20 boy bands whose music will never get old

The boy band to end all boy bands, the Backstreet Boys have been doing it better than anybody else since the late ‘90s, and their tunes are just as good today as they were when they were first released. Everybody loves the Backstreet Boys. 

If there is one band to rival the Backstreet Boys, it’s *NSYNC. Those boys know how to move, and fans are just as familiar with their most iconic dances as they are with the band’s most iconic songs. That’s a feat only a great boy band can achieve. 

The Jonas Brothers had the heart of every teenage girl in America in the late 2000s, and their breakup was devastating. But they got back together in the late 2010s, and their music was even better than before. 

Every member of One Direction went on to make great music as a solo artist, particularly Harry Styles, but it’s hard to beat the magic that they made when they were together. 

It’s funny to think of The Beatles as a boy band because of the massive impact they’ve had on every genre of music since they first got together. But, alas, they are a band made up of only boys. And they’re the best to ever do it. 

Another group to have an indelible impact on music and culture, The Beach Boys aren’t a boy band in the sense boy bands are thought of now, but they were boys playing music together, so it counts. Also, they were very good, and their music doesn’t age.

Back to regularly scheduled programming: O-Town is a quintessential boy band whose early 2000s takeover is a bright spot in music history for many. Their hits like “All Or Nothing” and “Liquid Dreams” still hit. 

Boyz II Men could’ve started and ended their career with “End Of The Road” and they’d still be considered one of the best boy bands of all time. That song is that good. But luckily for all of us, their discography spans much farther than just one song, and everything is good. 

Without 98 Degrees, we wouldn’t have the iconic TV moment that is Jessica Simpson asking Nick Lachey whether she’s eating chicken or fish. We wouldn’t have a few years’ worth of solid late ‘90s early ‘00s boy band hits either. 

One of the best musical offerings to come out of Australia in recent memory, 5 Seconds of Summer had full-on boy band mania in the mid-2010s, and they’ve still got a group of loyal fans who will always defend their music’s honor. 

Few boy bands in history have ever achieved the global success that BTS has. Their songs “Dynamite” and “Butter” helped catapult K-pop into the mainstream in the United States, which is no easy feat. 

There’s just something about ‘90s boy bands. Hanson was ultra successful in the early ‘90s, and while casuals might consider them to be a one-hit wonder, real ones know they had more good tunes than just “MMMBop” (though that is a bona fide bop). 

Before there were any boy bands in the ‘90s, there was New Kids on the Block. In many ways, they set the standard for the modern boy band, ushering in a new generation of singing and dancing heartthrobs that are still prominent today. 

The Jackson 5 dominated airwaves during their reign in the 1970s. Of course, their most successful byproduct was Michael Jackson, but the group was plenty famous and successful before Michael launched as a solo artist. Their songs will never get old. 

B2K hit at just the right time. Capitalizing on the obsession with both boy bands and hip-hop and R&B sounds of the time, the group rose to success quite quickly. Their song “Bump, Bump, Bump” is one of the defining songs of that era. 

Groups like The Monkees don’t always come to mind when thinking of boy bands because their style is so different from the boy bands of today, but that doesn’t make their etches in musical history any less prominent or important. The Monkees are still impactful today — just ask their song “I’m a Believer.”

Speaking of The Monkees’ impact, the TV show Big Time Rush, which featured the real boy band Big Time Rush, was inspired by The Monkees. That’s real influence. 

New Edition was formed as an alternative to the Jackson 5. And they made a huge impact on the world of music. Their song “Can You Stand the Rain” will still get you going if you let it. 

Boy bands can come from every inch of the planet. Westlife came from Ireland in the late ‘90s, and they dominated all the fans who prefer their boy bands to be some brand of European. 

Another great European boy band, Take That hailed from the United Kingdom, and like many of their contemporaries, they’re still touring today. Long live all boy bands.