What’s your favorite fictional band from a TV show? Not a band that was created for a TV show specifically for the purpose of selling records. I mean what is your favorite band that just happened to become a part of an episode or story arc on a TV show? Here’s the thing: you have a whole lot of fictional bands to choose from.
The Mosquitos
One of the first of the memorable fictional bands in TV history was the Mosquitoes. The members of the band–Bingo, Bango, Bongo and Irving–were just four of the roughly 127 people who somehow managed to wind up on a tiny little island currently being inhabited by Gilligan, the Skipper, a couple of millionaires, an actress and the rest. The Mosquitoes were also one of roughly 127 different fictional bands to wash ashore on some TV show in the 1960s that were essentially repurposed Beatles.
Mystik Spiral
Mystik Spiral was the alternative band fronted by Trent Lane on “Daria.” Trent was the brother of Daria’s best friend. Usually when they introduced themselves in an episode they would inform the audience of their name with the clarification that they were thinking of changing their name. To the best of my knowledge they never did. What you may not know is that Mystik Spiral came very close to getting their own spin-off.
Hep Alien
Hep Alien provides the opportunity for the uninitiated to get to know the pleasures of Sebastian Bach. Back in the 80s, Bach was a member of a hair band; it doesn’t matter which one, of course. Now, personally, I have even less of a need for hair bands than I do for another “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie, but I must admit that Sebastian Bach is the real reason to watch “Gilmore Girls” for appreciating the show’s fictional band, Hep Alien. Bach is very funny. Hep Alien is better than a hair band, too.
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
If nothing else, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem is a classic fictional TV band courtesy of their drummer. Animal is the Muppet representative of all the crazy drummers in history starting at the top with Keith Moon and working your way down.
Big Mountain Fudgecake
Now here’s a hair band that I would listen to. At least until they lose their charismatic lead singer, John Redcorn “King of the Hill” put together the show’s resident Native American sex symbol with characters played by Tom Petty and some idiotic redneck country singer and put them under the management of Dale Gribble. Sure, he overlooked a typo when ordering T-shirts, but even under the name Big Mountain Fudgecak rocked and rolled. Okay, so maybe the music was garage band amateur and Redcorn’s lyrics mysteriously melancholy for a guy getting so much action, but they were still a fun band while they lasted.
The Be Sharps
Are you ready for a revival of barbershop quartet music? If so, then you need to check out the most memorable of a host of memorable fictional bands from the TV show “The Simpsons.” An entire episode revolves around a flashback to a time when barbershop quartet could beat out Dexy’s Midnight Runners for a Grammy Award and nobody would think it was a joke. The Be Sharps also bring us round full circle from the Mosquitos since much of the satire of this episode of “The Simpsons” stems from references to the Beatles.
