1999 Cult Classic Packed With Classic Rock Anthems Ranked Among the Best Rock Movies
Look, Almost Famous is almost a perfect movie. But Detroit Rock City hasNatasha Lyonne. And KISS. And some of the greatest rock anthems of all time shoved into one high-octane teen comedy about a group of kids trying to catch Gene Simmons and company live in Motor City. Ultimate Classic Rock gets it, as the authority on all things hard, soft, and heavy metal rock recently ranked the cult classic the best rock movie of 1999.
Set in 1978, when disco was queen, the film instead follows four rock-loving dudes - Hawk (EdwardFurlong), Lex (Giuseppe Andrews), Trip (James DeBello), and Jam (Sam Huntington) - on a mission to see their favorite band, KISS, in concert. Despite Simmons executive producing, the film - we have to say - was a total flop at the box office, but over time has found its people, thanks to its showcase of authentic band memorabilia, the 3,000-fan reenactment concert, and the absolutely killer soundtrack.
"The soundtrack features several KISS songs, including the titular tune, as well other hard rock classics, both in the original versions and as covers," UCR writes. Key tracks off the album include Everclear's cover of "The Boys Are Back in Town," KISS' own "Shout It Out Loud," and Van Halen's "Running With the Devil," as well as hits from David Bowie, The Donnas, Pantera, and The Runaways.
Unlike the movie, the soundtrack did pretty well for itself, charting on the Billboard 200 and earning critical acclaim over the years. One of its tracks, "Beth," described by American Songwriter as the "lush ballad that gave KISS their first pop hit" did even better.
"‘Beth' found its way onto Destroyer to give [Peter] Criss a showcase, and the band snuck it on as the B-side to ‘Detroit Rock City,' the third single released from the album," AS writes. "But a funny thing happened: DJs locked onto ‘Beth' and started playing it in favor of the A-side. KISS realized the opportunity and flipped the two songs in a rerelease, and it led to ‘Beth' hitting No. 7 on the charts."
So, we'll let Almost Famous (which, don't get us wrong, we absolutely love) have its "Tiny Dancer" moment. Because Detroit Rock City has Natasha. And Beth. And KISS. And honestly, that's more than enough.
Related: 1968 Film About the Making of a Band's Rock Masterpiece Ranked Among Best Rock Movies
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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 7:35 PM.