Top 30 Boy Bands of All Times.
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Boyz II Men
Key Hot 100 Hit: "One Sweet Day" feat. Mariah Carey (No. 1 for 16 weeks)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "II" (No. 1 for five weeks)
With four Grammys and 22 years under their belts, the crooners in Boyz II Men are some of the most successful in boy band history. They've earned multi-platinum status on over 10 different albums, scored a slew of Hot 100 No. 1s including "End Of The Road," "I'll Make Love To You," "On Bended Knee," and the Mariah Carey collab "One Sweet Day." Earlier this year, Boyz II Men even scored a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. - Backstreet Boys
Key Hot 100 Hit: "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" (No. 2)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "Millennium" (No. 1 for 10 weeks)
The first group to send seven albums to the top 10 on the Billboard 200 since Sade, the Backstreet Boys not only had a trio of No. 1 albums, but they also tallied up six Hot 100 top 10 hits including well-loved tunes like "I Want It That Way" and "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)." From their 1996 self-titled debut to 2009's "This Is Us," Nick, Howie, A.J., Brian and Kevin have been snagging awards and selling out tours right up to their recent joint trek with New Kids on the Block as NKOTBSB.
- New Kids On the Block
Key Hot 100 Hit: "Step by Step" (No. 1 for three weeks)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "Hangin' Tough" (No. 1 for two weeks)
After riding the crest boy band mania in the late '80s, New Kids on the Block left the scene only to return for a comeback in 2008. With seven studio albums, the Boston-bred quintet has taken home two American Music Awards, hit the Hot 100 13 times, and put nine albums on the Billboard 200. After returning to the music industry with 2008's "The Block," Donnie, Danny, Joey, Jordan and Jonathan teamed up with the Backstreet Boys in 2011 as supergroup NKOTBSB.- 'N SYNC
Key Hot 100 Hit: "It's Gonna Be Me" (No. 1 for two weeks)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "No Strings Attached" (No. 1 for eight weeks)
Despite having one of the most short-lived boy band careers, 'N Sync was arguably the most famous, selling more than one million copies of "No Strings Attached" in a single week and working with artists like Elton John, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson and Celine Dion. The Grammy-nominated band performed at the World Series, the Super Bowl and the Olympics before disbanding in 2002. The members have all made singing and acting cameos since disbanding, with vocalist Justin Timberlake launching a very successful solo and acting career. - . All-4-One
Key Hot 100 Hit: "I Swear"(No. 1 for 11 weeks)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "All-4-One" (No. 7)
Harmony-driven pop-meets-R&B quartet All-4-One saw almost all of their success in the mid '90s, driven by their first two albums and one slow jam No. 1 mega-hit. The L.A. group's self-titled debut included their monster cover of country hit "I Swear," which stayed at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for 11 weeks and earned them a Grammy. - 112
Key Hot 100 Song: "Peaches & Cream"(No. 4)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "Part III" (No. 2)
With hits like 2001's "Peaches and Cream," 112 embodied the smooth R&B sound that proved so popular the late '90s and early '00s. The Atlanta quartet began on Diddy's Bad Boy Records in 1996, and their collab with Puff didn't end there: the rap mogul featured them on his Notorious B.I.G. tribute with Faith Evans, "I'll Be Missing You," which spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and earned them all Grammys in 1997. - 98 Degrees
Key Hot 100 Hit: "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" (No. 2)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "Revelation" (No. 2)
The Ohio-born boys of 98 Degrees met up and formed the band in L.A., started playing shows and were signed to Motown to release their first album in 1997. The group teamed up with Stevie Wonder for a track on the "Mulan" soundtrack and later collaborated with Mariah Carey on "Thank God I Found You." After going on hiatus in 2002, Nick Lachey scored a reality show gig with (former) wife Jessica Simpson, and more recently, hosting NBC's "The Sing-Off." Rumors of a 98 Degrees reunion show have been making waves recently and an announcement is expected later this year. - Jonas Brothers
Key Hot 100 Hit: "Burnin' Up" (No. 5)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "A Little Bit Longer" (No. 1 for two weeks)
Leading the late '00s resurgence of the boy band, brother trio the Jonas Brothers shot to fame after opening for Miley Cyrus and appearing on "Hannah Montana" in 2007. They scored their own Disney Channel show, "Jonas L.A.," and starred in Disney's "Camp Rock" (and the sequel) with Demi Lovato. With four studio albums (two of them platinum), the Jonas Brothers are on an unofficial hiatus, with Nick on Broadway, Joe pursuing a solo career and Kevin enjoying married life.- Hanson
Key Hot 100 Hit: "Mmmbop" (No. 1 for three weeks)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "Middle of Nowhere" (No. 2)
Best known for their 1997 hit "MMMBop," brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson earned three Grammy nominations and 22 weeks on the Hot 100 chart for the famed single from their major label debut "Middle of Nowhere." The band left Island Def Jam Records and formed their own label in the early '00s, winning over fans again with 2010's "Shout It Out," which rose to No. 2 on the Independent Albums chart. Later this year Hanson is set to tour Canada with "Call Me Maybe" singer Carly Rae Jepsen. - New Edition
Key Hot 100 Hit: "Hit Me Off" (No. 3)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "Home Again" (No. 1 for one week)
Though formed back in 1978, the Bobby Brown-led Boston R&B group is largely credited for paving the way for the boy band craze in that bubbled up in the '80s. The recently-reunited act saw early hits like dance anthem "Cool It Now" before hitting a grown-and-sexy stride with a big 1996 comeback, which included No. 3 hit "Hit Me Off" and its first No. 1 album "Home Again."
Boy bands have been a staple of pop music since rock first began to roll more than 60 years ago. The earliest "bands" were probably barbershop quartets in the 19th century and the doo-wop groups of the 1950s. But starting in the early '60s when the Beatles hit the pop charts for the first time, boy bands started to become big musical business. Take a musical trip back in time and get to know 30 of the biggest boy bands of all time.
A boy band (or boyband) is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation, singing love songs marketed towards young women. Being vocal groups, most boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on stage, making the term something of a misnomer. However, exceptions do exist. Many boy bands dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances.
Some such bands form on their own. They can evolve out of church choral or gospel music groups, but are often created by talent managers or record producers who hold auditions. Due to this and their general commercial orientation towards a female audience of preteens, teenyboppers, or teens, the term may be used with negative connotations in music journalism. Boy bands are similar in concept to their counterparts, girl groups. Boy bands' popularity peaked four times: in the 1960s (e.g., The Jackson 5), in the 1990s and early 2000s when acts such as the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, A1 and Westlife, among others, dominated the top of the Billboard and pop charts, in the early 2010s with the emergence of new boy bands such as JLS, Big Time Rush and One Direction, and in the late 2010s with pop groups such as BTS and Brockhampton.
Early history
The earliest forerunner of boy band music began in the late 19th century as a cappellabarbershop quartetsThey were usually a group of males and sang in four-part harmonies. Barbershop quartets were popular into the earlier part of the 20th century. A revival of the male vocal group took place in the late 1940s and 1950s with the use of doo-wop music. Doo-wop bands sang about topics such as love and other themes used in pop music. The earliest traces of boy bands were in the mid-1950s although the term boy band was not used. African American vocal group The Ink Spots was one of the first of what would now be called boy bands. The term boy band was not established until the late 1980s as before that they were called male vocal groups or "hep harmony singing groups".
Although generally described as a rock band, the highest-selling band in history The Beatles are considered by a number or journalists "the first" or "the original" boyband, "before anyone had thought of the term."
The Liverpool quartet known as The Beatles were not only the quintessential rock band, but many considered John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Star [sic] to be the original boy band – especially in the early 1960s when young girls would scream at the top of their lungs and pass out upon first sight of the “Fab Four."
The Beatles inspired the production of the 1966 television series The Monkees, which spawned the music group of the same name, formed by the four starring actors. The rock and pop band started a career in music after their songs from the TV series were released as successful records.
Late 1960s and 1970s: The Jackson 5 and the Osmonds
Although the term "boy band" was not commonly used yet, the earliest predecessors of this format were groups such as the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds which helped form the template for boy bands. The Jackson 5 were a siblings group that established many musical conventions that boy bands follow. For instance, their music featured close harmonies from soul music and catchy pop hooks influenced as much as they were by Motown and acts like the Supremes. The group also incorporated choreographed dance moves to their performances. All members of the band sang, which is a common convention of a boy band, as opposed to having a front man and the rest on instruments; thus, no one person dominated the stage. Also a siblings group, The Osmonds first started singing barbershop music for local audiences, before being hired to perform at Disneyland early in their career. Their appearance in a televised Disney special earned them additional TV spots, such as The Andy Williams Show and The Jerry Lewis Show.
Late 1970s and 1980s: Menudo, New Edition, and New Kids on the Block
Other antecedents (apart from those already mentioned) exist throughout the history of pop music. The genre has been copied into languages and cultures other than the Anglo-American. The Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, appealing to young Latina audiences, was founded in 1977. Menudo had a convention unique among boy bands: when a member turned 16, became too tall, or their voice changed, they were replaced. The members of Menudo were generally aged 12–16.
The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band who were most popular in the mid-1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at teeny-bopper acts of the 1970s". For a fairly brief but fervent period (nicknamed "Rollermania"), they were worldwide teen idols. The group were one of the first bands, like The Monkees before them, to take the formula shown by The Beatles and apply it to a teen market. The group achieved the same amount of success but for a limited period of time. At the peak of their popularity in the UK, comparisons were being made to The Beatles. Also by this time, Bay City Roller fans had a completely distinctive style of dress, the main elements of which were ankle-length tartan trousers and tartan scarves, the group using the benefit of merchandise and promotion
The German boy band The Teens formed in West Berlin1976 and had a couple of hits targeting young females. The band resolved in 1982.
In the US, the Cleveland-based power pop group Raspberries was generally interpreted as a "teen act", although all the band members played their own music. Vocalist Eric Carmen later commented, "It was not hip for people to like us, because their little sister liked us."
Boston group New Edition was formed in 1978 and reached their height of popularity in the 1980s, meaning they are often credited for starting the boy-band trend, even though the term "boy band" did not exist until the 1990s. Maurice Starr was influenced by New Edition and popularized it with his protégéNew Kids on the Block, the first commercially successful modern boy band, who formed in 1984 and found international success in 1988. Starr's idea was to take the traditional template from the R&B genre (in this case his teenage band New Edition) and apply it to a pop genre.
Bros (abbreviation of the word "brothers") were a British boy band active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, consisting of twin brothers Matt and Luke Goss along with Craig Logan. Formed in 1986, they scored multiple top 10 hits between 1987 and 1989 and in 1988 became the first modern era–style boy band to have a multiple platinum-selling album in the UK, with Push, still one of the most successful boy-band albums in the UK. Other big boy bands in Britain during the late 1980s were Big Fun and Brother Beyond.
1990s: Boyz II Men, Take That, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and Westlife
Some managers in Europe soon created their own acts after being inspired by New Kids on the Block, beginning with Nigel Martin-Smith's Take That in the UK (formed in 1990) and followed by Tom Watkins, who had success with Bros in the late 1980s and formed East 17 in 1991. Bros were marketed and pitted against Take That as rivals with a harsher attitude, style and sound. Since reforming in 2006 after a decade-long hiatus, Take That have become one of the most successful groups in British music chart history and their albums and singles have also charted internationally, especially in Europe. Irish music manager Louis Walsh, who had witnessed the impact of these British boy bands, put out an advert for an "Irish Take That", thereby creating Boyzone in 1993. Let Loose (formed in 1993), MN8 and 911 (formed in 1995), and Damage (formed in 1996) were also successful boy bands in Britain; however, by the late 1990s all these bands had run their course and split up.
All these artists were very successful on both the singles and albums charts domestically and internationally; however, with the emergence of Britpop and the commercial co-option of indie rock, many boy bands were ridiculed by the British music press as having no artistic credibility, although some, such as East 17 and Take That, did write most of their own material. The media attention was then placed on the "Battle of Britpop", and the bands Oasis and Blur replaced the importance and rivalry of Take That and East 17 as the two new biggest bands in Britain. However, boy bands continued to find success in the late 1990s, such as Five, Another Level, Point Break and Westlife. In 1995 successful German music manager Frank Farian, who had been manager of Boney M and Milli Vanilli, put together Latin American band No Mercy who scored a few worldwide hits during the mid-90s.
Although being American and the sons of Tito Jackson, a member of The Jackson 5, 3T had several hits singles across Europe in the mid-1990s, despite limited success in the US, and finished the second biggest selling act of 1996 in Europe behind the Spice Girls.With the success of North American boy bands like New Kids on the Block in East Asia, Japanese entertainment company Johnny & Associates formed SMAP in 1992. The group enjoyed tremendous success, selling over 35 million records.It paved the way for more Asian boy bands such as Arashi.
In the early 1990s in North America, with New Kids on the Block's continued success and Color Me Badd also having success, boy bands became a continued staple of the Billboard charts. Continuing this success in the mid-1990s, most prominent boy bands were African American and had R&B and gospel elements, such as the groups All-4-One (formed in 1993) and Boyz II Men (formed in 1988). Boyz II Men are also the most successful boy band act on the U.S. Hot 100 as well as the Australian Singles Chart. Although they had success on the Billboard charts, they were not marketed towards youth but more towards adults. It was not until 1997 and the change to pop-oriented groups such as Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, NSYNC, The Moffatts, and Hanson that boy bands exploded commercially and dominated the market in the United States. This late 1990s marked the height of boy band popularity in North America, which has not been seen since.
Arguably the most successful boy band manager from the U.S. was Lou Pearlman, who founded commercially successful acts such as the Backstreet Boys in 1993, NSYNC and LFO in 1995, O-Town in 2000, and US5 in 2005. Backstreet Boys and NSYNC became the two biggest boy bands in the late 1990s until the early 2000s, and Backstreet Boys went on to tie The Jackson 5 as the best-selling boy bands in history with over 100 million records sold.
In the late 1990s in the UK, producer Simon Cowell (noted in the U.S. for the American Idol/X Factor franchise) is also known for having managed British boyband Five (formed in 1997) and Irish boyband Westlife (formed in 1998). Westlife was created by Irishman Louis Walsh as a replacement for Boyzone and was initially managed by a former member of the band Ronan Keating. Westlife would eventually overtake Take That in number one's tally in the UK although Take That's overall UK sales are still higher. In 2012, the Official Charts Company revealed the biggest selling singles artists in British music chart history with Take That placed 15th overall and the highest selling boyband act (9.3 million), followed by Boyzone at 29 (7.1 million) and Westlife at 34 (6.8 million) Even though Cowell is known to have managed several successful boy bands, he is also infamous for passing on signing two of the biggest boybands to emerge from the 1990s and 2000s, Take That and Busted.
2010s: Big Time Rush, One Direction and rise of K-pop
In the early 2010s, there was somewhat of a resurgence of boy band popularity in countries where the trend had not maintained, with the emergence of new boy bands like Big Time Rush, The Wanted, and One Direction and the formation of supergroupNKOTBSB which comprised members of New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys.NKOTBSB's success inspired boy bands who were fairly popular during the 1990s and 2000s to make a comeback, such as A1, Blue, 98 Degrees, Five, 911, and O-Town. Like 2gether and The Monkees, Big Time Rush was a manufactured act created for a television show.
In Southeast Asia, local boy bands also emerged as a result of the continued success of Korean and Japanese boy bands such as SMAP, Shinhwa, TVXQ!, Arashi, Exile, Super Junior, Big Bang, SHINee, EXO, and BTS. One of the boy bands who emerged as a result of Hallyu (Korean wave) is Indonesia's SM*SH who enjoyed prominent success domestically. In the Philippines, a major boy band has been formed by bringing the first reality boy band search of the country called Pinoy Boyband Superstar which held mid 2016, after all the series of auditions, rigorous training and competition, the winners formed as a group called Boyband PH a five-piece Pinoy boy band which managed by Star Magic
In South Korea, boy bands have been commercially successful. On the Gaon Music Chart year-end albums chart of 2016, nine of the top 10 and 17 of the top 20 albums are by boy bands or by subunits/members of boy bands. BIGBANG, EXO had the second and third best-selling albums. Other boy bands with albums in the yearly top 20 of 2016 are BTS, SHINee, GOT7, Seventeen, INFINITE and VIXX.[30] In 2013 Billboard started covering music releases in kpop, though kpop had been entering the charts as early as 2009, signifying the growth of the hallyu wave in America.By 2017, BTS crossed into the international music market, furthering the Korean Wave in the United States and becoming the first Korean group to receive a certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with their single "Mic Drop". The band is the first Korean act to top the U.S. Billboard 200 with their studio album Love Yourself: Tear (2018) and have since hit the top of the U.S. charts with their albums Love Yourself: Answer (2018) and Map of the Soul: Persona (2019). Love Yourself: Answer also broke South Korea's Gaon Album Chart's all-time monthly record previously set by Love Yourself: Tear and became the first Korean album certified Gold in the United States. Super M later became the first kpop group to debut at #1 in the U.S. Billboard 200
In Japan, Arashi continue to be very successful, being the best-selling music artist in Japan from 2013 through 2017 by value of sales and also having the yearly best-selling album in the country in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. Other successful Japanese boy bands in this decade include Sandaime J Soul Brothers, the second best-selling music artist of 2016 in the country and Kanjani Eight, the fifth best-selling music artist of that year in Japan.
Although most boy bands consist of R&B or pop influences, other music genres, most notably country music and folk music, are also represented. South 65 and Marshall Dyllon, for example, were both country music boy bands. Divo, created by Simon Cowell in 2004, are a vocal group that performs operatic pop in several (mainly Italian) languages. Since then operatic/classical boy bands have become quite popular and common, especially in the UK. Since 2001 there has been some crossover with power pop and pop punk from bands that play live instruments. Just recently some boy bands decided to go back to their original doo-wop roots, most notably, The Overtones.
1962: The Beatles
Deserving of being ranked as the most influential pop group of all time, the Beatles hold a different place in history than all other boy bands. However, early in their career, they were marketed in a similar fashion as countless groups to come. Public appearances were accompanied by screaming teenagers, and every move was recounted in fan magazines. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr laid the groundwork for the legendary groups to come. Brian Epstein's plan was a success, and today the Beatles are ranked as the best-selling pop music artists of all time.
Key songs:
- "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
- "She Loves You"
- "Help!"
- "Hey Jude"
- "Get Back"
1966: The Monkees
The success of the Beatles' film "A Hard Day's Night" inspired film director Bob Rafelson and TV producer Bert Schneider to team up and put together a TV show about the misadventures of a band. The four group members of the Monkees were hired as much for their acting talent as their musical skill. However, with the pressure to perform live, the Monkees soon became adept at performing their music.
From the beginning, the group was a commercial success. Their first single, "Last Train to Clarksville," was a No. 1 hit. The Monkees followed it with five more top-10 hits. Eventually, they wrested away artistic control over their own recordings. While receiving positive critical notices, the group's popularity soon faded. Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork recorded the song "That Was Then, This Is Now," and took it to the pop top 40 as the Monkees in 1986, giving the group their first major hit in nearly 20 years. Member Davy Jones died in 2012.
Key songs:
- "Last Train to Clarksville"
- "I'm a Believer"
- "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You"
- "Pleasant Valley Sunday"
- "Daydream Believer"
The Jackson 5
The five Jackson brothers—Tito, Jermaine, Jackie, Marlon, and Michael—had significant success performing regionally in the Midwest before earning a Motown Records recording contract with an audition tape sent to label head Berry Gordy. In August 1969 they performed live as an opening act for the Supremes, and in October their single "I Want You Back" was released.
With 11-year-old Michael Jackson as lead vocalist for the group, the Jackson 5 had four consecutive No. 1 hits to kick off their career. Later leaving Motown for Epic Records and replacing oldest brother, Jermaine, with younger brother Randy, the group continued to record and have significant success as the Jacksons.
By the end of the 1970s Michael Jackson's success overshadowed that of the family act. The Jackson 5 hold a key place in the history of boy bands as both the first commercially successful family boy band and pioneers among R&B boy bands. Michael Jackson died in 2009.
Key songs:
- "I Want You Back"
- "ABC"
- "The Love You Save"
- "I'll Be There"
- "Dancing Machine"
1970: The Osmonds
The brother group that became the Osmonds began as a barbershop quartet in 1958. They then became TV regulars on "The Andy Williams Show." However, following the emerging success of the Jackson 5, music producer Mike Curb became convinced the Osmonds could find success on national pop charts.
Much like the Jackson 5, the Osmonds put their youngest member front and center. Thirteen-year-old Donny Osmond sang lead on the group's No. 1 pop breakthrough hit, "One Bad Apple." Between 1970 and 1975, the Osmonds had 10 top-40 hit singles. Five albums were certified gold, and the group's concerts were performed before thousands of screaming fans.
As with the Jackson 5, the Osmonds' lead vocalist Donny Osmond soon left the group to pursue a solo career. He and his sister Marie hosted a TV variety show, and both had several pop hits. In the 1980s the remaining Osmonds found success on the country charts, and the family continues to perform as of 2017.
Key songs:
- "One Bad Apple"
- "Yo-Yo"
- "Down by the Lazy River"
- "Crazy Horses"
- "Love Me for a Reason"
1974: Bay City Rollers
In the mid-1970s, the Bay City Rollers emerged from Scotland to become, for a brief period, the biggest British boy band since the Beatles. They chose their name by throwing a dart at a map of the United States, and it landed near Bay City, Mich.
Following the group's rise to success in the U.K., legendary Arista label chief Clive Davis decided to bring the group to the U.S. pop market. His intuition paid off when the song "Saturday Night" went to No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts in late 1975. The group reached the pop top 10 in the U.S. two more times and released four gold certified albums.
Between 2007 and 2016, the Bay City Rollers were embroiled in legal disputes with Arista for allegedly failing to pay millions of dollars in past royalties. The case was settled out of court.
Key songs:
- "Saturday Night"
- "Money Honey"
- "Rock n' Roll Love Letter"
- "I Only Want to Be With You"
- "You Made Me Believe in Magic"
1977: Menudo
Puerto Rican music producer Edgardo Díaz first found success managing the Spanish teen group La Pandilla. In the mid-1970s he returned to his native Puerto Rico to form a new boy band. His concept for the group was a lineup that would change as current members got older so that the membership remained permanently young. The group found moderate success in the late 1970s until the 1981 album "Quiero Ser" brought them significant success throughout Latin America.
By 1983 Menudo's fan base had begun to grow in the U.S. as well. ABC included music spots by the group in its Saturday morning programming lineup. The group reached the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. one time—with the 1985 single "Hold Me." Menudo became noted for launching the careers of Latin music performers, most notably that of Ricky Martin.
Key songs:
- "Claridad"
- "Hold Me"
- "Besame"
- "Historia del Primer Amor"
- "Besame en La Playa"
1983: New Edition
Childhood friends Bobby Brown, Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell, Travis Pettus, and Corey Rackley formed the first lineup of New Edition as childhood friends in the late 1970s. Later Pettus and Rackley were replaced by Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe for the group's classic lineup. They earned their big break performing at a talent night competition in 1982 held by Boston-based producer Maurice Starr. They finished second in the competition, but Maurice Starr was impressed enough that he invited the group to his studio to record their debut album the next day.
New Edition's first single, "Candy Girl," was a No. 1 R&B hit. The following year the teenagers became mainstream pop stars when their single "Cool It Now" hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. New Edition is arguably the most influential R&B boy band of all time. In addition to their own eight top-40 pop hits, they spun off the successful trio Bell Biv Devoe and the solo careers of Bobby Brown and Johnny Gill, who had joined the group to replace Bobby Brown. The group's reunion album "One Love" hit No. 12 in 2004.
Key songs:
- "Candy Girl"
- "Cool It Now"
- "Mr. Telephone Man"
- "If It Isn't Love"
- "Hit Me Off"
1986: New Kids on the Block
Following his success with New Edition, producer Maurice Starr decided to put together another boy band. The first member chosen was Donnie Wahlberg, and he helped recruit the group's other members among friends and acquaintances. His brother Mark Wahlberg was originally part of New Kids on the Block, but he chose to quit and was replaced by 12-year-old Joey McIntyre. Columbia Records released the group's first album in 1986. The relative failure of the bubblegum pop of the self-titled release led to more artistic input for the group members.
New Kids on the Block made their first major chart impact in 1988 with the ballad "Please Don't Go Girl" from their album "Hangin' Tough." Support from MTV kicked in, and soon the group had two consecutive No. 1 hits: "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)," and the album's title song. New Kids on the Block released nine consecutive top-10 pop hit singles and led the way to what many consider the golden era of boy bands in the 1990s. The group went on hiatus for nearly 15 years but came back together in 2008 with the top-40 hit "Summertime," and as of 2017 they still occasionally perform.
Key songs:
- "Step by Step"
- "Hangin' Tough"
- "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)"
- "You Got It (The Right Stuff)"
- "Tonight"
1991: Boyz II Men
The vocal group that became Boyz II Men was formed in 1985 as Unique Attraction at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. The band got its big break in 1989 when they sneaked backstage to sing for New Edition member Michael Bivins, who was impressed enough that he decided to manage the group. Following disputes and shuffling in membership, Boyz II Men recorded their first album with the group's classic lineup of Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman.
Boyz II Men had a smash hit with their very first single, "Motownphilly," which details the group's route to success. It reached No. 3 on the pop chart and earned a platinum certification for sales. By 1995 the group had released three of the biggest hit singles of all time, including "End of the Road," "I'll Make Love to You," and "One Sweet Day" with Mariah Carey. During their career, Boyz II Men have sold nearly 30 million albums.
Key songs
- "Motownphilly"
- "End of the Road"
- "I'll Make Love to You"
- "It's So Hard to Say Goodb
1991: Take That
In 1989, having seen the success of New Kids on the Block in the United States, English band manager Nigel Martin-Smith decided to put together a British version. His vision included music that hopefully would appeal to a broad audience beyond just teens. He first hired Gary Barlow and then built the group around him. Robbie Williams was the final member to join.
Take That had its first TV appearance in 1990, entered the charts in 1991, and experienced a major breakthrough with a 1992 top-10 pop remake of R&B group Tavares' "It Only Takes a Minute." Take That soon became one of the biggest U.K. pop groups of all time. By 1996, the band had reached No. 1 on the U.K. pop singles chart eight times. Following disputes over drug abuse issues, Robbie Williams left the group in the summer of 1995, and Take That disbanded in 1996.
Robbie Williams went on to become one of the biggest U.K. male solo artists of all time, while the solo careers of the other members faltered. The group reunited without Robbie Williams in 2006 and experienced significant commercial success. In 2010 Robbie Williams rejoined the group for the album "Progress." Even with their massive worldwide success, Take That only had one major pop hit in the U.S.: "Back for Good" reached No. 7 in 1995.
Key songs:
- "Back for Good"
- "Never Forget"
- "Patience"
- "The Flood"
- "How Deep Is Your Love"
1994: Boyzone
Irish musical entrepreneur Louis Walsh set out to form an "Irish Take That" in the early 1990s. He held auditions in November 1993, and more than 300 hopefuls appeared. It took some time for the lineup to settle, but by late 1994 the classic roster of Shane Lynch, Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, and Keith Duffy was in place. Boyzone found success at home in Ireland with its first single, a cover version of the Four Seasons' "Working My Way Back to You." It was followed by the November 1994 release of their cover of the Osmonds' "Love Me for a Reason," which hit No. 2 in the U.K.
Boyzone became one of the most durable British Isles boy bands of all time. By the time the 1990s ended, the group had reached the U.K. top 10 with 16 singles. With the new decade, the group went on hiatus. The group came back together for a concert tour and new single "Love You Anyway" in 2008. Tragedy struck the group in 2009 with the sudden death of Stephen Gately, but Boyzone has continued. The band celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2018.
Key songs:
- "No Matter What"
- "Words"
- "Love Me For a Reason"
- "Love You Anyway"
- "All That I Need"
1995: Backstreet Boys
The future members of Backstreet Boys were already familiar with each others' talents when they auditioned to be members of a vocal group being formed by Florida-based entrepreneur Lou Pearlman, who was inspired by the success of New Kids on the Block. After forming in 1993, the group began building a fan base through performances at shopping malls and high schools. In 1995 the group flew to Sweden to work with rising pop producer Max Martin. Their single "We've Got It Goin' On" became a top-5 hit across Europe.
After Backstreet Boys emerged as pop stars in Europe, the music industry took notice in the U.S., and "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" became the group's first top-10 hit. Soon Backstreet Boys were one of the biggest pop groups in the world. Their 1999 album, "Millenium," sold more than 1.1 million copies in its first week of release. "Black & Blue," released in 2000, opened even bigger—with 1.6 million copies sold in its first week. The group's massive mainstream success soon faded, but Backstreet Boys have continued an unbroken streak of top-10 charting albums, including 2013's "In a World Like This." In 2017, the group began a residency in Las Vegas.
Key songs:
- "I Want It That Way"
- "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"
- "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)"
- "Incomplete"
- "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely"
1995: Hanson
In the early 1990s the three Hanson brothers—Isaac, Taylor, and Zac—built a regional following around their native Tulsa, Okla. They released two independent albums and earned a break when manager Christopher Sabec signed them after seeing them perform at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Tex. Multiple labels turned the group down until Steve Greenberg signed them to Mercury. Produced by the Dust Brothers, the group's debut album "Middle of Nowhere" exploded on the strength of the single "MMMBop." It has a classic boy-band sound, with lead vocals by 11-year-old Zac Hanson.
Hanson returned to the pop top-10 with the hit "I Will Come to You," but the follow-up album, "This Time Around," failed to generate major success. Frustrated with major label artistic restrictions, Hanson set out to record and release its music independently. The band has pioneered self-releasing its own music, with three top-30 albums, including "Anthem" in 2013.
Key songs:
- "MMMBop"
- "I Will Come to You"
- "This Time Around"
- "Where's the Love"
- "Give a Little"
1996: *NSYNC
After Chris Kirkpatrick missed getting selected for the Backstreet Boys, he met with entrepreneur Lou Pearlman about forming a second group. A deal was struck on the condition that Chris Kirkpatrick could find the other band members. *NSYNC was initially signed to German label BMG Ariola Munich. They were sent to Sweden to record with Max Martin. The group's first single, "I Want You Back," was released in Germany in 1996 and hit the top 10.
Following the same path as the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC earned a U.S. contract after significant European success. "I Want You Back" was released in the U.S. in January 1998, and it reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following highly publicized conflicts with Pearlman, the group reached an out-of-court settlement and set about recording its second album, "No Strings Attached." It was released In March 2000 and sold a record 2.42 million copies in its first week.
*NSYNC's follow-up album, "Celebrity," opened with sales of nearly 1.9 million. However, by 2002 the group was on hiatus; Justin Timberlake launched a phenomenally successful solo career. *NSYNC regrouped briefly for a live performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.
Key songs:
- "Bye Bye Bye"
- "Tearin' Up My Heart"
- "It's Gonna Be Me"
- "Pop"
- "This I Promise You"
1997: 98 Degrees
Although all of the members of 98 Degrees have roots in Ohio, the group was formed in Los Angeles. Unlike a number of other boy bands of the time, the group members wrote much of their own material and aimed to differentiate themselves from their competition. 98 Degrees earned a recording contract with Motown Records.
With influences from label mates Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees first hit the charts with "Invisible Man" in 1997. Within the next three years, they broke into the pop top 10 with four singles, including the No. 1 hit "Thank God I Found You" with Mariah Carey and Joe. It was followed by one of the group's signature hits, "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)."
The group went on hiatus in 2003 after three albums together. Group member Nick Lachey found some success as a solo artist. They reunited in 2012 and released the studio album "2.0" in 2013. The album peaked at a disappointing No. 65 on the album chart.
Key songs:
- "I Do (Cherish You)"
- "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)"
- "The Hardest Thing"
- "Because of You"
- "Thank God I Found You," with Mariah Carey and Joe
1997: LFO
An early version of LFO released a cover of Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" and a cover of New Kids on the Block's "Step by Step" in the mid-1990s with little success. Finally in 1999 the single "Summer Girls" gained traction and eventually hit No. 3. The group's self-titled debut album earned platinum certification and included the top-10 follow-up "Girl on TV."
After disappointing sales of LFO's second album, "Life Is Good," the group parted ways in 2002. They came back together for a brief reunion in 2009. In 2010 founding member Rich Cronin died after battling leukemia.
Key songs:
- "Summer Girls"
- "Girl on TV"
- "Every Other Time"
- "Life Is Good," featuring M.O.P.
- "I Don't Wanna Kiss You Goodnight"
1999: Arashi
The Japanese translation for the word Arashi is "Storm." The group Arashi was formed in 1999 by producer Johnny Kitagawa. The band's debut single, "Arashi," became the theme song for the 1999 Volleyball World Cup hosted by Japan. The group's next single, "Sunrise Nippon / Horizon," debuted at No. 1 in Japan.
Arashi's sales declined in the following decade, but the group made a comeback in 2007 with the No. 1 single "Love So Sweet." The band's commercial success in Japan has continued from this second wave of success to the present day. The triple-platinum single "Calling/Breathless" was one of the biggest Japanese hit singles of 2013. Arashi has sold more than 30 million records worldwide.
Key songs:
- "Calling/Breathless"
- "Love So Sweet"
- "Troublemaker"
- "Arashi"
- "My Girl"
1999: Shinhwa
Boy band Shinhwa is one of the most successful and enduring K-Pop groups of all time. The group was formed under the management of SM Entertainment in 1998, but they moved to Good Entertainment in 2003. In 2011 Shinhwa formed its own management company to perform and record together independently.
Shinhwa earned significant chart success with its second album, "T.O.P.," released in 1999. Shinhwa's career was interrupted in 2008 by mandatory military service for the group members. Their comeback album, "The Return," was released in 2012. In 2015 the group released its 12th album, "We."
Key songs:
- "Resolver"
- "Venus"
- "This Love"
- "Sniper"
- "T.O.P. (Twinkling of Paradise)"
1999: Westlife
Irish boy band Westlife began as a group named Six As One. In the process of seeking a recording contract with Simon Cowell, three members of the group were fired and replaced by Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden. The new configuration was renamed Westlife and managed by Boyzone's manager, Louis Walsh, along with Boyzone member Ronan Keating.
The group gained significant exposure opening in concert for Backstreet Boys and Boyzone in Dublin, Ireland. Westlife's 1999 debut single, "Swear It Again," was a No. 1 hit in the U.K. and Ireland. It also became the group's only single to break into the U.S. pop charts, reaching No. 20.
Westlife became one of the most successful pop groups of all time in the U.K. Between 1999 and 2006 the band hit No. 1 on the U.K. pop singles chart 13 times. By the time the group called it quits in 2012, Westlife had reached the top 10 with 24 singles and had released 10 platinum albums.
Key songs:
- "You Raise Me Up"
- "Swear It Again"
- "Uptown Girl"
- "The Rose"
- "If I Let You Go"
2000: O-Town
O-Town was one of the first bands formed on a TV reality show. The group members were participants on the MTV series "Making the Band" in 2000. Ikaika Kahoano was originally part of O-Town, but he left to return to Hawaii and attend medical school. The TV show was successful enough that the group participated in two additional seasons.
O-Town was signed to J Records after the first season of "Making the Band." The single "Liquid Dreams" reached the top 10 and was followed by the group's signature song, "All or Nothing." The group's second album, "O2," failed to find commercial success, and O-Town disbanded in 2003. In 2013 four group members reunited and began working on a new recording, minus Ashley Parker Angel, who refused to participate. The album "Lines & Circles" was released in 2014.
Key songs:
- "All or Nothing"
- "Liquid Dreams"
- "I Showed Her"
- "These Are the Days"
- "We Fit Together"
2001: B2K
R&B boy band was named B2K, meaning "Boys of the New Millennium." The group came together in 1998 under the management of Chris Stokes. Omarion was the last member to join the original lineup. The group earned its breakthrough in 2001 with the top-40 pop hit single "Uh Huh."
"Bump, Bump, Bump"—the lead single from B2K's second album, "Pandemonium!"—became a No. 1 pop smash. It was followed by another top-40 hit "Girlfriend." B2K announced its breakup in 2004. Group member Omarion has emerged as a successful solo artist; Chris Stokes became manager of Omarion's solo career.
In 2013, Jhene Aiko, who got her start appearing in B2K videos as group member Lil Fizz's "cousin," kicked off her own successful solo career with the top-10-charting EP "Sail Out."
Key songs:
- "Bump, Bump, Bump"
- "Uh Huh"
- "Gots Ta Be"
- "Girlfriend"
- "Badaboom"
2001: Blue
U.K. boy band Blue emerged out of the ashes of a Simon Cowell project. With the lineup of Antony Costa, Duncan James, Lee Ryan, and Simon Webbe, Blue began recording its first album. The debut single, "All Rise," was produced and co-written by Norwegian duo Stargate. It reached No. 4 in the U.K. in 2001.
Blue released three consecutive No. 1 albums in the U.K., generating generated 10 top-10 pop hit singles. The group disbanded in 2004, and all four members released top-40 pop hits in the U.K. Blue reunited in 2009 and released two more albums before disbanding in 2014.
Key songs:
- "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
- "U Make Me Wanna"
- "I Can"
- "One Love"
- "Too Close"
2004: TVXQ
TVXQ began as a K-Pop boy band signed to SM Entertainment in 2003. The group made its first public appearance in a 2003 showcase featuring BoA and Britney Spears. With extensive TV support the group's first single, "Hug," reached the top 5 on the South Korean pop chart.
In the latter part of the decade, TVXQ became one of the most successful of K-Pop bands. After legal turmoil with the group's management company, TVXQ returned as a duo in 2011. The band ranks as the best-selling Korean album act and best-selling foreign act in the Japanese singles market.
Key songs:
- "Hug"
- "Keep Your Head Down"
- "Share the World"
- "Break Out!"
- "Something
2005: Jonas Brothers
Before the Jonas Brothers performed as a trio, youngest brother Nick pursued recording as a solo artist. However, when Columbia Records president Steve Greenberg heard the trio perform the song "Please Be Mine," he signed all three brothers as a group. The Jonas Brothers' first single, "Mandy," received exposure on MTV's "Total Request Live" in early 2006.
The Jonas Brothers' debut album, "It's About Time," found limited success. However, with strong TV exposure, the self-titled second album was a top-5 hit. By the time of 2008's "A Little Bit Longer," the Jonas Brothers had become one of the hottest pop recording artists. The album hit No. 1 and included the hits "Burnin' Up" and "Tonight."
The follow-up album "Lines, Vines, and Trying Times" was a commercial disappointment, and in 2013, members of the group announced they were going their separate ways professionally. Nick Jonas has since emerged as a successful solo artist, and Joe Jonas is a leader of the group DNCE.
Key songs:
- "Burnin' Up"
- "Tonight"
- "SOS"
- "Lovebug"
- "Pom Poms"
2005: Super Junior
Super Junior, formed in 2005 by K-Pop management organization SM Entertainment, has had as many as 13 members at one time. The group was formed mostly by individuals who had a background in television and media. Conceptually, Super Junior was designed with plans to regularly change the group membership. Super Junior's official debut occurred in November 2005.
Super Junior broke into Asian markets outside of South Korea with its 2009 album, "Sorry, Sorry." The group's 2011 album, "Mr. Simple," became the first of three consecutive releases to land on the U.S. Heatseekers chart. The song "Mr. Simple" was a top-5 hit on the Korean Hot 100. In 2015 Super Junior celebrated its 10th anniversary with the release of the album "Devil." In 2015, the group won the International Artist Award at the Teen Choice Awards.
Key songs:
- "Sorry, Sorry"
- "Mr. Simple"
- "Devil"
- "Super Girl"
2009: JLS
Oritse Williams, Marvin Humes, J.B. Gill, and Aston Merrygold came together to form a British boy band named UFO in 2006. In 2008, they auditioned for "X Factor" and were forced to change their name due to another group already using the name UFO. The band chose JLS as an initialism of their musical style "Jack the Lad Swing." JLS finished second to Alexandra Burke on "X Factor" and signed a recording contract with Epic Records in January 2009.
JLS experienced instant success in the U.K. Five of its first seven singles all went to No. 1, and the group's first three albums were all certified platinum for sales. After four studio albums and 10 top-10 pop hit singles in the U.K, JLS disbanded in 2013.
Key songs:
- "She Makes Me Wanna," featuring Dev
- "Beat Again"
- "Love You More"
- "The Club Is Alive"
- "Everybody in Love"
2010: Big Time Rush
In a similar fashion to the Monkees more than 40 years before, Big Time Rush is a band that came together specifically to star in a TV series. This time the series, also named "Big Time Rush," was oriented to kids on the Nickelodeon network. The TV series was an instant hit, giving Nickelodeon its highest-rated live-action series debut ever.
The first Big Time Rush album, titled "BTR," debuted at No. 3 on the album chart in the U.S. and received a gold certification for sales. The group also found success around the world, peaking at No. 14 in the U.S. The single "Boyfriend" featuring Snoop Dogg broke into the mainstream pop radio top 40. The group's second album, "Elevate," appeared in 2011, and in 2012 the group starred in the full-length film "Big Time Movie." The group released a third studio album "24 / Seven" before disbanding in 2014.
Key songs:
- "Boyfriend," featuring Snoop Dogg
- "Worldwide"
- "Windows Down"
- "Big Time Rush"
- "Music Sounds Better With U"
2010: The Wanted
The British-Irish boy band The Wanted were put together in 2009 after a series of mass auditions of more than 1,000 hopefuls. The group was managed by Scooter Braun, best known for his work with Justin Bieber. In 2010 The Wanted released its debut single, "All Time Low," and it hit No. 1 on the U.K. pop singles chart.
After two more top-10 hits, The Wanted returned to No. 1 on the U.K. pop singles chart in 2011 with "Glad You Came." Unlike many British and Irish boy bands before them, The Wanted was able to cross the Atlantic successfully, and "Glad You Came" became a hit in the U.S.
In January 2014 the group announced an indefinite hiatus. Nathan Sykes kicked off his solo career with the top-10 U.K. pop hit single "Over and Over Again." It also reached No. 1 on the dance chart in the U.S.
Key songs:
- "Glad You Came"
- "Chasing the Sun"
- "Glow in the Dark"
2011: One Direction
Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson all competed in 2010 as solo artists on British talent show "The X Factor." They were eliminated but then called back to form a group. The new group, One Direction, finished in third place. Simon Cowell immediately signed them to a recording contract.
One Direction's lead single, "What Makes You Beautiful," was an international success. It went to No. 1 in the U.K. and No. 4 in the U.S. Since that time, One Direction has become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. The group's first four albums all topped the U.S. album chart and earned platinum certification for sales. Three of their singles—"Live While We're Young," "Best Song Ever," and "Drag Me Down"—all debuted inside the top 3 on the U.S. pop singles chart.
Zayn Malik left One Direction in 2015, and the group announced a hiatus in 2016. Malik and bandmate Harry Styles have both since released solo albums.
Key songs:
- "Best Song Ever"
- "What Makes You Beautiful"
- "Story of My Life"
- "Live While We're Young"
- "Drag Me Down"
2014: 5 Seconds of Summer
The band 5 Seconds of Summer came together in Australia in late 2011 and first gained attention by posting videos on YouTube. They caught the attention of One Direction member Louis Tomlinson, who shared links to videos of 5 Seconds of Summer with his fans. The group experienced the big break when they were chosen to open for One Direction in concert on their 2013 Take Me Home Tour.
In early 2014, 5 Seconds of Summer released its debut major-label single, "She Looks So Perfect." It reached the top 40 in the U.S. and was followed by two other top 40 hits: "Amnesia" and "Good Girls." The group's self-titled debut album was released in July 2014 and topped the U.S. album chart and charts in other countries around the world. They kept the momentum going in the summer of 2015 with the top-40 pop hit "She's Kinda Hot." Their second studio album, "Sounds Good Feels Good," was released in October 2015. It debuted at No. 1 on the album chart.
Key songs:
- "She Looks So Perfect"
- "Amnesia"
- "She's Kinda Hot"
- "Good Girls"
- "What I Like About You"
America Members of the Classic Band Lineup
Dewey Bunnell (born January 19, 1952 in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England): vocals, guitar, percussion
Gerry Beckley (born Gerald Linford Beckley, September 12, 1952 in Ft. Worth, TX): vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, harmonica
Dan Peek (born November 1, 1950 in Panama City, FL): vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, harmonica
History of America (The Band)
Early years: The three guiding members of America, despite their name, met in strangely similar, decidedly multinational circumstances. All three were Air Force "brats," having grown up in the States but transferred to the US base in London — all children of American military personnel with British wives! — and attending Central High, an American-style high school set up specifically for such children. In 1968, they began performing in nearby clubs, but upon graduation, they naturally grew apart, with Peek returning to his native Virginia to attend college. Eventually, however, the trio decided to reunite in London.
Success: Scenester and club DJ Jeff Dexter soon took notice of the group's abilities while seeing them gig around the city, and soon he lined up an audition with Warner Bros' London division. The trio's debut single, "I Need You," would eventually become a hit in the States, but while it established them in the UK, America the country wasn't buying. That is, until the second single, "A Horse With No Name," was released. Striking a chord with its style (very reminiscent of Neil Young) and oblique, dreamy lyrics, it shot straight to the top, and America the band took off; their debut album spun off three hit singles.
