If there’s anything I love as much as movies, it’s rock music and the crazy folk who make it (hey, I married one). So I have picked out my top ten rockers from the movies. I am totally aware that not everyone who appears on this list is a “star” per say but they all embody some of the qualities that it takes to be a devotee to the gods of rock. For the purpose of this list I have included fictional musicians only.
Scott Pilgrim
Played by: Michael Cera
Film: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Band: Sex B0b-Omb
Instrument of choice: Bass
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Playing self-indulgent, miserable songs
“Scott Pilgrim: We are Sex Bob-Omb and we are here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff.“
Russell Hammond
Played by: Billy Crudup
Film: Almost Famous (2000)
Band: Stillwater
Instrument of choice: Guitar
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Relentless groupie shagging
“Russell Hammond: I am a golden god! “
Robert “Fish” Fishman
Played by: Rainn Wilson
Film: The Rocker (2008)
Band: A.D.D.
Instrument of choice: Drums
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Refusing to grow up
“Curtis: I thought you were supposed to be the responsible adult.
Robert ‘Fish’ Fishman: Oh I’m responsible alright. Responsible for partying till my nuts catch fire!“
Rex
Played by: Steve Buscemi
Film: Airheads (1994)
Band: The Lone Rangers
Instrument of choice: Bass
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Humping his guitar on stage
“Chazz: Who’d win in a wrestling match, Lemmy or God?
Chris Moore: Lemmy.
[Rex imitates a game show buzzer]
Chris Moore: … God?
Rex: Wrong, dickhead, trick question. Lemmy *IS* God.“
Nigel Tufnel
Played by: Christopher Guest
Film: This is Spinal Tap (1994)
Band: Spinal Tap
Instrument of choice: Guitar
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Owning an amp that turns up to 11
“Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and…
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it’s louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it’s one louder, isn’t it? It’s not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You’re on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you’re on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don’t know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don’t you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.“
Donny
Played by: Matt Damon
Film: EuroTrip (2004)
Band: Lustra
Instrument of choice: Voice
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Performing a graphic song about the girl he is secretly shagging… in front of her boyfriend
“Donny: [singing] Scotty doesn’t know that Fiona and me do it in my van every Sunday. She tells him she’s in church, but she doesn’t go, still she’s on her knees and Scotty doesn’t know…“
Dewey Finn
Played by: Jack Black
Film: School of Rock (2003)
Band: School of Rock
Instrument of choice: Guitar
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Making absolutely everything about him
“Dewey Finn: God of Rock, thank you for this chance to kick ass. We are your humble servants. Please give us the power to blow people’s minds with our high voltage rock. In your name we pray, Amen.“
Curt Wild
Played by: Ewan McGregor
Film: Velvet Goldmine (1998)
Band: The Rats
Instrument of choice: Voice
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Exposing himself on stage
“Curt Wild: Listen, a real artist creates beautiful things and puts nothing of his own life into them, OK?”
Cassandra
Played by: Tia Carrere
Films: Wayne’s World (1992) and Wayne’s World 2 (1993)
Band: Crucial Taunt
Instrument of choice: Bass and voice
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Wearing lingerie on stage
“Cassandra: Yeah, and if a frog had wings it wouldn’t bump its ass when it hopped.
Wayne Campbell: Interesting. Where did you learn English?
Cassandra: College… and the Police Academy movies.”
Aldous Snow
Played by: Russell Brand
Films: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) and Get Him to the Greek (2010)
Band: Solo artist
Instrument of choice: Voice
Most rock ‘n roll behaviour: Convincing a journalist to smuggle his drugs through an airport… in his bottom
“Aldous Snow: This is it, Aaron. This is rock n’ roll. Did you enjoy the party?“
abbiosbiston 
Great list Abbi, still laugh out loud when I think of that scene from Spinal Tap!
Thanks. It’s a hilarious and legendary scene indeed.
Great idea for a list. Awesome to see Spinal Tap in there too.
Thanks! It would be impossible to do a rock star post without Spinal Tap.
Great list. Hadn’t thought of Scott Pilgrim in a while. What a fantastic movie!
Thanks! Scott Pilgrim took a while to win me over but once it clicked I fell in love with it.
It’s so fun!
Awesome picks, that photo of Matt Damon made me laugh out loud :).
Thanks! It’s one of my favourite cameos of all time and probably the moment I started liking him. I love a dramatic actor that doesn’t take them self too seriously.
Dewey Finn, what a star!
I think there are lots of real life frustrated Dewey Finns out there…
Oh, I love this list! I’m a big time rock fan as well (Zeppelin <3) but I have way tooo many musician in my life to actually like the characters on screen, they tend to be too true. 😉 But Almost Famous is one of the best films ever made about the subject. I like the term "band aid" because there actually is a space between a fan and a groupie. Ok, now I want to watch it. Thanks!
Hi Satua! I’m glad you enjoyed the list. Almost Famous is an absolutely fabulous rock music movie and I think it really captures the era.
Such a good list, Russell Hammond is prob my fave, followed by Cassandra and Aldous Snow. “My beans and mash” I have that in my head now. hahaha
Thanks! I love Russell Hammond. One of my staff has a cat named after him. My husband has the whole soundtrack from Get Him to the Greek, which he loves to play and prance around to.
LOL I thought I was the only who loved those songs. I like how everyone in the movie knows all the words to his songs… hahaha just cracks me up thinking about it. Thank you for making me laugh today!