One Click Wonder: Spoof rocking

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Washington Bureau Chief

Last week, legendary spoof metallers Spinal Tap annouced they are to return to the recording studio for the first time in 15 years. Here we honour some other fictional bands who have given their real-life counterparts a run for their money.

The Rutles

The stars of the second best rock spoof in film history, 1978’s All You Need is Cash, this “Prefab Four” offered a pastiche of the Beatles so finely wrought, you’d swear their songs were better than the originals.

The Blues Brothers

Starting out on Saturday Night Live before progressing to albums, touring and a cult 1980 film, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s blues’n’soul duo blurred fiction and reality, comedy and musicianship to joyous effect.

The Soggy Bottom Boys

From hillbillies to hitmakers - George Clooney’s jailbird trio from O Brother, Where Art Thou? (as dubbed by professional musicians) picked up a Grammy for bluegrass gem "Man of Constant Sorrow".

Stillwater

This bunch of actorly hairies, including Jason Lee from My Name is Earl on vocals, proved a memorable and convincing focal point for Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe’s sharply- observed 2001 paean to Seventies rock.

The Folksmen

In an impressive musical volte-face, Christopher Guest and his Spinal Tap bandmates Harry Shearer and Michael Mckean morphed into squabbling folk has-beens for 2001 mockumentary A Mighty Wind.