With the reemergence of the boy band in newcomers One Direction and The Wanted, Rolling Stone asked its readers to name their favorite boy band of all time. The Backstreet Boys came out on top, beating out The Beatles, ‘Nsync and The Jonas Brothers.
Rounding off the top 10 were:
10. New Edition – The R&B group – made up of Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill – was popular in the 1980s, leading the way for New Kids on the Block and later ‘Nsync and The Backstreet Boys.
9. Take That – Launching the career of Robbie Williams, the vocal pop group dominated charts in Europe in the early 90s.
8. The Beach Boys – Currently on tour, the Beach Boys were big in the 60s with dozens of top 40 hits, including “Surfin’ Safari,” “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “I Get Around.”
7. The Jonas Brothers – Gaining popularity from their Disney Channel show, Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas were, until recently, the only major boy band to make an impact on music charts since the late 90s.
6. The Monkees – Created for a television show, the band was popular in the late 60’s with “Daydream Believer” and “I’m a Believer.”
5. ‘Nsync – Giving rise to Justin Timberlake, ‘Nsync dominated charts in the 90’s with hits like “Bye Bye Bye” and “I Want You Back.”
4. The Jackson 5 – Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, the Jackson 5 – made up of Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Michael Jackson – were one of the biggest acts of the 1970s.
3. New Kids On The Block – With hits like “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” and “Step by Step,” NKOTB were popular in the late 80s but continued to have popularity as they toured with The Backstreet Boys in 2011.
2. The Beatles – The Fab Four – Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – were only together for 10 years but are the best-selling act in music history.
1. The Backstreet Boys – A. J., Howie, Brian, Nick and Kevin rose to fame as BSB in the 90s, with hits like “I Want It That Way” and “Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely.”
What’s your favorite boy band of all time? What’s your definition of a “boy band”?
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.