I considered that one, but, they played shows, put out an album and even appeared on American Bandstand. The characters the band were based on were fictional, but they made it into a real thing. (And yes, as Brewmeister pointed out, the group even included Nigel Tufnel some four or so years before Spinal Tap was even a thing.)
The Lenny & The Squigtones LP is, basically, Spinal Tap if Christopher Guest had written songs sending up 50s rock and roll instead of heavy metal. It's really good.
Terrie and the Carlas " A track from their albun." You need a record player with a mica diaphragm and steel needle to hear it. I've actually got this as a selection on a jukebox wall box/adapter/ipod/hi-fi system.
The Phynx,stars of the cult classic movie of the same name. Though they did contain a former member of Every Mother's Son in their ranks,Dennis Larden.
They play gigs, release albums, etc etc there are twenty SHF threads about them, including this one where more than 50% of voters agree they are a real band Are The Gorillaz A Real Band?
Iain Banks' novel Espedair Street charts the rise and fall of the fictional band Frozen Gold. The band is vaguely Fleetwood Mac-y and the story focuses on the life of bass player Dan Weir.
Mayhem... The band featured in the legendary "Quincy Punk Rock Episode". Moshing to them just might earn you an ice pick in the back of your neck...
Pain, from the CHiPs episode "Battle of the Bands"; doing their big hit "I Dig Pain", during their rooftop concert scene obviously reminiscent of the Beatles
Johnny Zhivago The Heaven 17 (for a bit) The Bugaloos Any of the other bands from That Thing You Do! The Plastic Macs The Dirty Mac (do they count?) Any of the bands from the Groovie Goolies Charlie Chan and the Chan Clan The cartoon version of The Harlem Globetrotters (Featuring their unreleased NSFSM hit “You’re a Damned Fool”)
