Boy bands have become a staple of the music industry. Boy bands dominated the music industry from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, luring female fans with their harmonized voices and flashy stage appearances.
But until recent years, they lost ground to rising pop and R&B singers around the turn of the millennium. Boy bands are currently enjoying a renaissance.
It’s no secret that boy bands are big business. For decades, bands made up of young, good-looking men have been catchy tunes and heartthrob looks to sell millions of records and fill concert stadiums worldwide.
The Top 10 Boybands Of All Time
These boy bands have two methods for their music: Some use R&B styles with rap and hip-hop influences, while others focus more on pop melodies with dance choreography.
These successful boy bands sold a million records, had legions of screaming fans, and achieved massive global success.
1. Backstreet Boys
Leading as the most successful boy band, The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1993.
The group consists of AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell.
The group rose to popularity with their international debut album, Backstreet Boys (1996).
Since then, they have released nine full-length albums, been on eleven world tours, and have been nominated for the Grammy Awards eight times.
While most boy bands are known for breaking up or taking long hiatus, Backstreet Boys has only been on one two-year-long hiatus since forming in 1993.
2. The Osmonds
The Osmonds are an American family music group that achieved enormous success as a pop music group in the 1970s and 1980s. They emerged singing barbershop songs, which evolved into a lengthy career singing various music.
The group initially comprised brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay Osmond. The quintet was later joined by younger brother Donny Osmond and achieved massive success worldwide.
The Osmonds have sold over 77 million copies of their 22 studio albums. The Osmonds were active between 1958 and 1980.
3. The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5, often shortened to “J5”, formerly known as The Jacksons, is an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The Jackson Five introduced Michael Jackson to the world, arguably one of history’s most famous music artists.
The band achieved three number-one hits on the “Billboard Hot 100” throughout their career.
The group was founded in 1965 by Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine, with younger brothers Marlon and Michael joining soon after.
Their first four singles-“I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There”-all reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1969 and 1971.
Fans already know that Michael Jackson went on to have a successful solo career, but following Michael’s demise in 2012, the four eldest brothers came back together.
Over 75 million copies of the 18 studio albums that The Jackson 5 released have been sold globally.
4. New Kids On The Block
The American boy band, New Kids On The Block, founded in 1985 and had significant popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, comes next on the list.
Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood make up the band’s current lineup.
Jamie Kelly and Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg previously played in the group.
Between 1994 and 2008, New Kids On The Block took a break, yet throughout that time, they put out six studio albums, which collectively sold more than 80 million copies worldwide.
As well as winning two American Music Awards, they are the first boy band in history to have two number-one albums on the Billboard 200 chart.
5. Bay City Rollers
The Scottish band Bay City Rollers, huge adolescent idols in the 1970s, kicks off the list of the top five most successful boy bands.
The band has a whopping 22 prior members, but its current members are Stuart Wood, Ian Thomson, Marcus Cordock, and Jamie McGrory.
The Bay City Rollers were active from 1966 to 1981, releasing 16 studio albums that sold over 70 million copies.
6. One Direction
One Direction is a British-Irish boy band consisting of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson.
The group rose to fame with their debut album, Up All Night (2011). Their second album, Take Me Home (2012), was also successful.
Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik made up the band; however, Zayn quit One Direction in 2015, a year before the band went on break.
The band has issued a total of five studio albums, with sales of 70 million.
7. NSYNC
*NSYNC was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
The group consisted of Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, and Chris Kirkpatrick.
The group rose to fame with their debut album, *NSYNC (1998), and their second album, No Strings Attached (2000), the year’s best-selling album.
NSYNC has released four studio albums in total, and it is estimated that they have sold over 70 million copies. After a disappointing seven-year hiatus, the band split up in 2002, and as fans
8. Boyz II Men
The R&B group Boyz II Men, founded in 1987, is ranked number eight on the list.
In addition to Marc Nelson and Michael McCary, the band’s current members include Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Wanya Morris.
Boyz II Men have 11 studio albums, with over 60 million records reportedly sold.
Boyz II Men have never taken a break, unlike most of the other boy bands on this list.
9. Take That
The English pop group Take That, founded in 1989, comes next on the list. The original lineup comprised Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald, Robbie Williams, and Jason Orange.
However, Robbie departed the group in 1995 to focus on a solo career, and Jason Orange followed suit in 2014.
Take That, who has eight studio albums to their credit and 45 million record sales, are tied for first place on this list with Westlife.
The group currently consists of Gary, Mark, and Howard after taking a break from 1996
10. Westlife
The Irish boy band Westlife tops the chart at position number 10. Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne, and Brian McFadden established the band Westlife in 1998.
Westlife currently consists of four band members due to the departure of Brian in 2004 to pursue a solo career.
The band claims to have sold 45 million copies of its 11 studio albums. The band had a break in 2012 but came back together in 2018.
Conclusion
From massive world tours to record-breaking albums, these ten boy bands are the best of all time.
In addition, they have earned countless Grammy nominations, places in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and won over the hearts of millions of fans worldwide.
