TV shows sometimes have their characters making songs, but it’s not often that these fictional songs are as good as the real thing. There are plenty ofmusical TV shows, likeGleeandThe Mighty Boosh,although these don’t necessarily feature original songs written and performed by the characters. Any show can have these fake songs, and comedies are particularly prolific in this regard, since they can get away with bad songs.
While it’s not too difficult to write a bad fake song, a few TV shows are ambitious enough to make earnest efforts at writing good music. These songs can break out from the world of the TV show and have an impact on real life, making fans wish that the bands were real. The best fictional songs come from a range of different TV genres, and they encompass teen pop, soft rock, rap and much more.
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“The Nightman Cometh” is one of thefunniest episodes ofIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,as the gang stages Charlie’s original musical. Every song in the musical can be misinterpreted in disgusting ways, thanks to Frank’s mispronunciation of"boy’s soul"and Dee’s impromptu disclaimer about the meaning behind the"little boy"song.The one song that has some potential is the finale, “Dayman.“Portugal. The Man have often performed a live version at their gigs which shows that the song can be great in the hands of actual musicians.
“Dayman” is the result of a collaboration between Charlie and Dennis in season 3, but Charlie brings it back for his musical. It’s a prog rock ballad thatseems to borrow liberally from “Flash” by Queen, but it also has shades of David Bowie or Electric Light Orchestra. Really, it’s only about half as good as Charlie and Dennis think it is, seeing as they compose it while Charlie is high on paint fumes and Dennis is high on his own inflated self-worth.
Miley Stewart is the Clark Kent of the Disney Channel. Rather than wearing glasses, she can fool everyone in her life simply by putting on a blonde wig. This is enough of a disguise to conceal her true identity while she performs sell-out shows as a pop star. To sell this illusion,Hannah Montananeeds some good pop music. Disney Channel had established a formula before withThe Cheetah GirlsandHigh School Musical, soHannah Montanadelivers more of the same, but with the added bonus of Miley Cyrus' vocals.
“The Best of Both Worlds” is the show’s theme tune and its most iconic song. It’s a teen pop anthem that perfectly suits Hannah Montana’s aesthetic on the show. It’s a sanitized, wholesome spin on singers like Avril Lavigne or Britney Spears.“The Best of Both Worlds” is a far cry from Miley Cyrus' solo music, but she has still performed the song a few times at live shows over the years.
Flight of the Conchordsis a show created by the band of the same name about a fictionalized version of themselves. It’s similar toThe Monkeesin this way, but none of the songs inThe Monkeescould be classified as fake because the whole sitcom was conceived as marketing for the musical project.Flight of the Conchordsis different, because the songs all relate to the events of the show. Most of them are musical interludes, but the band within the show do perform occasionally. “Robots” is their first music video, and probably their best “fake” song.
Most ofFlight of the Conchords’best songs, like “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” and “Carol Brown” aren’t written or performed by the band in the show. “Robots” is more lo-fi, and it shows why their fan club consists of one member. Their laughable cardboard costumes and their simplistic music is surprisingly fun, however, and the lyrics have plenty of humor and deceptive emotionality.
Phoebe’s songs are intentionally bad. Most of them are sweet, but the lyrics are completely inappropriate, while others are completely unlistenable. “Smelly Cat” initially seems typical Phoebe Buffay, but it’s hauntingly beautiful in an odd way. The lyrics actually fit the tone of the music, which is a rarity for Phoebe. “Smelly Cat” is even more interesting considering who Phoebe is as a character.
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Phoebe often goes underutilized onFriends.She’s the comic relief most of the time, and an oddball who doesn’t get many serious storylines. However, her tragic past means that she should be seen through a different lens. Phoebe is a survivor, although she’s often dismissed and ignored.“Smelly Cat” may ostensibly be about a cat with a bad odor, but, like most great art, it’s really about the artist.Smelly Cat is abused and neglected, but Phoebe is the only one to tell it"It’s not your fault.”
Atlantahas one of the best soundtracks of any TV show, mixing classic hip-hop tracks with some more underground songs. The show is about an up-and-coming rapper trying to make an impression in the music industry, with his cousin as his manager. As the show progresses, it moves away from this initial concept with unrelated anthology episodes, meandering side stories and weird mythology. Donald Glover ensures that the music is always on point, though.The show’s most famous song is “Paper Boi,” performed by Glover’s brother Stephen, but season 4’s “Out of Order” is even better.
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“Out of Order” comes from the season 4 episode “The Most Atlanta,” in which Al embarks on a scavenger hunt when he finds some clues in the lyrics of one of his favorite rappers, Blue Blood. The mystery and intrigue of Blue Blood is a reference to MF DOOM, another trailblazer who sadly died too young, but"Out of Order” is performed by Earl Sweatshirt, in his trademark laidback flow. Al follows the bizarre scavenger hunt until it leads him to Blue Blood’s funeral, and he can pay his respects to one of his idols.
Season 3 ofOnly Murders in the Buildingsees Oliver, Charles and Mabel trying to solve the murder of Hollywood A-lister Ben Glenroy during Oliver’s first Broadway show in years. Oliver balances his detective duties with his plan to salvage his play and turn it into a glitzy musical.Only Murders in the Buildingshows a few songs from “Death Rattle Dazzle,“including the opening number “Creatures of the Night” and Charles' patter song about the Pickwick triplets.
The standout number is “Look For the Light,” a mournful lullaby that sees a woman singing sweetly to her children even as she knows that their family is about to be torn apart by a murder investigation. It’s sung by Meryl Streep’s character Loretta, who stands head and shoulders above the rest of the musical’s cast.“Look for the Light” is written by Sara Bareilles, with lyrics byLa La Landwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.Only Murders in the Buildingseason 5is in development, and it seems as though Streep will return once more to join the main cast.
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“Baby on Board” is the hit single from Homer’s barbershop quartet The Be Sharps. The journey of The Be Sharps mirrors that of The Beatles, with a meteoric rise, claims of being bigger than Jesus, and one band member causing strain with the inclusion of their Japanese artist girlfriend. There’s even a cameo from George Harrison. “Baby on Board” is about Homer’s love for his children, which usually makes for some of the most emotional moments inThe Simpsons.The onlySimpsonsfake song that comes close to it is Cypress Hill’s collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Daisy Jones & The Sixfictionalizes the story of Fleetwood Mac. The soundtrack is filled with 1970s hits from bands like Jefferson Airplane, Grand Funk Railroad and The Animals. The big problem with adapting Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel is that the show needed to create songs that were convincing facsimiles of Fleetwood Mac. This isn’t easy, but “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” is the closest that the show comes.
“Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” is one of a few songs fromDaisy Jones & The Sixthat has racked up tens of millions of streams.It’s the first collaboration in the show between Riley Keough’s Daisy Jones and Sam Claflin’s Billy Dunne, so it’s important that it brings the house down. Their harmonies are beautiful, and they have a magnetic chemistry during their performance that pushes the song over the top.
2"Catalina Breeze” - The Blue Jean Committee
Documentary Now!
Documentary Now!deserves a lot more love, but the mockumentary anthology varies so much from episode to episode that it’s no big surprise it hasn’t been able to build a larger audience. Still, the best episodes can be enjoyed by anyone, and the season 1 two-parter “Gentle and Soft: The Story of The Blue Jean Committee” is certainly one of the best. Bill Hader and Fred Armisen play two once-famous musicians who acrimoniously split decades ago.
“Catalina Breeze” is the titular track on The Blue Jean Committee’s only studio album, and it’s the best song that the show comes up with. It’s a passionate diatribe against the kind of shallow phonies who might have a"masters degree in small talk”, which is rich coming from a joke song by a fake band.“Catalina Breeze” had no reason to be so good, but it’s not far off of The Eagles or Steely Dan, with some gorgeous harmonies and an infectious guitar riff.
The soundtrack fromThe Marvelous Mrs. Maiselis a gloriously immersive journey into big band jazz, soul and blues from the 1950s and 1960s. As well as having hits by the likes of Nina Simone, Louis Prima and Frank Sinatra,The Marvelous Mrs. Maiselhas a few original songs too. Most of these songs come from Shy Baldwin, one of a fewMarvelous Mrs. Maiselcharacters based on real people.He’s an amalgam of Harry Belafonte, Sam Cooke and some other singers of the era.
It’s testament to the songwriting skills of Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore that “One Less Angel” doesn’t sound out of place, despite the fact that it was written about 60 years later than the show’s setting. It’s a romantic, upbeat pop melody that’s performed beautifully by Broadway star Darius de Haas, who provides Shy Baldwin’s singing voice. The song takes on a layer of quiet tragedy given Shy’s arc inThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
