How many times have we bopped our heads to the familiar sound of a great pop song or a memorable, romantic ballad sung by amazing voices? We’re quite sure the answer to this is way too many times to mention. As devout music lovers, School of Popular Music in Guernsey wanted to take a melodious trip down memory lane by looking at the top 5 boy bands in musical history.

Savage Garden

Before they even met them, pop fans already knew they loved Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones of Savage Garden, dreaming them into life. The Australian duo launched Savage Garden 20 years ago! Earning top-charting singles with “I Want You,” “To the Moon and Back,” and the unforgettably addictive “Truly Madly Deeply.” The group continued its successful run with Affirmation in ’99, led by the single “I Knew I Loved You,” but sadly announced their split a couple of years later in 2001.

Take That

An English pop music group formed in Manchester, England in 1990. Take That currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. This British group took over Europe’s music industry in the 1990s, but success began to go downhill after the departure of bandmember Robbie Williams, who went on to become a mega solo-artist. But the band came back to the music scene in November 2014, with a seventh studio album entitled III.

Considered as the biggest-selling singles artists in British music chart history, Take That was placed at 15th overall, making them the most successful boy band in UK chart history. As of 2017, Take That had sold over 45 million records worldwide.

The Backstreet Boys

One of the pop groups with the most enduring legacy, BSB first rose to fame in Europe in the 1990s, picking up fans in Germany before they made a name for themselves in the US. A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell made an impact with the 1997 US release of Backstreet Boys before reaching massive success with 1999’s Millennium. Boasting hits such as “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart),” “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” “I Want It That Way,” and “Larger than Life,” the Backstreet Boys took a brief break in the mid-2000s before reuniting. In 2013, they dropped In a World Like This and toured for the record through June 2015.

*NSYNC

Sure, Backstreet Boys may have had the longevity, but *NSYNC reaped the glory. The popular boy band debuted in the late ’90s with *NSYNC and its accompanying singles “I Want You Back,” “Tearin’ Up My Heart,” and “(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You.” Then came 2000’s No Strings Attached, led by the now-notorious “Bye Bye Bye.” A few synchronised dance moves later and Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, and Lance Bass were international celebrities. While Timberlake’s star power famously went on to eclipse that of his bandmates, the group has a spot in pop history.

Westlife

Irish lads Westlife sold more than 50 million records internationally, but after spending 14 years together as a group, they sadly called it quits for good in 2012. After going bankrupt, member Shane Filan went solo and lead singer Mark Feehily began his own catering business. Kian Egan moved on to become the winner of the reality television show, “I’m a Celebrity,” and a coach and mentor for Ireland’s version of another competitive reality show, “The Voice.” As for Nicky Byrne, he began a new career as a broadcaster, as did Bryan McFadden after a stint as a solo artist.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reminiscing on these nostalgic times with us. If you feel inspired by music, why not consider going for tuition in Guernsey? Visit the School of Popular Music or  contact us here to find out how we can help you.

Keep your eyes peeled for our next blog where we’ll be looking at popular girl bands of the 90s…

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