrack to the original and the sequel, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown band released the theme song of the movie, “On the Dark Side;” it was a hit single and can still be heard on present-day radio stations.

This is Spinal Tap (1984): A Rob Reiner directed mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap features a heavy metal rock band and its wild behavior. A film that pokes fun at the music industry, certain scenes offended some musicians, at least initially, hitting rather close to home. However, once people realized they shouldn't take themselves so seriously, the intention of the movie - to be satirical and make fun of pretentiousness - was made more obvious. 

Many of the scenes were improvised and ad-libbed, leaving the outcome very funny to many viewers. This is Spinal Tap was listed as 64 on Bravo's 100 Funniest Movies and climbed to 29 on AFI's 100 Years…100 Laughs. It quickly became a cult classic and was deemed, in 2002, as culturally significant by the Library of Congress. From here, it was chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry.

That Thing You Do (1996): Any film that is written by, directed by, and stars Tom Hanks has got to be good: this film was just that. Taking place in the 1960s, this film features Hanks as a manager of the Wonders, a one-hit wonder with Beatles-like undertones.  As the Wonders climb their way to fame, getting on the radio and eventually gaining a record contract and touring nationally, the foundations within the band begin to unravel. The band soon follows.

Article Author: JM Jordan

Jennifer Jordan is an editor and staff writer for http://www.phdrinkingwater.com . A fitness buff, she simply could not live without consuming a lot of water everyday. Yes, she prefers water even to wine.

Visit JM Jordan's author page — JM Jordan's Blog