Not everything is golden: Ranking the five number one singles by fictional bands
If you look towards the top of the charts right now, you might be surprised by what you see. The band currently sitting above everyone else might not sound familiar, but there is a good reason for that: they’re because they’re entirely fictional.
Huntr/X, a fictional K-pop band from a brand new Netflix movie, are currently taking the world by storm. Their song, ‘Golden’, which features in the film, has managed to capture the imagination of people worldwide, and as a result, there are a great number of people currently enjoying the song. So many have decided to listen that the track has climbed all the way to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100, something which has only been done a handful of times by fictional bands.
Yes, it might surprise you to learn that, as bizarre as this situation is, it’s not the first time that a fictional band have managed to have their song climb to the top of the charts. Over the years, musical outfits such as Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Archies, and The Partridge Family have all celebrated having number one songs.
It’s worth noting that while some of these fictional songs are total gimmicks, others are very sincere offerings and, subsequently, really aren’t that bad to listen to. It begs the question, which out of these songs is the best? Well, keep reading, as Far Out have ranked the number one songs from fictional bands from worst to best.
The number ones by fictional bands ranked from worst to best:
Alvin and The Chipmunks – ‘The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)’
It won’t be a surprise to see the annoying little rodents we so happily refer to as Alvin and the Chipmunks coming in last place. When was this ever charming? What made people go out and buy these high-on-helium talentless little rats’ music?
I’m being harsh. I suppose it’s quite a sweet gift for people to buy their children, especially given that the record was released at Christmas, but that doesn’t excuse the song from being a really poor offering. The whole track is a tough listen, and it will forever be a mystery what possessed people in the ‘50s to buy this song so much that it went to number one.
Huntr/x – ‘Golden’
Here’s the thing: while ‘Golden’ by Huntr/x is also a song quite clearly for kids, it’s honestly not that bad. The track, which is currently taking the world by storm and has skyrocketed to number one, is well-produced and catchy, and everyone who performs on the record sounds undeniably fantastic.
It’s hardly a surprise that such a song is doing so well. The way that the animation style looks, the upbeat and catchy tempo of the song, paired with the fact that this is from a series that revolves around K-pop, all make for the perfect formula for a younger audience. The song itself is fairly good, and you could listen to a lot worse than this fictional band.
The Partridge Family – ‘I Think I Love You’
The Partridge Family were the title characters from an American musical sitcom which aired in the ‘70s. The whole show revolved around music, and as such, when one of the leading singles from the program was released, people everywhere were quick to buy it, leading the fictional family to have a number one single.
The song itself is pretty good. ‘I Think I Love You’ sounds like a blend of Motown and modern indie music. The rhythm of the song follows that of a lounge singer, and the lyrics are incredibly sweet and endearing. There’s no denying the fact that while this track might have been written for the sake of a story, the song itself stands up as a pretty decent offering.
The Archies – ‘Sugar, Sugar’
Arguably, the most popular song on this list and one that many people might be surprised to hear is the result of a fictional artist. The clue lies in the band name, as The Archies were quite literally a band formed in Archie comics whose existence lies between the pages.
It can’t be understated just how much people took to the catchy pop-infused song. ‘Sugar, Sugar’ didn’t just go to number one; it was the best-selling song of 1968, knocking the Rolling Stones from the top spot. It’s a song that you can hear plenty of in the modern world as it continues to make its way into TV ads, films, and TV series.
The Heights – ‘How Do You Talk to an Angel’
Finally, the best song by a fictional band to chart at number one has to be The Heights with their track ‘How Do You Talk to an Angel’. They come from a TV series of the same name, which revolved around the careers of the fictional band.
The show’s title theme, ‘How Do You Talk to an Angel,’ was so well-loved by listeners that it didn’t take long for people to adopt the song and begin listening to it as a part of their everyday lives. When you listen, it’s easy to see why this soft rock song is sweet-sounding, catchy and uses an endearing brass section to really draw in the listener. Out of all the tracks on this list, The Heights offering is by far one of the most versatile and nicest to listen to.
