Freakin' Rock StarsThe most bananas stories and insane 100% true tales about the lives and behind-the-music antics of your favorite rock stars and legendary bands.
Robert Egger’s epic revenge tale The Northman racked up a big body count and big box-office numbers over the past weekend. On top of its testosterone-fueled action scenes, it features Icelandic music icon Bjork as the mystical Seeress. When you think about it, that makes complete sense. It’s not her first time on screen, either. Eggers pulled her back after 22 years away from the silver screen (her last movie was 2000's Dancer in the Dark).
This got us thinking: What other rockers have aced their cameos in movies? It wasn’t hard to come up with a list, but we wanted to make sure they were all memorable. Here are 18 colorful scenes where famous musicians got to rock the house.
When rival supermodels Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson) decide to engage in a “walk off” to see who is the superior runway star, David Bowie spontaneously pops up to preside as judge.
After explaining the old-school rules to them, he sits on his throne and observes their shenanigans, which include everything from Michael Jackson-style dance moves to Hansel pulling off his underwear…without pulling off his pants. When Derek fails at this move, Bowie smacks the runway like a boxing ref and declares, “Disqualified!”
One of the best teen films of the '80s, Fast Times features the Heart guitarist for a brief but fun moment.
After working his shift at Captain Hook’s Fish & Chips, Ridgemont High senior Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) stops at a red light and looks over to see gorgeous Nancy Wilson checking him out from her sports car. Or is she just amused? When he tries being flirtatious, she giggles then drives off. Only then does Brad remember he’s still wearing his dorky pirate hat.
Photo: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure / Orion Pictures
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Clarence Clemons, Martha Davis, And Fee Waybill In 'Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure' (1989)
In this goofy '80s comedy, rock star wannabes and struggling scholastic achievers Bill S. Preston, Esq., and "Ted" Theodore Logan (Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves) travel through time to collect “personages of historical significance” so they can ace their history report.
When they take a quick detour to our future society, they learn that the music of their metal band Wyld Stallyns has made a huge impact, and they encounter the Three Most Important People in the World. These royal, sunglass-wearing figures turn out to be Clarence Clemons (Bruce Springsteen’s sax player), Martha Davis (singer for the Motels), and Fee Waybill (singer for the Tubes). They play it so calm and cool, it’ll take you a moment or two to realize it’s them.
While the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist comes off as a badass onstage, he got to play the exact opposite in The Big Lebowski as a member of a barely intimidating, nihilist German biker gang.
Flea shows up in four scenes (one with fellow musician Aimee Mann), but when the main German trio threatens The Dude (Jeff Bridges) and his friends Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi) over an alleged briefcase full of money, things don’t go well. Walter wipes the parking lot with them and nails Flea in the nuts with a bowling ball.
The third installment of this '80s sci-fi franchise takes place back in 1885, the complete opposite of the previous movie’s future world.
In an inspired bit of casting, the main characters end up at an old-fashioned hoedown where the house fiddle band includes the members of ZZ Top - without their trademark sunglasses - playing guitar, bass, and spinnable marching drum. (FYI, this movie arrived six months after MTV Unplugged did but was shot before.) The funny thing is that this '80s hit-making trio look right at home in the Old West.
Sometimes you don’t need to say a word in a horror movie to be effective. You just need to look spooky, which is what shock-rock icon Alice Cooper does in this classic John Carpenter movie.
He shows up as a character called “Street Schizo,” who is the leader of a pack of possessed derelicts outside of a church where scientists are investigating a strange container of green ooze. He also impales one of them with part of a bike. People no doubt remember Alice from his classic Wayne’s World cameo four and a half years later, but this one is underappreciated.
