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Over the years some of the best boy bands have become an intrinsic part of the music industry. Though the boy band definition varies from person to person and sometimes is used as an insult, there is no denying that bands given the boy band label are at the top of their game.
While there have been several boy bands over the years, the top ten have managed to become cultural icons, and rightfully so! From massive world tours to record-breaking albums these ten boy bands are truly the best of all time. In addition, they have earned countless Grammy nominations, places in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and have won over the hearts of millions of fans across the world.
Boybands have reigned throughout the music industry since their emergence back in the 1960s! Although classics such as The Osmonds, The Jackson 5, and Westlife have all gone on to sell tens of millions of albums, the 90s truly saw some of the biggest groups to date. Whether it was *NSYNC, Boyz II Men, or New Kids On The Block, selling a collective 200 million albums worldwide, the boy band craze was only just beginning. Today, we have modern say successes such as Korean sensation, BTS, Jonas Brothers, and of course, British boy band, One Direction, who are easily the most successful group of the 2010s. Well, it appears as if it is actually The Backstreet Boys, who have continued to tour to this very day, who come out on top with a whopping 100 million albums sold worldwide!
Updated on January 28th, 2023 by Abigail Thomas: The boyband craze will never end. Boybands, which are classified by a group of men who all sing and dance and rarely play instruments on stage, specifically appeal to teenagers and females. The cliché that musicians always get the girl is certainly true because young females fawn over boybands and love to debate over who is the cutest member of a band. Though they rise in popularity quickly, boybands are typically short-lived. One Direction only had international fame for six years before they disbanded. The Jonas Brothers also disbanded in 2013 for many years before reuniting in 2019 to release an album. Solo careers following band success is very popular, as seen with Nick Jonas, Justin Timberlake, and Harry Styles.
10 Jonas Brothers – 17 Million Albums Sold
The Jonas Brothers are another boy band that formed due to their sibling bond. Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas formed the Jonas Brothers back in 2005 in their hometown of Wykoff, New Jersey though they didn’t see huge success until 2007/2008 when they started working with the Walt Disney Company.
The Jonas Brothers released four full-length and one live album before breaking up in 2013 due to a “deep rift within the band.” After launching successful solo careers and settling down in their personal lives, the Jonas Brothers reunited in 2019 and released their fifth studio album which topped the US Billboard 200 charts. In 2023, the Jonas Brothers were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their sixth studio album will be released some time in 2023, as announced by Nick Jonas on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
9 BTS – 38 Million Albums Sold
The newest addition to the boy band scene hails from Seoul, South Korea. The Bangtan Boys, or BTS, as they’re more popularly known, made their debut in 2013 and have since taken the world by storm. The band consists of seven members: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook.
Since their debut in 2013, BTS has gone on to release eight studio albums and have been on six tours, including four worldwide tours. BTS is credited for making K-pop mainstream in the United States and is the best-selling artist in South Korean history.
8 Westlife – 55 Million Albums Sold
Westlife was all the craze back in the 1990s! The group, which formed back in Ireland, officially got together in 1998. The group consists of members Shane Filan, Markus Feehily, Klan Egan, and Nicky Byrne. In 2004, the group experienced a shake-up when one of the original members, Brian McFadden, left the boy band for good.
After disbanding in 2012, they all come together six years later and have returned to their original icon status since. Luckily for the band, they have sold a whopping 55 million albums worldwide, making them one of the most successful boy bands of all time. They are touring together throughout 2023.
7 Boyz II Men – 60 Million Albums Sold
While boy bands have traditionally been dominated in the pop music scene, Boyz II Men shocked the world by bringing the boy band world into the R&B scene in 1987. Nathan Morris, Wanna Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Michael McCary originally made up the band until McCary departed in 2003 due to health reasons.
Boyz II Men’s hit single “End of the Road” spent a historic thirteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1992. Since then, the band has put out thirteen studio albums over their long and successful career, selling 60 million albums worldwide. They also have won four Grammy Awards and have been nominated fifteen times.
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6 *NYSNC – 70 Million Albums Sold
Orlando, Florida was the breeding ground for 90s boy bands it seems since *NSYNC was also founded there. The boy band, which included Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass has since released three full-length albums that earned them eight Grammy Award nominations.
While *NYSNC may no longer be active, the boy band has made a cultural impact on the music industry like no other. In fact, they were the only band to have sold over one million copies of an album in one day for over fifteen years. Justin Timberlake went on to have a highly successful music career, and he also has starred in several films.
5 One Direction – 70 Million Albums Sold
The boy band craze had died down in the United States for a decade until the rise of One Direction in 2010. Formed on the British X-Factor, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik went on to become household names across the world.
Over their six-year career, the boy band released five full-length albums and toured the world four times as headliners. Though they never received a Grammy Award nomination, they did make history by breaking some impressive records. In fact, they are the first band in the US Billboard 200 history to have all four of their albums debut at number one. Following the end of the band, each member went on to attempt a solo career. Harry Styles has found the most success with his solo career compared to his former bandmates.
4 The Osmonds – 77 Million Albums Sold
The Osmonds were easily one of the biggest boy bands made up of all siblings! The American family came together in the early 70s, reaching their height come the mid-70s with their classic tunes, outfits, and of course, electric stage presence.
The group, which was made up of Donny, Jimmy, Merrill, Wayne, Alan, and Jay Osmond, were known for their hits such as ‘One Bad Apple’, ‘Down By The Lazy River’, and ‘Yo-Yo’, to name a few. The Osmonds were so successful that they managed to sell over 77 million albums worldwide!
3 New Kids On The Block – 80 Million Albums Sold
While New Kids On The Block may not have invented the boy band genre, they certainly perfected in and created the blueprint that bands would follow even today. Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Woods formed the band in 1985 in their hometown of Dorchester, Massachusetts.
The band put out five full-length albums, including a Christmas album, during their initial run. After disbanding in 1994, the band reunited in 2008 and has since put out two more studio albums.
2 The Jackson 5 – 100 Million Albums Sold
While the 80s and 90s may be the hit years for boy bands, The Jackson 5 was popularizing the boy band category all the way back in the 1960s. Formed in 1965, The Jackson 5 was comprised of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael Jackson.
During their career, The Jackson 5 put out ten full-length studio albums and went on six tours, one of which occurred in 2012. They went on to be nominated for three Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. The Los Angeles Times reported their sales as over 100 million albums sold.
1 Backstreet Boys – 130 Million Albums Sold
There’s no denying that the Backstreet Boys was one of the biggest boy bands of the 90s. AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell formed that band in Orlando, Florida back in 1993.
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 have only been on one two-year-long hiatus since forming back in 1993.
