Alvin and the Chipmunks

This trio of high-pitched rodents was invented by Ross Bagdasarian (aka Dave Seville) way back in 1958. They had an animated show in 1961. After Ross's death in 1972, his son, Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., took over the franchise and revived the group with some albums and a new animated series (Alvin and the Chipmunks, 1983-1991). They've been around longer than the Rolling Stones, which ain't bad for what amounts to a glorified cover band. They had EIGHT top 40 hits from Dec. 1958 to Dec. 1962. Granted, three of those were the same recording of their Christmas novelty, "The Chipmunk Song". Even more bizarrely, they once covered that tune in a collaboration with 60's blues rock band Canned Heat! They've also made a couple of straight-to-video movies, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein (1999) and Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman (2000). The members are Alvin, the roguish egotistical leader, Simon the bespectacled smart one, and Theodore the fat one who likes to eat. And of course, their manager and father figure, Dave Seville- "ALVVV-I-I-I-I-N!!" Personally, I think Dave beats the Chipmunks, and one day Alvin is going to snap and slit Dave's throat while he's sleeping.

See also The Chipettes