Pop Fiction explores the strange, irresistible power of songs written for artists who never existed — and the fictional bands and singers who somehow found a place in our real cultural lives.

 

From Almost Famous to Daisy Jones & The Six, Once, Sing Street, A Star Is Born, Begin Again and The Ballad of Wallis Island, these films and series have produced songs that linger long after the credits roll — sometimes becoming hits, sometimes inspiring tours, playlists, and emotional attachments that rival those formed with “real” artists.

 

Written by a lifelong music obsessive and film marketing professional, Pop Fiction asks why these invented musicians move us so deeply. Is it the songwriting? The performance? The freedom of fiction? Or the fact that these songs arrive unburdened by ego, mythology, or authenticity tests?

 

This book is a love letter to the writers behind the curtain, the actors brave enough to sing as someone else, and the audiences who allow themselves to fall for a song — even when they know it isn’t real.