Boys bands were part of the music scene since The Beatles stepped onto the scene in the 1960s. Since then, boys’ bands have become a part of mainstream pop music. They have become bigger, multitalented, and hugely popular groups. Every generation has sung and danced to soft pop tunes performed by cute boys. Here’s the list of some unforgettable, era-defying groups.
New Kids on the Block
NKOTB consisted of five guys – Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre, and Donnie Wahlberg. The band was the most popular boys’ band in the late 1980s. New Kids split in 1994 after selling 70 million records, only to come back together in 2007, and start the tour next year. They did publish a single, but it was forgettable. The band got their star on the Hollywood boulevard in 2014.
NSYNC
NSYNC or ‘N Sync, published their first record in 1995. The band had five members – Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass. They topped the charts in 2000 and 2001 when they published the “No strings attached” album. The boys sang together in 2002, but they remained friends often getting back together to perform. They also have their star at the Hollywood Blvd.
Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys was formed in 1993 in Florida by AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell. They reached fame with two albums, Backstreet Boys in 1996 and Backstreet’s Back in 1997. However, what made them A-listers was the album Millenium in 1999. They sold over 100 million records around the world. They split in 2005 and reunited in 2013 celebrating their 20th anniversary.
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men were the most popular R&B boys band in the 1990s. The group consisted of baritone Nathan Morris alongside tenors Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman, and bass Michael McCary. The boys originated from Philadelphia, PA, signing up for Motown Records. The band still performs, although only with Wanya and Shawn.
One Direction
One Direction was masterminded by Simon Cowell after the boys finished third in The X Factor in 2010. Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zeyn Malik became an instant international sensations. The boys sold over 70 million records and hold records for their Where We Are Tour that grossed almost $300 million. Before splitting in 2016, the boys earned almost 200 awards.
BTS
Seven boys from South Korea got the girls around the world screaming their heads off. Besides singing, the guys also write, compose and produce many of their songs. They formed in 2013 and became the best-selling group in Korea ever with over 20 million albums sold. Bangtan Boys have billions of views on social media, mostly by mesmerized teenage girls.
Jonas Brothers
Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas made their debut in 2005 on the Disney channel and became an instant hit. The boys composed and performed until 2013 when they went on to pursue other interests. However, in 2019, three brothers got back together and stayed together to create some new music.
New Edition
The old-school hip hop band formed in Boston in 1978. They paved the way for NKOTB, New Edition, and NSYNC. The group consisted of five members – Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe, and Ralph Tresvant. In 1987, “Candy Girl” shot them to stardom. Since then, the band has been reuniting and breaking up a few times. Currently, they are working on new music after the latest reunion in 2018.
O-Town
O-Town was created on MTV’s reality show Making the Band in 2000. They split three years later and got back together in 2013. The four remaining guys, Erik-Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, Jacob Underwood, and Dan Miller are still making music. Ashley Parker Angel and Ikaika Kahoanoare left the band in 2015.
The Jackson 5
One could write books about The Jackson Five. The boys were the first black band that started performing pop music. The original setup consisted of five brothers – brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine, with younger brothers Marlon and Michael Jackson joining later. Michael started a solo career in 1983, but the band continued to perform until 1989. They reunited in 2012, and are still performing today as a quartet, minus the Michael Jackson that passed away in 2009.
BIGBANG
BIGBANG are four Korean guys are often dubbed to be the ones who introduced K-pop to the world and were the trailblazers for all future boys bands from this part of the world. The boys are still playing together after selling 150 million albums worldwide.
Hanson
Hanson brothers formed a band in 1992 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They reached stardom with the song “MmmBop” which is still played as one of the most catchy tunes of the 1990s. Brothers sold over 15 million records and are still performing in the same arrangement.
Take That
Take That is an English pop band formed in 1989 in Manchester. One of the members was Robbie Williams that found his own fame and fortune as a solo artist. The band split in 1996, after selling 14 million albums and almost 12 million singles.
Five
Five is another English band that consisted of Sean Conlon, Ritchie Neville, and Scott Robinson. They were most popular in the late 1990s in Europe, Middle East, and Asia. They sold 1.6 million albums and split in 2001. Subsequent reunions proved to be futile for the guys, so they finally went their separate ways in 2007.
Big Time Rush
Big Time Rush was formed at Nickelodeon for the show of the same name. However, the boys quickly drew the attention of the young girls launching their careers outside of the cartoon network. Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos PenaVega, and Logan Henderson split in 2014 after the show ended. Recently there’s been a rumor that they are getting back together to make some new music.
All-4-One
Jamie Jones, Delious Kennedy, Alfred Nevarez, and Tony Borowiak, got together in Mojave, California in 1993 to become one of the most popular boys bands. They sold 22 million albums in the United States and in the far east, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Korea.
98 Degrees
98 degrees is an American pop and R&B vocal group consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, their friends Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. They all come from Ohio, but the band was formed in Los Angeles in 1996. They split in 2002 but reunited in 2012 at Mixtape Festival in Pennsylvania.
Menudo
Menudo, meaning “little” or “pocket change”, was a Latin boys band formed in 1977. They remain one of the most significant and popular groups selling over 20 million albums mostly in South America. They broke up after 30 years of performing, in 2009.
SHINee
Another K-pop band was formed in 2008. It consists of four members: Onew, Key, Minho, and Taemin. In 2014 and 2016, Forbes put them on the list of one of the most influential people in South Korea. Guys are still performing and have just released two singles “Superstar” and “DOn’t call me”.
B2K
The group is a mix of different sounds – R&B, pop, and hip hop, which proved to be just the right recipe for success. Lil’ Fizz, J-Boog, and Raz-B released the B2K album in 2002 that reached No2 on the Billboard charts. In 2004 the guys split but reunited for 2018 The Millenium Tour.
Nina Smith