Sometimes packing a film with talented, mainstream actors makes a film entertaining. Other times, a more formal approach is taken. Physical comedy, timing, and a great theme help put any comedy film on the radar. In the 90s, one technique that quickly caught on was comedy films that constantly featured real bands playing themselves. On rare occasions, a group would make an appearance in a film franchise they liked, like Blink-182 in American pie.

When comedy films use real music or a live band, the band sometimes presents itself as a fictional group. In other cases, they provide the backdrop to the film’s plot, playing themselves in service of the story. The movie hotrod presented the band Queens of the Stone Age as a fictionalized version of themselves. No matter what path groups take in a film, it’s always great to see familiar faces incorporated into any film.

15 Queens of the Stone Age parodies Glam Rock as a different band

Hot Rod – 2007

In hotroda cult classic that’s gotten better with age, Rod Kimble prepares for his big acrobatic jump. The band Gown plays it as he prepares for his jump. Initially, upon watching this scene, the audience catches Joshua Man from Queens of the Stone Age wearing a giant wig, surrounded by other members dressed in 1980s outfits. Shortly after Gown’s introduction, the audience can see that they are other members of the Queens of the Stone Age line-up. Joshua Homme is known to accompany a comedy or two to highlight his humor.

Another time in popular culture when the Queens of the Stone Age played the game was when they were the musical guests of Saturday evening live. The Queens of the Stone Age performed “Little Sister.” which is a song that has bells everywhere. During their performance, Gene Frenkel, a character of Will Ferrell in Saturday evening live known for his sketch “More Cowbell”, joined them on stage. They also appeared as themselves in an episode of American DadFox’s animated show. In Hot Rod, their fictional group performs a song called “Head Honcho” before Rod’s jump. This is not a real song in the Queens of the Stone Age discography.

14 Alice in Chains Jams in the Background of a Meet-Cute

Singles – 1992

When Cameron Crowe directed the film Simple in Seattle, it was no surprise that the grunge era was relevant to the film’s overall plot. Grunge music was at its peak in the early to mid-1990s, with the epicenter in Seattle, Washington.. Crowe was known for making films that captured the importance of music while authenticating the world of music. For Simple, Crowe captures Generation X and the pursuit of grunge music.

Alice in Chains puts on a show in the background as two characters meet for the first time. The main leads, played by Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgwick, don’t really get along, but eventually revisit each other later in the film. It’s a typical visceral 1990s grunge concert. Alice in Chains performs “It Ain’t Like That” and “Would?” as the audience meets the main characters of the film as well as Matt Dillon’s character in the film. Pearl Jam and Soundgarden are also briefly featured in the film.

13 Chris Farley humiliates himself on the Mudhoney stage

Black Sheep – 1996

In the movie Black sheep, Chris Farley plays Mike Donnelly, the brother of the character running for governor. Even though he wants to support his brother, he can’t help but constantly screw things up. Because of Mike’s brother, Mike ends up backstage at a concert called Rock the Vote, where Mike’s brother plans to speak to the attendees. While Mudhoney plays their song “Poisoned Water That Poisons the Mind”, Mike fades into the background and participates in smoking marijuana with another band behind the stage.

Eventually, Mudhoney meets Mike, mistaking him for his brother because of that last name. The group takes him on stage to say a few words to him. Mike tries to escape, but is unable to do so. Caught in the spotlight, Mike agrees because he enjoys the attention. Everything seems fine until Mike accidentally says a rude phrase, shocking everyone in the process.

12 George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic help save the pit

CERB – 1994

In the movie UCP, a fraternity house must raise money to keep their house and avoid being kicked out of their college. Gutter, played by a young Jon Favreau, is tasked with gathering a band and supplies for their fundraising party. Instead, the character gets high on marijuana with his buddies and passes out. When the weather is no longer favorable to him, he does everything in his power to find a group. In a crazy series of events, he somehow gets George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic to perform at their fundraiser.

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic play the song “Stomp”, which diffuses the added conflict of a mob pursuing the film’s protagonist, Tom. When the crowd arrives at the party, they forget about the chase and become instantly absorbed by George Clinton’s music. Because of the turnout and the number of people who loved George Clinton’s music, the fraternity raised enough money to maintain their house.

11 Primus performs for Wyld Stallyns at Battle of the Bands

Bill and Ted’s Fake Trip – 1991

In Bill and Ted’s fake tripa darker sequel to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill and Ted are murdered to prevent them from uniting the world through music. After defeating the Reaper in several games, they get their lives back, especially considering the bad circumstances surrounding their deaths. Once again alive, Bill and Ted head to the Battle of the Bands to perform as their band Wyld Stallyns.

Before Bill and Ted came on stage in Bill and Ted’s fake tripthe group Primus performs. Behind the scene are the evil clones who took over from Bill and Ted after their murder. When Primus performs on stage in Bill and Ted’s fake tripthey play the song “Tommy The Cat”. This is a shorter cameo than most musical cameos, but the song is also featured on the film’s soundtrack. They play enough of the song for the audience to recognize it, plus Les Claypool’s signature bass playing techniques.

10 Camel Lips, also known as L7, cheers Beverly on

Serial Mom – 1994

In the John Waters film Serial mom, Beverly is caught in the act of murder by her son’s friend, Scotty. As Scotty runs away from her, he escapes to a rock club, where the band Camel Lips is performing. Camel Lips was the fictional name L7 used for her performance in the film. They also performed an original song for Beverly, called “Gas Chamber”, which was written by them and John Waters.

The people at the club and the band Camel Lips are big fans of Beverly, even though she is a murderer. Camel Lips even participates in Beverly’s murder. When Beverly sets Scotty on fire with a spray can and a lighter, the singer spits alcohol at her, causing Scotty to catch fire. The crowd goes wild and enjoys every second as Beverly walks out from the corner of the stage.

9 Morris Day and Time Dance with Jay and Silent Bob

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back – 2001

At the beginning of Jay and Silent Bob strike back, Jay sings Morris Day and the Time while selling pot to two teenagers. The two teenagers insult the group, forcing Jay and Silent Bob to manhandle one of them. Clearly, Morris Day and the Time meant a lot to Jay and Silent Bob, considering they would be willing to bully some teenagers on their behalf.

The final scene in Jay and Silent Bob strike back is the group that performs its hit “Jungle Love”. They perform this song as the credits roll and the film ends with bloopers and outtakes. Jay and Silent Bob also join them on stage and dance with the group as they perform their legendary song.

8 Ace Ventura hides at a Cannibal Corpse concert

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective – 1994

In the movie Ace Venture: Pet Detective, Ace Ventura follows a lead in his investigation and gets drawn into a Cannibal Corpse concert. While he is being followed, he tries to hide. He eventually finds himself in the concert booth area. The great thing about this cameo is that Jim Carrey personally sought out Cannibal Corpse to star in the film. He was a fan and knew their music catalog, so he even suggested which song they could perform in the film.

Cannibal Corpse was moved by Carrey’s fandom and signed to star in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. They assured they would do it as long as they weren’t the joke of the film, letting them play seriously while Carrey delved into the slapstick. In the film, they perform their song “Hammer Smashed Face” to a rowdy crowd of metal fans. The energy captured in this scene was a realistic representation of any metal show.

7 Digital Underground spared by judge Alvin Valkenheise for speeding

Nothing but Trouble – 1991

The movie Nothing but trouble follows Chevy Chase and Demi Moore, who find themselves trapped in a chaotic house similar to her family’s home. Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Dan Aykroyd plays Judge Alvin Valkenheiser, made up with special effects to make him appear like a 106-year-old man. The film follows the grand abuse of a judge’s powers in an isolated town called Valkenvania.

In the Digital Underground scene, they are held up in court for speeding by Judge Alvin Valkenheiser. They plead their case by performing their hit “Same Song”, which moves the judge. The judge even joins in the performance, playing the piano along with their song. The soundtrack also features another Digital Underground song, “Tie the Not”. Even though the film was a critical failure, the music and the silliness of the plot provide ample entertainment. This film is also Tupac Shakur’s first film.

6 ZZ Top reworks one of their songs to fit the 1885 era

Back to the Future III – 1990

In Back to the Future III, Marty and Doc attend the 1885 Hill Valley Festival ball after creating an escalation with the antagonist, Mad Dog Tanner. In this scene, ZZ Top plays an acoustic version of their song “Doubleback” and plays older instruments to authenticate this period of the film. This song was not featured on the soundtrack, but ZZ Top even made a promotional music video for it. Back to the Future III with the same song.

While ZZ Top had to modify his attire to Back to the Future IIItheir appearances and long beards fit perfectly into the film. Between takes, they would play random blues songs and parts from their catalog for the cast and crew. Robert Zemeckis had immense confidence in the band’s ability to represent and perform like a band from the 1880s.

5 Wayne and Garth are awkward fans backstage at an Alice Cooper concert

Wayne’s World – 1992

In the music-themed film Wayne’s WorldGarth and Wayne have the chance to attend an Alice Cooper concert accessible to all. They enjoy the show where Alice Cooper performs his song “Feed My Frankenstein” and Wayne and Garth walk through the crowd at the end of the show. They head to the all-access backstage area where they can meet Cooper in the flesh.

When Wayne and Garth arrive backstage, they awkwardly interact with Alice Cooper, who gives a silly but authentic history lesson about Milwaukee’s origin story. Wayne and Garth think they’ve reached the peak of their awkwardness and try to leave, but Cooper, as cool as he is, tells them he wants them to stick around. They kneel and worship Cooper, repeatedly chanting “We are not worthy.” Cooper extends his hand, accepting their level of adoration in this hilarious scene.

4 Sydney and Peter Bond on their love for Rush

I love you, man – 2009

In the movie I love you, man, Peter, played by Paul Rudd, tries to make other male friends before getting married. He needs groomsmen and a best man, so he ventures out into the world on “guy dates” to try to find the right guys. One friend who sticks to him pretty quickly is Sydney, played by Jason Segel. They become even closer friends when they realize how much they both are fans of the band Rush.

Later in I love you, man, Sydney and Peter attend a Rush concert together. Peter’s wife is there too but is quickly forgotten as the guys head out. Rush plays “Limelight” as the two take their friendship to another level. Coincidentally, on the show Freaks and Geeks, Segel’s character was also obsessed with the band Rush. Rudd and Segel revisit these characters in a Funny sketch or dieextending the film into a behind-the-scenes encounter, similar to the scene in Wayne’s World.

3 Mark imagines being consumed on stage by Gwar

Empire Records – 1995

In Empire Records, Mark, a record store employee, is sitting on a couch eating a marijuana brownie while he watches music videos. When the music video for Gwar’s song “Vlad the Impaler” starts playing, he imagines himself on stage performing with the band. Initially an incredible experience, Mark plays guitar alongside the band for their song. As hallucinogenic drugs usually do, the vision shifts to Mike, and he then imagines that the group has decided to eat him.

Gwar has always been known for putting on quite a show while dressing grotesquely. In Mark’s vision, a giant worm monster consumes him live on stage as he screams for help. Another Gwar member grabs his guitar and crushes him with it. When the audience sees Mark watching television again, they find this fantasy hilarious.

2 Officer Wilson is bullied at a white zombie concert

Airheads – 1994

In Aerial heads, Chester, played by Brendan Fraser, abandoned the usual methods of getting the word out about his band’s new music. He takes an unorthodox approach and takes a radio station hostage with his group. What the radio station doesn’t know is that the group has a bunch of water guns, not real guns. Chester’s girlfriend had their demo tape in her car, so Agent Wilson, played by Chris Farley, is sent on a trip to pick up Chester’s girlfriend.

When Agent Wilson arrives at the potential location of Chester’s girlfriend, he tries to track her down with a vague description of a blonde wearing something tight and black. This is how everyone watched the concert of the White Zombie group. When he enters the room looking for the girl, White Zombie plays “Feed the Gods” as he is pulled into the mosh pit. Luckily for him, he escapes and finally spots Chester’s girlfriend.

1 The Backstreet Boys welcome everyone to paradise

It’s the end – 2013

It’s the end is a fictional apocalyptic film in which all the actors play fictional versions of themselves. While everyone attends a party at James Franco’s house, the end of the world begins to unfold, but the entire cast survives. After struggling through a multitude of disastrous events, they assume they never made it to heaven because of their debauched ways. Luckily for them, in the final act of the film, they meet the Backstreet Boys.

Like the cast of It’s the end settling into their new life in paradise, “Everybody” by Backstreets begins to play. Shortly after, the Backstreet Boys made their way to the center of the crowd and performed the same song to everyone’s delight.