These all go to 11: Best band movies of the '80s

Leave it a band guy to pick the "Best Band Movies of the '80s" list for Stuck in the '80s. Today's guest blogger is the famous Chris Stainton of the '80s cover band Rubix Cubed.

Hey, Stuck in the '80s crew!  Longtime listener, first-time guest columnist here. Since Steve shot down all my other great Top 5 ideas (top five Rush songs of the '80s; top five Rush albums of the '80s; top 5 Rush guitar solos of the '80s, etc.), I thought I'd give one with a little more widespread appeal: best band movies of the '80s.

This was a heated discussion in the Rubix Cubed camp, especially when trying to put them in order of favorite to least.  So we decided to put them up in no particular order. We get misty-eyed with movies about bands working their tails off trying to get their big break.

TOP 5 BAND MOVIES OF THE '80s:

THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984): Rubix Cubed constantly tries to throw Big Bottoms on its playlist, but with only one bass player, it invariably falls short. And Bender's amp DOES go to 11.

PURPLE RAIN (1984): The purple one can play, looks great and can even act. We all know the plot, we all know the story, and I do have the album cover of Morris Day and the Time on my studio wall.

SATISFACTION (1988): A couple of teenagers have a band, Mystery, with Jennie as the lead singer. They go to a bar on the coast and play during the summer. The very cute Justine Bateman trying to break away from Family Ties (as did her TV show brother with the Back to the Future series), I guess it didn't exactly work out as she anticipated.

EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS (1983): Michael Paré is awesome. As a matter of fact I can't think of anything in the early to mid '80s that he did that wasn't awesome. The soundtrack is really good, and the whole story is a bit deeper than the typical, "frustrated" but talented musicians trying to get their big break. Eddie Lives (Eddie and the Cruisers II) did not make our list.

STREETS OF FIRE (1984): Streets of Fire is a cool throwback to the '50s, bad guys, action, car chases, girls and music. It is the touching story about a band whose lead singer is kidnapped, and then rescued.  What a cool song and a great video! Every time I unsuccessfully try and moonwalk, I do it with an outstretched hand, like the surrogate band in this movie. 

So what movies did we miss out on?

Comments

[Jay]

Perfect call on Eddie and the Cruisers and Streets of Fire, seen both many times over. I saw John Cafferty play many nights at the Ocean Mist in RI. Always a good show and nice guy. Its a shame he got labeled a Bruce Sprigsteen rip off. I'll take Cafferty over the Boss any day.

[DerekT]

Crockett,

If you can play bass half as good as Geddy Lee, you will have an awesome band. Just listen to the bass work on Big Money, it is amoung the best I have ever heard. Good luck with it and if you ever post a video online, let us know.

[Mick in Sydney]

Maybe an outside shot at Bill and Teds excellent adventure? WYLD STALIONS!

[KissFreakShandi]

Good list!
Douglas, I love "Times Square" also. It's a great movie.
I loved "Ladies And Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains" too.

[Douglas Arthur]

Just thought of a great and un-mentioned film that fits the bill...1980's Times Square directed by Alan Moyle (Who would later go on to fame with the Christian Slater flick Pump Up The Volume. It was criminally out of print for a loooong time but was released on DVD just a few years ago. Worth searching out.

[Spears]

I was joking about Eddie Lives vs. They Live. Can't believe it took that long for anyone to catch it.

[Kevy Metal]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains" may have been the first rock movie I ever saw. I was something like eleven or twelve years young and didn't really understand the punk rock scene, but man was I madly infatuated with Diane Lane. I'd add it to a top ten.

[Douglas Arthur]

Are we talking strictly fictional movies here? If not you have to include Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense. No argument they are working hard, and that tour/album broke them big time into the main stream consciousness

[Alyfox/Dan Vhay]

Hey Spearsy, I wouldn't call this "giving you grief", but I say Blues Brothers qualifies, if for nothing else for the line "We're puttin' the band back together." Besides, if Streets of Fire makes the list being not about any one band . . . And while not a 'band' movie, how about LA BAMBA?

[Crockett]

SPEARS!

That's "They Live!"

Cool Glasses let you see through the facade of an oppressive and ultimately alien society.

Hmm.

I wonder where i can pick me up a pair of those?

[CHAD]

gotta agree with eddie and the cruisers, it's a great movie. i wish they would put out a special edition dvd. look at some of the actors in that movie, most went on to become bigger stars, some didn't. michael pare', tom berenger, ellen barkin, joe pantalono(sp), as well as the beaver brown band. great movie, and yes the sequel sucks.

[Spears]

I almost think of Blues Brothers as a musical rather than a band movie. And I know I'll catch grief for saying that. But at least in other band movies, people don't break out in song and dance in the middle of diners.

Meanwhile, I will admit I'll sit still often and watch at least parts of "Eddie Lives." That's the one with the aliens and Rowdy Roddy Piper, right?

[Crockett]

BLUES BROTHERS!

Nate is Absolutely Right.
How that one slipped is beyond me.
It's Micky's (vocals) favorite movie....ever

[Crockett]

Eddie and the Crusiers was on TV Sunday.
Everything in the house stopped as I stopped and sat for 2.5 hours and watched it. (Again).

Like purple rain, I'll stop whatever I am doing to watch it if it is on TV.

What a totally awesome soundtrack!
John Cafferty really deserved a grammy or academy award for it, it was that good, and fit so well.

Eddie lives....jeez. it could have been really good. Oh well...Most sequels aren't. Except Empire Strikes Back, and Friday the 13th II.

[Crockett]

Derek,

Since we're on the subject of Rush....

Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, Presto.

7 albums in 10 years, and touring relentlessly in between.

Wow.
I have been a Rush geek since i heard Limelight in 1981. So favorites wax and wane for me. Lately, I've really been into Grace Under Pressure. I think it (and power windows) personifies the '80s Synth sounds within the rock framework that is Rush.

And since my current gig is to be Geddy Lee (Bass, Vocals, Synth) of an '80s show band, it really makes me appreciate it all the more.

Rock on...

Crockett

[Spears]

"Light of Day" ... Good addition if it was a top 10 list. I remember seeing it at a Cinema and Draft Theater in Clearwater and even with the pitchers of beer, I was thoroughly unimpressed.

Bless Marty McFly and Teen Wolf, but Michael J. Fox cannot sing.

[Nate]

Where' "Light of Day" (1987) on this list?
And what about Blues Brothers (1980)?

[Spears]

Loved the backstage footage from Colbert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btcvSWoQWV0

[Jeff in Cuba]

I've always felt "Eddie and the Cruisers" never got its due. And I loved the ending. (Which is why "Eddie and the Cruisers II" has always rubbed me the wrong way; it turns a classic conclusion into a unremarkable middle.)

And a great soundtrack from John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band (or as we refer to them on my radio show, "I Can't Believe It's Not Springsteen").

[DerekT]

I take it you are a Rush fan too. Well Rush's best album of the 80's will have to be Moving Pictures, although I really liked Power Windows as well.
Spinal Tap is one of my favorite movies and I watch it often.
I loved watching Rush on the Colbert Report last year. The whole show went out, even changing the theme song for Rush. And I love his question if the next Rush album would be called "That's Bullsh*t" since they are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.