Ten Fictional Songs That Are Bops Part II

 

I previously wrote a blog about fictional songs. More importantly fictional songs that are bops, and will have you loving it like it's a real song. So I decided to do a follow up blog, since you know the choices are endless. Without further ado, part II of Ten Fictional Songs That Are Bops.

10. Spell On You

The Hex Girls were a fictional band in 1999's Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost. Mistaken as witches, they are just goth girls trying to make an impact with their band. While they performed a few songs in the film, Spell On You is a bon a fide fictional hit. It goes triple platinum in my house during the fall leading up to Halloween.

9. You Belong With Me

Many people don't know this but Tyler James Williams of Everybody Hate's Chris and Abbott Elementary fame, actually has bars. He put them on display in 2012's Disney Channel Movie Let It Shine. A adaptation of the 1800's play Cyrano de Bergerac, CoCo Jones, Courtney B. Vance, and Trevor Jackson also star in the film. In this particular song You Belong With Me has a catchy teen bopper/hip hop beat to feed the ear's of the channels target audience. 

8. Dance With Me Tonight

The B-side of That Thing You Do in the universe of the film. It in itself is a standout track and tonally different from That Thing You Do. This song is more upbeat and has a mean guitar riff in the middle of it. The lyrics of the song are about asking a young lady to party on the dance floor, and that is exactly what this song could do. Get a party and whole lot of dancing started.

7. Friends Forever

In season 4 of Saved By The Bell, episode 22 Rockumentary features Zack having a dream about the group's band achieving worldwide success. Zack Attack the band is on top of the world, and are even subjects of a documentary by legendary Casey Kasem. As they achieve more success, the jealousy and infighting occurs until the group disbands.

Then in the magic of 30 minutes the group reunites, and releases a new episode about friendship. Friends Forever is quite campy looking back, but the show itself is campy so that's not shocking. However if you need a little reminder how important friends are, give it a listen.

6. Be Alone Tonight

People often forget that Tisha Campbell can actually sing, and she put her singing prowess on display in Spike Lee's School Daze. As the lead singer of the Gamma Ray's sorority and the quartet her and her groupmates strut across stage while beind sultry and seductive. As she belt's out her notes, clamoring for her man to stay the night with her.

The song is definitely a fictional song classic and has that old R&B feel to it. You can envision any R&B female singer hitting these same notes and providing the same feels to the listeners.

Side note Jasmine Guy sings backup on this track as a Gamma Ray, but it's a shame she didn't have a solo part. As she can sing pretty damn good herself.

5. Going Up

In 2010's Get Him To The Greek Jonah Hill's character Aaron Green has one job, get Rock Legend Aldous Snow played by Russell Brand to a concert. Despite some hijinks Aldous successfully get's to the concert and lays out his heart and soul to the audience. He kick's things off this song, that is actually inspiring. The song's message is about moving past life's punches and even when you feel down, you'll come back up.

A good message for anybody who's listening really, and that makes it a bop.

4. Make Up Your Mind

In season 5 two-part premiere of Fresh Prince, Ashley becomes a one-hit wonder through the success of her song Make Up Your Mind. The song is the personification of 90's era R&B, hip-hop infused and a perfect dance track. Tatyana Ali who is also a very talented singer really embodied the aura of a rising pop star every time she sung the track. Many fan's of the song have it on their playlists, which is a testament to how infectious the song is 30 years later.

3. Something He Can Feel

Legendary musician Curtis Mayfield composed this classic song that has become the centerpiece of 1976's Sparkle. Sung by the motown-esque trio of Sisters, Sister & The Sisters. Taking the tone of song's from that era, it's a sultry love R&B ballad with a hint of gospel in it (more common than you think). You really feel the cast putting their all into the vocals and the drumming background Mayfield crafted keeps you hypnotized the entire time. 

While Aretha Franklin performed the song for the original soundtrack, in the early 90's En Vogue did their own cover of the song. Which highlights how influential as a fictional song it is.

2. In The Middle

In my last blog I shouted out my favorite song from The Five Heartbeats, Night's Like This which is untouchable as far as fictional songs in my opinion. This blog I have to give credit to another favorite of mine from the movie, In The Middle. While Night's Like This is more 60's soulful doo-wop, this song is 70's inspired to fit the time period at that point in the movie. 

The opening keyboard riff let's you know it's time to get out your seats and dance, which most people do when hearing it. It is one of those song's that you can play on a Saturday while your cleaning and pass down to younger generations, as if it is a real jam.

1. He Still Loves Me

I have this song on my inspirational playlist, cause that's what it does for me. Sung by a chorus led by Beyonce, The O'Jays, Angie Stone, and Montell Jordan in the 2003 film Fighting Temptations, the song hit's you in the feels. Since the core of the movie focuses around a church choir, the song is of the gospel genre. You feel the pain of the chorus, as well as the weight being lifted off their shoulders as they sing about their imperfections. Knowing that although they are imperfect, God loves them regardless.

How can you not be moved by a song like that? So when I'm being hard on myself or just something to pick me up, I play this song. 

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Ten Fictional Songs That Are Bop's

 

Music, we all love it and even if you have two left feet we all enjoy doing a little two step to music. Music is so powerful, that there are several fictional songs out there that are just as good if not dare I say better than several real songs. With that here are 10 fake songs that are a bop, get ready to add them to your playlist if you haven't already.

10. Pop! Goes My Heart

The 2007 romantic comedy Music & Lyrics stars Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant, with Grant playing a former pop heartthrob who was on top of the world in the 80's. The film opens with a music video of the fictional song Pop! Goes My Heart complete with a astounding 80's look. Parodying groups like Wham!, everything about the music video and song scream 80's, the checkerboard background. The synth pop beat and the cheesy chorus that is catchy. 

9. Sugar High

This little known fictional song is an original  performed for the cult 90's classic Empire Records. The song is portrayed by cast members Coyote Shivers a real life musician who played Berko in the film, and Renee Zellwenger before her big break in Jerry Maguire the following year. It's performed during a fundraising scene to save the record store that's the subject of the film. It's a rock song that jams and is very catchy.

8. The Hardest Part Of Breaking Up

In 2000 amid the pop frenzy and boy band craze, MTV developed a original movie and later a television series about a fictional boy band 2Ge+her. Utilizing the tropes of boy bands from the heartthrob to the bad boy to fill out the band's roster. In support of the series, the band released an album that was actually very popular. With the lead song being The Hardest Part Of Breaking Up, which is essentially about getting your stuff back from your ex. It's a very silly song, that fits in with the time period and is very catchy.

7. Peaches 

Last years Super Mario Bros. movie was a quality adaption of the classic video game franchise. A highlight of the film was Bowser's solo performance professing his love for the princess Peaches. Jack Black really gave his all into the song, and really made you feel he was in love. You hear this song and you are guaranteed to walk around and randomly sing "peaches, peaches, peaches".

6. Hard Out Here For A Pimp

2005's Hustle & Flow was Terrance Howard's breakout role after almost two decades in Hollywood. His raw portrayal as a Memphis pimp just trying to make it, resonated with audiences who are just trying to make it too. The signature song of the film Hard Out For A Pimp is just as raw and gritty, with everyone's pain felt in the song. The song was so popular and well received it won Best Original Song for the Academy Award's in 2006. The hard hitting beat also made it easy to crank that joint up in your car on a warm summer day.

5. Straight Outta Locash

Chris Rock's classic 1993 spoof on the hip hop gangsta culture CB4 is a hilarious and very real film. The premise being middle class suburban Black kids cosplaying as gangstas to launch successful rap careers. To kick off their rap career, CB4 releases Straight Outta Locash which itself is a spoof of legendary rap group N.W.A. song Straight Outta Compton. It is one of the best fictional hip hop songs ever created, one may even think it's a legit song if they aren't laughing from the lyrics.

4.That Thing You Do

1996's That Thing You Do! perfectly captured the era of 1960's culture and music. Following a band named The Wonders who are one-hit wonders. The group's song That Thing You Do! sweeps the nation in a matter of month's and the band goes on an exciting journey thanks to the song's success. Almost 30 years later, the fictious song is still a head bopper when you hear it. 

3.Scotty Doesn't Know 

While 2004's EuroTrip is a raunchy sometimes crass movie that is actually funny, the highlight of the film is no doubt the song poking fun at main character's Scott lack of awareness his ex-girlfriend was a slut. Scotty Doesn't Know, which made even funnier when Matt Damon cameo's in the film to perform the song. It even is a running joke in the song, with a club  cover  played  overseas. The song is so wrong, but so catchy Scotty just doesnt know.

2. Nights Like This

Robert Townsend's 1991 classic The Five Heartbeats had many folks questioning if the group really existed. The story is loosely based on old school r&b group The Dell's, but the Five Heartbeats is fictional. The film boasts several original hits showcasing the group's ascension to the top of the music world. The best song performed by the group is Night's Like This, r&b group After 7 performed the song for the soundtrack. The soulful doo wop song about a break up just hits you in the feels and have you thinking your apart of the group crying. 

1. Eye 2 Eye

Honestly, what other fictional song could be number one? The energetic song performed by fictional superstar Powerline Eye 2 Eye or I 2 I is a chart topper. It has went quadruple platinum in my house since 1995 when A Goofy Movie was released. Performed by Tevin Campbell when the song plays you really can't help but get up and dance. And almost 30 years later it is still beloved, I wore a Powerline t-shirt a couple weeks ago and got several compliments with one person even mentioning the song instantly became stuck in their head. That just goes to show how great that song is.

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