They’re not the Beatles, but they’re also not not the Beatles. The 1978 Monty Python side-project All You Need is Cash was a mockumentary film (predating This Is Spinal Tap by six years) about a mop-topped band from Liverpool as it skyrocketed to stardom and then broke apart. Produced by Eric Idle and Saturday Night Live impresario Lorne Michaels, the made-for-TV movie brought together the best comedians Britain and America had to offer — Michael Palin, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Neil Innes — and even featured a cameo by an actual Beatle, George Harrison. Although the film was a ratings flop, the subsequent album release sold very well and even won a Grammy.
Top 10 Fake Bands
Anvil! The Story of Anvil, the buzzed-about documentary out now, follows an aging metal band trying to reclaim former rock glory. And if that sounds like the plot to the influential (and ironically more popular) '80s mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, well, it's because it is. So while Anvil may hold the distinction of actually existing, here are ten fictional bands that didn't hesitate to turn the volume to 11.