Most people are familiar with or have heard of boy bands like One Direction, Take That, and Backstreet Boys. These groups have made a splash on the music scene over decades and are still rocking out today. But where do they rank against the greatest boy bands ever? To find out, we’ve compiled this list of the top 25 best boy bands of all time.
1. BTS – South Korean Boy Band
BTS is one of the most well-known boy bands worldwide. They have surpassed 1 billion views on their official YouTube channel and have sold millions of albums and tens of millions of singles. They have gone through some members (like Jin for a short time), but since their debut in 2013, they have remained intact and have had six hits on Billboard’s World Digital Songs chart. BTS has also recently had a massive comeback in 2018 with the release of its album, “Love Yourself: Tear.”
2. Boyz II Men – American Vocal Harmony Group
Boyz II Men is one of the oldest and most successful R&B groups. The original members performed together from 1990 to 2003 and have since continued with a few changes. The trio has sold more than 60 million albums globally, earning them two Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, four Soul Train Music Awards, and nine Billboard Music Awards. In 1998 they released an album that became the best-selling R&B album.
3. The Beatles – English Rock Band
The Beatles made history plain and simple. This iconic rock band was formed in Liverpool, England, in 1960. Their influence on music is undeniable, as they released 14 studio albums (a few have a couple of different names), and their “Anthology 1” compilation alone has sold more than 15 million copies in the U.S. alone since 1995. The group has won seven Grammy Awards and 21 Ivor Novello Awards, and several other music awards worldwide. Their first album, “Please Please Me,” reached No.
4. One Direction – English – Irish Pop Boy Band
One Direction first came together in 2010 on the UK X Factor and soon won over fans worldwide with their pop-infused vocals. The band has had five No. 1 albums, four No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, two Billboard Music Awards for Top Group, three American Music Awards, and three Teen Choice Awards. They also have several Guinness World Records, including Most Twitter Followers of All Time (80 million as of December 2017).
5. NSYNC – American Boy Band
NSYNC, pronounced “es-need-say,” is the name for the highly successful boy band in 1995. The group has sold over 150 million albums worldwide and had 10 Top 10 hits on Billboard. *NSYNC members have launched careers as solo artists and in other acting roles while frequently collaborating with other artists in their music. In 2013, they released a compilation album titled “#1’s,” which sold more than 9 million copies in the U.S.
6. 98 Degrees – American Pop And R&B Vocal Group
98 Degrees was an American boy band in 1996, and with their hard work and passion, they were consistently topping charts, performing sold-out shows around the world, and dazzling sold-out crowds with their stage presence. They are still performing as a trio, with Nick Lachey as the only original member. He was also a former teen heartthrob in the 90s who still keeps his name in the spotlight through various hosting gigs and television appearances.
7. The Jackson 5 – American Pop Band
The Jackson 5 is one of history’s most successful and influential pop music groups. The family band was formed by Michael Jackson, Tito Ortiz, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, and Jackie Jackson in 1964. They signed with Motown Records shortly after their formation and released their first four singles, reaching Hot R&B Singles and Hot 100 charts on Billboard, ranking first. Globally, they have sold more than 350 million records. A first solo album, “Got to Be There,” debuted at No.
8. SHINee – South Korean Boy Band
South Korean boy band SHINee was founded in 2008., consisting of Onew, Key, Minho, and Taemin members. The group was originally a five-piece band with member Jonghyun, but he died from suicide in December 2017. SHINee has sold over 10 million albums and singles combined as of 2017. They are one of the highest charting male K-pop groups on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, peaking at No. 6 for “Everybody” and No. 7 for “Lucifer.
9. New Kids On The Block – American Boy Band
New Kids on the Block is an American boy band formed in 1988. With 11 hit singles and four No. 1 albums, the group is one of the most popular boy bands. They were originally from Massachusetts but split up in 1992 after disagreements between its members over their music contracts, royalties, and royalties. They reunited for a few years in 2001 before permanently disbanding.
10. Backstreet Boys – American Vocal Group
American boy band Backstreet Boys has been around since 1993 and currently consists of Nick Carter, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell. The group has had 14 Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 singles and 16 multi-platinum albums; in 2009, it earned its first diamond certification for combining shipments of more than 11 million units in the U.S.
11. Big Bang – South Korean Boy Band
South Korean boy band Big Bang was founded in 2006 and consisted of members Taeyang, G-Dragon, T.O.P, Daesung, and Seungri. Following its debut in 2006, the group rose to prominence after its debut track “Lies” hit No. 1 on the Gaon Singles Chart in July 2007, and “Bad Boy” followed suit to reach the top of the chart nine months later. Their longest-running #1 single, “Fantastic Baby,” from their third full-length album, “Alive”, made it to No. 2 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. The group also holds several records on South Korea’s Gaon Chart, including the record for having thirteen number-one singles on a single chart as a lead artist and being named Artist of the Year two years in a row.
12. Westlife – Irish Pop Vocal Group
Westlife is an Irish boy band formed in Sligo, Ireland, in 1998 and signed to Syco Music. They are the best-selling group in Ireland. Westlife sold over 50 million records worldwide and has been the U.K.’s biggest-selling, most successful musical artist of the twenty-first century, having sold approximately 10 million albums and over 25 million singles globally.
13. New Edition – American R&B/ Pop Band
New Edition was an American R&B-pop group from Atlanta, Georgia, popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band had a series of top ten hits during the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “Candy Girl”, “Mr. Telephone Man”, “If It Isn’t Love,” and “Can You Stand The Rain”, as well as 14 entries on the Hot 100 and three number ones on the Hot Black Singles Chart.
14. Hanson – American Pop Band
American pop rock band Hanson was founded in 1996 by Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson. They went on to compose numerous songs such as “MMMBop”, “I’m a Believer,” and “Mmm Papi”. Isaac Hanson was also the lead singer of the pop-punk band, Angels & Airwaves.
15. EXO – South Korean – Chinese Boy Band
EXO is a South Korean-Chinese boy band under the label S.M. Entertainment. It debuted in 2012 with 12 members separated into two subgroups, EXO-K and EXO-M. They are most famous for songs such as “Growl”, “Call Me Baby,” and “Monster”. The group and its subgroups have released Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese albums.
16. Jodeci – American R&B Quartet
Jodeci is an American R&B quintet best known for their hits “Cry For You”, “Freek’n You”, and “Come And Talk To Me”. Around the world, they have sold over 11 million albums, having a Top 40 hit with their 1993 ballad “Deep Cover” and an American number-one in 1998 with “Come & Talk To Me”.
17. Jonas Brothers – American Pop Rock Band
Jonas Brothers was an American pop rock band. They rose to prominence from a 2006 appearance on the Disney Channel’s “Camp Rock” and the made-for-television film “Camp Rock”. The band consisted of three brothers, Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas.
The band officially announced a hiatus in October 2013, with “People” reporting that the band would not be recording together again until at least 2015.
18. SB19 – Filipino Boy Band
SB19 is a Filipino boy band created by TSL Entertainment, consisting of 19 members with the initial letter of their name forming the band’s name. They are best known for their performance on Pinoy Boybands Reloaded, which led them to be signed under TSL Entertainment and gain popularity after uploading covers of popular songs online.
19. All-4-One – American Male R&B and Pop Group
All-4-One (sometimes stylized as All 4 One) is a foursome in American R&B and pop music, best known for their 1994 hit “I Swear”. All-4-One consists of singer Sammy Moore, lead vocalist Ralph Tresvant, bass singer Johnny Gill, and lead guitarist Montell Jordan. The band was established in New York City, New York, in the mid-1980s and signed with Jive Records in 1992.
20. Seventeen – South Korean Boy Band
Pledis Entertainment created a South Korean boy group called SEVENTEEN through the survival show “Seventeen Project: Big Debut Plan”. The group debuted on May 25, 2015, with their extended play “17 Carat”. The group comprises thirteen members divided into three sub-units, each with a different area of specialization: the central unit and two sub-units focused on visual and vocal talents.
21. 5ive – British Boy Band
5ive (often stylized as 5ive) was a British pop boy band formed in 1987 by record producer Martin Rushent, the brother of singer-songwriter Chas and songwriter and music manager Simon Rushent. The group consisted of five members. Their biggest hit single was “Whistle Down the Wind”, which reached number six in the U.K. Singles Chart when it was released in May 1990.
22. O-Town – American Boy Band
O-Town was an American boy band active from 1997 to 2001. The band’s name is a play on the term “Ocean Town”. It also refers to their hometown of Orlando, Florida. The group consisted of Ashley Parker Angel, the lead singer, Brian Andrews, Jacob Underwood, Trevor Penick, and Dan Miller.
23. Five Seconds Of Summer – Australian Pop Rock Band
Five Seconds of Summer is an Australian pop rock band from Sydney formed in 2011. Luke Hemmings is the group’s lead singer and guitarist, lead guitarist Michael Clifford, bassist Calum Hood, and drummer Ashton Irwin. They were signed to Capitol Records in 2013 after forming one of the world’s most-followed brands on social media.
24. Menudo – Puerto Rican Boy Band
Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band whose original incarnation lasted from 1977 to 1983. It continued with members replacing others after they reached adult age, until 2009, with the death of its last member Ricky Meléndez. While “tribute” groups have attempted to emulate Menudo’s music, none of these tribute groups have ever been proven to be an official continuation of Menudo.
25. Big Time Rush
Big Time Rush is an American pop rock band in Los Angeles, California. The band formed by Nickelodeon in 2009 has since seen various members joining and leaving. In 2011, the group moved to New York City and signed with Universal Republic Records for the release of their first album to be released on iTunes, titled “BTR”.