Top 10 Best Fake Songs from Teen Movies
#10: “I Want What You Have” “If I Stay” (2014)
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When Mia and her family get into a car wreck, she ends up in a limbo state with a huge decision weighing on her. Mia has to choose whether to join her family, who all passed in the accident, or stay earthside with her grandparents and the possibility of pursuing her musical dreams at Juilliard. The film is laced with a plethora of beautiful musical moments, from Adam singing to Mia in the hospital to her Juilliard cello audition. But there was one song from Adam’s band that stood out from the rest, and that’s their performance of “I Want What You Have.” Mia can’t help but fall in love with him during the performance, and we can hardly blame her.
#9: “Teenage Suicide (Don’t Do It)” “Heathers” (1988)
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Before “Heathers” was turned into a smash musical, it had some on-the-nose songs featured in the original, non-musical film. Sung by the fictional band Big Fun, this number speaks to the difficulties of adolescence and the mental health struggles so often experienced by the youth. When Veronica and J.D. go off on their killing sprees, they try to make their murders look like self-inflicted violence, so this dark, twisted song is a perfect fit for this flick. It also acts as J.D.’s character anthem, especially considering the destructive end he meets.
#8: “Supernova Girl” “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” (1999)
Set fifty years after the movie’s release in the year 2049, Zenon Kar takes us on a futuristic journey through her life on a space station. While she tries to take down the space station’s commander and save her home, she does so to a seriously catchy soundtrack. A memorable song from the film is “Supernova Girl,” which pretty much encapsulates who Zenon is as a character. Sung by her favorite pop star, the loveable Proto Zoa from the band Microbe, it’s no wonder Zenon is a fan. It’s as memorable, fun, and lighthearted as the movie it hails from is, and it’s a staple for ‘90s kids everywhere.
#7: “We Are Sex Bob-Omb” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (2010)
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This film is best remembered as a flashy, comic-book style mixture of romance and action, but the musical aspects should definitely not be forgotten. This song is heard a few different times throughout the movie, including when Scott Pilgrim’s band performs it in the opening. Not only is it a fun punk anthem, it’s what first makes Knives take to Scott, so it’s pretty pivotal all around. Each time Kim or Scott yells “We Are Sex Bob-Omb”, they often tack on different introductory phrases which creates some iconic and memorable lines indeed. In terms of the sound itself, there’s no argument: it goes hard!
#6: “Nobody Like U” “Turning Red” (2022)
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Would it really be a coming-of-age tale about pre-teen girls without a dreamy boy band? In “Turning Red,” Mei Lee and her friends are obsessed with the band 4*Town, and this song is their big hit. Written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, the song perfectly serves as a typical boy band hit on the surface while also mirroring the protagonist’s own relationships. Mei loves her family and her friend group, and finds comfort in them – albeit in different ways – when she’s going through a difficult time. Those sentiments are summed up in this song, and we’re reminded how emotional and isolating it is to be a teenager, but how that can be made easier when you’re surrounded by people you love.
#5: “Ultimate” “Freaky Friday” (2003)
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Who didn’t want to be a part of this fictional band? Lindsay Lohan stars as Anna Coleman, who plays guitar for her garage rock band, Pink Slip. When they get a chance to perform at the House of Blues, the body swap situation she’s trapped in with her mother causes some difficulties. Ultimately, they still manage to bring the house down and it is awesome. There’s another Pink Slip moment we love even more, though. At the end, when the mother-daughter duo have switched back, Anna and her band perform at her mother’s wedding. This time, Anna is on lead guitar and vocals, and she absolutely crushes it, with her mom, her new step-dad, and her crush all cheering her on from the crowd.
#4: “Scotty Doesn’t Know” “Eurotrip” (2004)
In this teen flick, we see Scott and his friends travel around Europe, encountering some unbelievable scenarios along the way. One of those moments is shown through the song “Scotty Doesn’t Know.” The song is performed by the band Lustra, whose leading man is none other than Matt Damon, king of the unexpected cameos. As he performs, it’s revealed that Damon’s character is who Scott’s girlfriend, Fiona, is cheating on him with. The lyrics are hilarious, leaving nothing to the imagination, which definitely makes for a stand-out moment.
#3: “Drive It Like You Stole It” “Sing Street” (2016)
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This coming-of-age movie is set to an absolutely dreamy background of Ireland in the 1980s, and shows how powerful music can be, especially as an escape from our everyday problems. That’s exactly what it’s like for Conor, the protagonist of “Sing Street” who starts up a band and creates amazing music alongside his classmates. “Drive It Like You Stole It” feels like it could easily be on the radio today – and definitely in the ‘80s. Not only is it poppy and a great song to dance to, it’s also an excellent bit of songwriting with lyrics that can bring you back to a time when you had your whole life ahead of you.
#2: “What Dreams Are Made Of” “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” (2003)
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Lizzie McGuire is a source of nostalgia for so many of us, and this song is one that we can all still belt out at the top of our lungs without missing a beat. When Lizzie goes on a summer trip to Rome with her classmates, she’s shocked to discover she looks exactly like a famous pop star, Isabella. When it turns out that Isabella’s singing partner, Paolo, is trying to doublecross her, the two girls take center stage and expose him for the fraud he is. Although Hilary Duff plays both parts, her sister Haylie actually provided Isabella’s vocals, which is what really brings the duet to life. Here’s an early aughts anthem for the teen in all of us.
#1: “Pretend to Be Nice” “Josie and the Pussycats” (2001)
Based on the Archie Comics characters, Josie and the Pussycats tells the story of the band’s rise to fame. The film is fun and quirky on the surface, but it also discusses topics like the influence that teen pop stars can have on their demographic and the importance of creating art on your own terms. While there are countless great hits in this film, like “Backdoor Lover” by the band DuJour, which is also ridiculously catchy, it’s “Pretend To Be Nice” that sticks with us after the credits roll. It addresses the themes in the film, like commercialization and consumerism, in a fun and relatable way, and we’ve got it playing on repeat in our heads. Which fake teen film song can you not help but sing along to? Let us know in the comments.
