The Best Fake Bands of All Time

Dave and Milt crank the amp to 11 and count down the greatest fake bands of all time. That’s right—no chart-toppers, no world tours, no actual existence. Just the fictional bands that somehow managed to rock harder than most real ones.

We open with a little School of Rock, because if Jack Black doesn’t make your fake band list, you’re doing life wrong. From there, it’s a nostalgic jam session through cinematic and small-screen legends like The Commitments, The Blues Brothers, The Wonders, and—of course—the loudest band in England that’s not actually from England: Spinal Tap.

Along the way, we unpack listener mail (someone really had feelings about Dr. Teeth), share stories of interns who may or may not be trapped in a basement recording kazoo solos, and ask the big questions—like how many blues brothers is too many? And is Stillwater the best band that never opened for The Allman Brothers?

You’ll hear music clips, trivia drops, obscure references (you’re welcome, Christopher Guest fans), and—brace yourselves—a tease for the new Spinal Tap movie. Yes, it's happening. No, we don’t fully understand it either.

So if you’ve ever air-guitared to That Thing You Do, quoted A Mighty Wind unprompted, or shouted "Shama-lama-ding-dong" in polite company… this one’s for you.

Timestamps (for those who prefer structure in their musical mayhem):
00:00 – Welcome to Past Tens: We’re faking it today
01:25 – Listener mail: Love, hate, and one impassioned defense of Jem and the Holograms
03:38 – The countdown begins (cue dramatic VH1 voiceover)
10:25 – #10: School of Rock – Let’s rock, let’s rock… today
18:42 – #9: The Folksmen – Three-part harmony, one-part folk satire
25:06 – #8: Stillwater – It’s all happening (and surprisingly soulful)
33:11 – #7: Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem – Muppets who shred
38:26 – #6: Otis Day & the Knights – Oh yes, we do mind if you dance with our dates
45:19 – #5: The Commitments – Soul power straight outta Dublin
48:19 – Intern tales & unlicensed musical ambition
49:08 – The Commitments, part deux – We really liked this one
52:15 – Flight of the Conchords – New Zealand’s 4th most popular parody folk duo
58:20 – The Wonders – That thing they did? Still slaps
01:06:59 – The Blues Brothers – Suited up and still cool
01:11:50 – Honorable mentions: yes, Jesse & the Rippers made the cut
01:26:13 – Spinal Tap – Stonehenge, baby. Always Stonehenge
01:35:13 – Closing thoughts and shameless plugs