I have such an obsession for everything '90s! Being born in 1995, I kind of wish that I was born a little bit earlier to appreciate everything the '90s gave to us. From music to movies, television and fashion, we wish that we can just hop up into a time machine and go back in time to relive the wonder of the 90's.
Now I want to bring up the music of the '90s. I have such a love for '90s music that it is unhealthy! Expect a few more articles from me that talk about it, but it's just so wonderful! 90's music has such a diverse taste to it, going from grunge to R&B and Hip-Hop, to teen pop.
And speaking of teen pop, let's look into one of the biggest crazes of the 90's: boy bands. Boy bands were the dominant scene of the '90s, winning the hearts of many young girls (and some boys) all over the world. And we had some great ones like New Kids on the Block, Take That, Westlife, 98 Degrees. But none of them compared to the two most infamous boy bands out there, NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys.
These two groups dominated the scene from the late 90's all the way until the early 2000s. Their songs are some of the most recognizable lyrics that we here today. Just the first note alone of "I Want It That Way" sends every nostalgic person into a frenzy. Now I will choose who is my favorite, but let's take a quick look at their successes.
The Backstreet Boys
Consisting of A.J., Howie, Nick, Kevin, and Brian, the Backstreet Boys formed in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. Under the guidance of famed producer Max Martin, Backstreet Boys released their debut album on August 12th, 1997 (this is the U.S debut, I believe they debuted earlier in Europe in like '95). Anyway, we knew this group was going to be a huge with their songs like 'Quit Playing Games With My Heart" (my personal favorite), "As Long As You Love Me", and "All I Have to Give."
We swooned over these guys and chanted "We want more!" And boy did we get more with "Millennium" in 1999. It's one of the best-selling albums worldwide and was a monster hit! "I Want it That Way" is what catapulted this group into superstars and even handing them a few Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year.
In 2001, the boys released "Black & Blue" Though not as successful as "Millennium", it did manage to score some hits with "Shape of My Heart". As the boy band craze started to die down, so did the Backstreet Boys at one point. They released "Never Gone" in 2005, and "Unbreakable" in 2007 (without Kevin Richardson). And even if the obsession of boy bands had ended, the Backstreet Boys remain one of the top-selling boy bands of all time! They even continue to tour to this day with Kevin back in the group. Now let's look at their opponents.
NSYNC
Managed by Lou Pearlman, Justin, JC, Chris, Joey, and Lance formed NSYNC in 1995 in Orlando, Florida. Like the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC found success in Europe before finding success in the United States. With their self-titled debut being released in March 1998, NSYNC became a household name with songs like "I Want You Back," "Tearin Up My Heart," and "I Drive Myself Crazy."
Fast forward to 2000 and we have "No Strings Attached" (one of my favorite albums) and NSYNC become just as big as the Backstreet Boys. How could you not turn up when "It's Gonna Be Me" and "Bye Bye Bye" came on? I still jam out to those songs and it never gets old. And then you get sad and sentimental when "This I Promise You" comes on. It's such a great album that I can listen to over and over again from start to finish.
It's sad to think that "Celebrity" was NSYNC's final album. And it had great songs like "Pop," "Girlfriend" and "Gone." Things ended once Justin Timberlake broke away to start his solo career, which is one heck of a solo career if you ask me, because that man has released some fantastic albums. The group broke up and went their separate ways. They reunited for one night at the 2013 VMA's where Justin was receiving the Vanguard Award, and performed on stage for the first time in years! Don't you just love your reunions?
Results
As much as I cherish both boy bands, if I had to choose one... It would have to be NSYNC. I think that NSYNC released some great songs that are still played today. I do love Backstreet Boys, but I can only go through a few songs of theirs. And plus, Backstreet Boys don't have a successful meme for themselves
