Sometimes TV shows have their characters perform songs, but it’s not often that these fictional songs are as good as the real ones. There are many music TV programs such as Happiness and The Mighty Boosh, although they do not 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 very difficult to write a fake, bad song, some TV shows are ambitious enough to make serious efforts to write good songs. These songs can come out of the world of the TV show and have an impact on real life, making fans wish the bands were real. The best fiction songs come from a variety of TV genres and span teen pop, soft rock, rap, and more.
10
“Dayman” – Charlie Kelly
It’s always sunny in Philadelphia
- Release date
-
August 4, 2005
- Seasons
-
16
“The Nightman Cometh” is one of the funniest episodes of It’s always sunny in Philadelphia, as the gang performs Charlie’s original musical. Every song in the musical can be misinterpreted in disgusting ways thanks to Frank’s incorrect pronunciation. “boy’s soul” and Dee’s offhand disclaimer about the meaning behind the “little boy” song. The only song that has any potential is the finale, “Dayman”. Portugal. The Man often performs a live version at his shows, which shows that the song can be great in the hands of real musicians.
“Dayman” is the result of a collaboration between Charlie and Dennis in Season 3, but Charlie brings that back to his musical. It’s a progressive rock ballad that appears to borrow liberally from Queen’s “Flash”but it also has shades of David Bowie or Electric Light Orchestra. In fact, it’s only half of what Charlie and Dennis think it is, seeing as they compose it while Charlie is full of paint fumes and Dennis is full of his own inflated self-esteem.
9
“The best of both worlds” – Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
- Cast
-
Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso, Jason Earles, Billy Ray Cyrus, Moises Arias
- Release date
-
March 24, 2006
- Seasons
-
4
Miley Stewart is Disney Channel’s Clark Kent. Instead of wearing glasses, she can fool everyone in her life by simply putting on a blonde wig. This is enough of a disguise to hide her true identity while she plays packed shows like a pop star. To sell this illusion, Hannah Montana needs a good pop song. Disney Channel has established a formula before with The cheetah girls and Musical Schoolthen Hannah Montana offers more of the same, but with the added bonus of Miley Cyrus’ vocals.
“The Best of Both Worlds” is the show’s theme and its most iconic song. It’s a teen pop anthem that fits perfectly with the show’s Hannah Montana aesthetic. It’s a sanitized and healthy version of singers like Avril Lavigne or Britney Spears. ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ is a far cry from Miley Cyrus’ solo songbut she still performed the song a few times in live shows over the years.
8
“Robots” – Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Concords
- Release date
-
June 17, 2007
- Seasons
-
2
Flight of the Concords is a show created by the band of the same name about a fictional version of themselves. It is similar to The Monkeys this way, but none of the songs in The Monkeys could be classified as false because the entire sitcom was designed as marketing for the musical project. Flight of the Concords is different, as all the songs relate to the events of the show. Most of them are musical interludes, but the show’s band performs occasionally. “Robots” is their first music video and probably their best “fake” song.
Most Flight of the Conchords’ Top songs such as “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” and “Carol Brown” were not written or performed by the band at the show. “Robots” is more lo-fi and shows why his fan club consists of one member. Their laughable cardboard costumes and simplistic music are surprisingly fun, however, and the lyrics have a lot of humor and deceptive emotionality.
7
“Smelly Cat” – Phoebe Buffay
Friends
- Release date
-
September 22, 1994
- Seasons
-
10
Phoebe’s songs are intentionally bad. Most of them are cute, but the lyrics are completely inappropriate, while others are completely inaudible. “Smelly Cat” initially seems typical Phoebe Buffay, but it’s hauntingly beautiful in a strange way. The lyrics really match the tone of the song, which is a rarity for Phoebe. “Smelly Cat” is even more interesting considering who Phoebe is as a character.
Phoebe is often underused Friends. She is the comic relief most of the time and an eccentric who doesn’t understand many serious stories. However, her tragic past means she must be viewed through a different lens. Phoebe is a survivor, even though she is often rejected and ignored. “Smelly Cat” may ostensibly be about a smelly cat, but like most great works of art, it’s actually about the artist. Smelly Cat is abused and neglected, but Phoebe is the only one to tell her so “It’s not your fault.”
6
“Out of Service” – Sangue Azul
Atlanta
- Release date
-
September 6, 2016
- Seasons
-
4
Atlanta has one of the best soundtracks of any TV show, mixing classic hip-hop tracks with some more underground music. The show is about an emerging rapper trying to make a good impression in the music industry, with his cousin as his manager. As the series progresses, it moves away from this initial concept with unrelated anthology episodes, twisty side stories, and strange mythology. Donald Glover makes sure the music is always correct. The show’s most famous song is “Paper Boi”, performed by Glover’s brother Stephenbut season 4’s “Out of Order” is even better.
“Out of Order” comes from the Season 4 episode “The Most Atlanta,” in which Al embarks on a treasure 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 pioneer who unfortunately died too young, but “Out of Order” is performed by Earl Sweatshirtin his trademark laid-back flow. Al follows the bizarre treasure hunt until it leads him to Blue Blood’s funeral, and he can pay tribute to one of his idols.
5
“Seek the Light” – Oliver Putnam and Loretta Durkin
Only murders in the building
- Release date
-
August 31, 2021
- Seasons
-
4
Season 3 of Only murders in the building sees Oliver, Charles and Mabel trying to solve the murder of Hollywood star Ben Glenroy during Oliver’s first Broadway show in years. Oliver balances his detective duties with his plan to save his play and turn it into a flashy musical. Only murders in the building shows some songs from “Death Rattle Dazzle”, including the opening number “Creatures of the Night” and Charles’ song about the Pickwick triplets.
The standout number is “Look For the Light,” a mournful lullaby that finds a woman singing sweetly to her children even though she knows her family is about to be destroyed by a murder investigation. It is sung by Meryl Streep’s character, Loretta, who stands out from the rest of the musical’s cast. “Look for the Light” was written by Sara Bareilles, with lyrics by La La Terra writers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Only murders in the building Season 5 is in development and it looks like Streep will return once again to join the main cast.
4
“Baby on Board” – The Be Sharps
The Simpsons
- Release date
-
December 17, 1989
- Seasons
-
35
The Simpsons There are a lot of great songs, but songs like “Monorail” and “See My Vest” are just musical numbers that aren’t real songs within the show’s universe. There are some fake songs, like Canyonero’s advertising song and Troy McClure’s Planet of the Apes musical. “Baby on Board” definitely stands out as the best fake song on the showand it’s as enjoyable as the characters think it is.
“Baby on Board” is the hit single by Homer’s barbershop quartet The Be Sharps. The Be Sharps’ journey mirrors that of the Beatles, with a meteoric rise, claims to be greater than Jesus and one band member causing tension with the inclusion of his Japanese artist girlfriend. There’s even a cameo from George Harrison. “Baby on Board” is about Homer’s love for his children, which often provides some of the most touching moments in The Simpsons. The only Simpsons The fake song that comes closest to this is Cypress Hill’s collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra.
3
“Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)” – Daisy Jones & The Six
Daisy Jones and the Six
- Cast
-
Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Camila Morrone, Suki Waterhouse, Nabiyah Be, Will Harrison, Josh Whitehouse, Sebastian Chacon, Tom Wright
- Release date
-
March 3, 2023
- Seasons
-
1
Daisy Jones and the Six fictionalizes the story of Fleetwood Mac. The soundtrack is full of 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. That’s not easy, but “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” is the closest the show arrives.
“Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” is one of the few songs on Daisy Jones and the Six which has racked up tens of millions of streams. It’s the first collaboration in the series between Riley Keough’s Daisy Jones and Sam Claflin’s Billy Dunne, so it’s important that it brings down the house. Their harmonies are beautiful and they have a magnetic chemistry during their performance that takes the song to the top.
2
“Catalina Breeze” – The Blue Jean Committee
Documentary now!
Documentary now! deserves much more lovebut the mockumentary anthology varies so much from episode to episode that it’s no big surprise that it failed to build a larger audience. Still, the best episodes can be enjoyed by anyone, and the two-part first season, “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 split bitterly decades ago.
“Catalina Breeze” is the titular track from The Blue Jean Committee’s only studio album, and it’s the best song the show features. It’s a passionate diatribe against the kind of superficial imposter who can have a “master’s degree in small talk”which is rich coming from a joke song by a fake band. “Catalina Breeze” had no reason to be so goodbut it’s not too far from The Eagles or Steely Dan, with some gorgeous harmonies and an infectious guitar riff.
1
“One Less Angel” – Shy Baldwin
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Cast
-
Rachel Brosnahan, Kevin Pollak, Caroline Aaron, Jane Lynch, Marin Hinkle, Michael Zegen, Tony Shalhoub, Alex Borstein
- Release date
-
March 17, 2017
- Seasons
-
5
The soundtrack of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a gloriously immersive journey through the jazz, soul and blues big bands of the 1950s and 1960s. As well as having hits from the likes of Nina Simone, Louis Prima and Frank Sinatra, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel There are some original songs too. Most of these songs come from Shy Baldwin, one of the few Marvelous Mrs. Maisel characters based on real people. He is an amalgamation of Harry Belafonte, Sam Cooke and a few other singers of the time.
It’s a testament to Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore’s songwriting abilities that “One Less Angel” doesn’t sound out of place despite the fact that it was written some 60 years after the show’s setting.. It’s a romantic, upbeat pop tune performed beautifully by Broadway star Darius de Haas, who provides the voice of Shy Baldwin. The song takes on a layer of quiet tragedy, given Shy’s arc in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.