Arthur - It's Only Rock 'n' Roll

"Arthur, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" is an hour-long episode of Arthur that aired on September 1, 2002.

Summary
Francine is convinced that bands like The Backstreet Boys are just sell-outs. She bets Muffy, a Backstreet Boys fan, that she could start a successful band and not be a sell-out. Binky, Molly, Mrs. MacGrady, and Fern join Francine to form "U-Stink," and they become a huge hit. But soon, personal goals and rivalry start tearing them apart.

Plot
After watching a music video of the Backstreet Boys, Francine tells Muffy that they are sellouts, and decides to start her own band. After auditioning 14 people, the only good musician she could find is Mrs. MacGrady, who plays the keyboard. Mrs. MacGrady encourages Francine not to give up and suggests to her to find another way to get musicians. So, Francine went to find Binky, who is a good clarinet player and asked him to be in her band and he said yes, and she asked Binky if he knew anyone who could play the guitar, and he found Molly, who was working on her bike, and when she heard she'd get what she wanted for snacks, she agreed to be in her band as well.

Arthur and Buster (who were rejected by Francine earlier), decide to start their own band, We-Stink. During their first practice, it was found out that Francine can't sing and play the drums at the same time, so they asked Fern to do the vocal part of the song. The next day at school, Principal Haney asked Francine if she and her band could play the PTA fundraiser, and she said yes, though they didn't have a name yet. During practice, a man in the apartment building next door criticizes them, which inspires Francine to call the band U Stink. After the concert, U Stink becomes wildly popular throughout Elwood City, and Francine gets an interview with a local news channel in Elwood City, and she said that she refused to play the annual book sale at the library, saying that the fame is getting out of hand and that Fern didn't ask her. Fern said that it isn't selling out to be popular, and this leads Francine to quit the band, and they replace Francine with a drum machine. Meanwhile, Arthur and Buster's band practice doesn't go well, and U Stink is having trouble writing new songs without Francine, but then Muffy calls and offers to be their manager, which Fern accepts. When Fern and Francine fight, Mrs. MacGrady suggests to Fern that she should try to get Francine back, and then Muffy has the group shoot a music video, and that doesn't do so well. U Stink plays a gig at D.W.'s preschool and that doesn't do so well either. Meanwhile, Arthur asks Francine to join their band, and she said yes. Meanwhile, Muffy doesn't hear back from the Backstreet Boys, and she decides to go to their concert and winds up meeting Nick from the Backstreet Boys. Unfortunately, as U Stink is performing live for its first big gig, Fern isn't doing so well singing, but when the Backstreet Boys come out and start singing, Fern regains her confidence, and the concert turns out well for all the fans in attendance.

Trivia

 * D.W. dismisses Crazy Bus entirely. This is a reference to Joe Fallon leaving the show. She says, "Crazy Bus is for babies! I know a MILLION better songs!".
 * There are two Beatles references in this episode:
 * When Francine, Binky, and Fern are being chased by a group of preschoolers, the scene resembles A Hard Day's Night.
 * A news reporter called U Stink "The Fab Foursome" in this episode. The Beatles are often called "The Fab Four."
 * U Stink is never referred to in the series again, until "Breezy Listening Blues," where "Nothing But the Music" is heard when Francine plays it in the ice cream shop. Arthur and Buster also sing We Stink's song at one point.
 * At the end of this episode, the Backstreet Boys sing the Arthur theme song.
 * At the beginning of this episode, the Backstreet Boys are seen in real life, but then they came in Arthur animation.
 * The members of the band BINKY are seen several times throughout the episode. Since they are holograms, this is just the producers recycling character models for the many crowd scenes that needed them.

Fan Anticipation and Reaction
Initial reaction to the announcement of this special was negative from many fans. with many questioning the need to feature a band of this type on the program, particularly one that was already somewhat out-of-date. Following the airing of the special, fans were generally pleased to find that the program not only addressed such concerns, but its main message was actually about them, carrying a moral that it's okay to want to have things like fame and money, so long as one doesn't lose sight of important things like authenticity and the quality of the music.

Goofs

 * In the credits, "Larger Than Life" is listed, although only a portion of it is heard in the background after "Nothing but the Music".

Songs

 * "I Want it That Way"
 * "Nothing But the Music"
 * "Manager of My Dreams"
 * "We Stink Song"
 * "I Thought I Saw The Other Night"