4 of the Best Songs Written by Fake Musicians

Name recognition isn’t everything. Sometimes a great song by a brand new musician can generate some steam. Heck, the band doesn’t even have to be real for a song to take off. Below, find four of the best songs that were “written” by fake musicians.

[RELATED: 5 Songs Written For Films That Became Hits]

4 of the Best Songs Written by Fake Musicians

1. “That Thing You Do” (The Wonders)

Though it’s not the Beatles in That Thing You Do!, the titular fictitious band experiences a fame reminiscent of Beatlemania. Set in the mid-’60s, The Wonders skyrocket to success on the back of an ear worm hit, “That Thing You Do.” The syrupy sweet song does wonders (pun intended) for their career. But, what comes up must come down and their career takes a tumble that not even a hit like this can save.

You
Doing that thing you do
Breakin’ my heart into a million pieces
Like you always do
And you
Don’t mean to be cruel
You never even knew about the heartache
I’ve been going through

2. “School of Rock” (School of Rock)

Though School of Rock is 99.9 percent comedy, they weren’t joking around when they wrote the title song. In the plot, the band uses this rock anthem to try their hand at the Battle of the Bands competition. It’s a valiant effort. Jack Black’s vocals are up there with the best of them and his younger bandmates more than pull their weight.

And if you wanna be a teacher’s pet
Well baby you just better forget it
Rock got no reason
Rock got no Rhyme
You better get me to school on time

3. “I2I” (Powerline)

Some of the best “fake” songs come from animated movies. It’s a tradition that has been around since the dawn of the medium. A Goofy Movie takes that tradition and gives it an adrenaline shot. Powerline’s “I2I” is one of the most memorable tracks from any animated movie. The oh-so-’90s, somewhat Michael Jackson inspired track is worth all the fuss Goofy and his son, Max, go through in this adventure of a film.

If we listen to each other’s heart
We’ll find we’re never too far apart
And maybe love is the reason why
For the first time ever, we’re seeing it eye to eye

4. “Shallow” (Jackson Maine and Ally)

In more recent years, a song created for a movie hasn’t gotten more prestigious than “Shallow.” Jackson Maine and Ally in the latest revamp of A Star Is Born wowed audiences worldwide with this soaring ballad. Moreover, it transcended the film becoming a hit in its own right without the visual to prop it up.

I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I’ll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface where they can’t hurt us
We’re far from the shallow now

Photo: Interscope Records