6. The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers movie is a famous Saturday Night Live movie spin-off that managed to do something that few SNL movies have done; pull a profit. This could be because Lorne Michaels was not attached as a producer and is actually more of a spin-off of a musical act in the show, not a character or skit. Jake and Elwood Blues (aka Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi) first appeared on the Saturday Night stage in 1976 and appeared two more times before deciding to take their act to the big screen after releasing their album Briefcase Full of Blues in 1978 which went to #1 on the Blues chart in the US. Directed by John Landis, the Blues Brothers movie followed the exploits of Jake and Elwood as they decide to get the band back together to do one last show to save their orphanage from the mean tax collectors. The movie was a musical road trip, with guest appearances by R&B legends Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Lee Hooker to name a few. The Blues found themselves chased around the country by John Candy, Carrie Fisher and the worst drivers in police car history under the guise of the Illinois State police. I found this great UK specific clip of the record 103 cars destroyed in the epic final car chase, a total only surpassed by it's sequel, the much less successful Blues Brothers 2000 who made it a point to wreck 104. The legend of the Blues Brothers continues, as the movie/characters have spawned a 'tribute' band that continues to tour the House of Blues concert venues, a 2004 musical, a video game and 14 albums, most without John Belushi. However, the soundtrack to the movie went to #13 on the US charts in 1980. Not bad for two fake orphans raised in a fake Chicago orphanage.