Since the beginning of the music industry, there have been numerous boy bands that have embarked the charts and created household names and contributions through pop culture. Boy bands have been around since our grandparents were kids, and it doesn’t seem like they’re leaving anytime soon.
The common occurrence that happens with boy bands is girls everywhere will pick one boy to be her favorite. Many bands will have one member that stands above the rest who may take the cake on being the frontman of the group. Because we have been given a plethora of bands to relish in, here is a ranking of the top 10 boy bands of all time.
10. 98 Degrees
In the prime of the 90s when boy bands made a comeback to the pop culture scene, 98 Degrees was one of the many bands that had teenage girls swooning over good looks and sweet words sung by attractive men. Consisting of four boys, two of which were the famous Lachey brothers, Drew and Nick, the band topped the charts with their hit song “I Do (Cherish You).”
9. Hanson
In the late 1990’s “MMMBop” was blasting out of every radio station. The three boys that were singing the famous one-hit wonder were the Hanson brothers. The dynamic trio melted hearts everywhere and still continue to perform their famous hit to this day.
8. Boyz II Men
The late 80s/early 90s version of the Jackson 5 was better known as Boyz II Men. From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the group sang slow ballads that are still relevant and played to this day. The group still tour and perform some of their greatest hits that topped the charts during the beginning of their careers.
7. New Kids on the Block
If you were a teenage girl in the late 80s, chances are your bedroom walls were covered in posters of one of five members from New Kids on the Block. Originating from Boston, the five boys grouped together to create hits such as “Step by Step” and “The Right Stuff.”
Since the band officially broke up in 1995, Donnie Wahlberg couldn’t stay out of the spotlight by getting in trouble with the law, and being attached to his more famous brother Marky Mark. In 2013 the boys decided to put their “Members Only” jackets back on and dust off their vocal chords. The group has been touring ever since and make appearances alongside another boy band, the Backstreet Boys.
6. Backstreet Boys
When you think of boy bands, Backstreet Boys are one of the first groups that come to mind. The matching outfits, the synchronized dance moves, and the god-awful hair that screams the 90s. In 1997, the group debuted their freshman album that created an overnight sensation everywhere. The group continues to perform through various tours, and a soon to be permanent show in Vegas.
5. Jackson 5
In the late 60’s, early 70’s, the Ed Sullivan Show had an African American family guest star. At the time, this was unheard of. What America heard for the first time was a young Michael Jackson performing with his brothers. They would continue to go on gracing records through Motown and creating a name for themselves from a low-income family from Indiana, to a successful group in California. The start of the Jackson 5 is what helped launch Michael’s career and eventually lead him to the legend he is today.
4. NSYNC
Similar to the success of Backstreet Boys, NSYNC was another household name that had girls fainting at the sound of their name. The success of the band has lead various members to solo careers that are still successful. Their hits such as “Bye Bye Bye,” and “It’s Gonna Be Me,” have still been used in various commercials, TV shows, and movies to this day. A couple of decades later and the success of Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, and of course Justin Timberlake, have skyrocketed since their days in the famous boy band.
3. The Jonas Brothers
Similar to other family dynamics, these boys from Jersey brought back boybands when there was a plateau after the 90s. In the late 2000s, these brothers from Wyckoff, New Jersey, were on the cover of every Tiger Beat magazine, every Disney Channel commercial, and playing through every radio station. They proved that boy bands were back and bigger than ever. They guest-starred on all of the famous talk shows, performed their talents on every award show, and broke hearts everywhere when they dated famous fellow stars.
Recently, the brothers have announced their reunion, and they will continue to tour and make music, followed by performing some of their beloved hits. The success of these real-life biological brothers took the pop culture world by a storm, and their comeback will be better than the original.
2. One Direction
In more recent years, the most famous and possibly most successful boy band to date is none other than the British group One Direction. Formed on the X Factor, Simon Cowell randomly placed these 5 boys together to continue competing on the competitive show. Little did anyone know, these boys would become an overnight sensation and take the world by a storm as the modern day Beatles. By selling out stadiums and arenas, breaking records with their chart-topping singles, and even having a record-breaking concert movie, these boys decided to take a hiatus in 2015 and fans are awaiting their return. They’ve each proved to be successful as individual artists as well, and have had a loyal fan following since their days in One Direction.
Even for myself as a 23-year-old woman, I can’t help but feel my inner child with this boy band. But the best part of this group? They are not your typical band. Rather, they are changing the way that people perceive boy bands, ditching the matching outfits, and saying no to choreographed dance routines.
1. The Beatles
And last but not least is none other than the Beatles. Since our grandparents were teenagers, the British Beatle Invasion swooped America off their feet, and they have been a legendary name since. The four men from England started on the Ed Sullivan show, similar to many other artists of that time, and overnight, girls fell in love with the band and individually loved each member. What separates the Beatles from other bands is that they went through so many social changes throughout the history of the world. They fought social movements, and they went through different phases and genres of music. Once they broke up, they too had the success of solo projects, and they are still celebrated to this day.
