Boy bands have always been one of the biggest forces in music, winning the hearts of teenage girls everywhere. Let’s take a look here at some of the greatest to ever do it.
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are one of the biggest boy bands in the modern music age. Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas first came to fame around 2005, coming up through the Disney Channel, starring in the Camp Rock series as well getting their own series JONAS. They’ve released four albums to date selling over 17 million records worldwide, as well as notching up Grammy wins. Whilst the heartthrob brothers currently have their band on hiatus, they’ve all gone on to further greatness, with Nick’s 2016 album Last Year Was Complicated being particularly well received.
Take That
British pop group Take That were the biggest band in the land for most of the 90s, accruing 12 number one singles and seven number one albums. Anchored by singer Gary Barlow’s good looks and Robbie Williams’ cheeky charisma and a truly quality sound, the group have enjoyed a remarkably long shelf life, most recently releasing 2017’s Wonderland and following it up with a world tour.
5 Seconds Of Summer
The Aussie pop rockers first came to fame on their YouTube channel doing covers of other artists’ songs in 2011, racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Their self-titled debut album 5 Seconds Of Summer went on to top music charts worldwide. When they’re not touring with megastars One Direction, the biggest band in pop-punk have found time to get back into the studio, releasing 2015’s Sounds Good Feels Good.
Backstreet Boys
The best selling boy band in the history of the music genre, the Backstreet Boys have sold an incredible 130 million records worldwide to date. They’ll best be remembered for their all-conquering album run in the late 90s, from 1996’s Backstreet Boys to the 1999 juggernaut Millennium, giving the world bangers like “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “I Want It That Way”. Having enjoyed their 20th anniversary in 2013, catch the boys in their 2015 documentary Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of.
NSYNC
Florida’s NSYNC had a comparatively short-lived career but certainly burnt brightly. The group’s second album No String Attached broke records when it sold over a million copies in one day while they would go on to sell over 70 million over the course of their whole career, buoyed by the massive success of singles such as “Bye Bye Bye” and “It’s Gonna Be Me”. While they broke up in 2002, individual members have gone on to further fame, most notably with Justin Timberlake’s incredible success in the R & B genre.
One Direction
Unarguably the biggest band on the planet right now, the British heartthrobs put boybands back on the map with their debut album Up All Night released in 2011, and all their subsequent albums have gone on to top charts across the world, winning the heart of many a music lover as they went. The band’s 2014 Where We Are Now was the biggest grossing concert tour of the year. The band have currently gone on a break so solo members can pursue other ventures, such as Zayn Malik’s well-received foray into solo work and Harry Styles getting into acting, most recently starring in Batman: The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan’s World War Two epic Dunkirk.
Written and Compiled by Kaya Johnson
