By: Courtney Gould//
Calling all die hard boy band fans! You’re in for some good news…
This summer ABC plans to debut a brand new reality singing competition, titled (you guessed it) Boy Band. The network arranged a 10-episode series order for the competition where contestants are challenged to fill one of the five open spots in the show’s ultimate winning quintet. Throughout the duration of the show, the viewers will control the votes by hand, picking their top five favorite contestants.
As this project currently remains unscripted, no judges have been announced (yet). Rumors speculate that past notable boy and girl band members may be recruited as judges. Anticipating who will be featured on this season only leaves us all at the edge of our seats. Looking back on the last few decades of successful musical groups, the potential judges for Boy Band are endless. Since this rumor is totally plausible, we should expect a very interesting season full of musical veterans and newbie stars to come.
In honor of this new ABC release, I’ve compiled a countdown of our top 5 favorite boy bands of all time!
5. New Kids on the Block
NKOTB was one of the first OG boy bands out there. They started out as a mid 80’s bubblegum pop band and gradually progressed to more emotional ballads to reveal soulful side of their music. Specifically, in 1988 their single Please Don’t Go Girl climbed up to No. 10 on Billboard’s Top 100 Singles Chart, making this song the group’s first hit. Since then, they’ve released a total of six studio albums and even more hit singles like You’ve Got It (The Right Stuff), Cover Girl, and I’ll Be Loving You (Forever). This band is such a crowd favorite that they even teamed up with The Backstreet Boys to tour together throughout the summer of 2011.
4. The Jonas Brothers
Who remembers watching the music video for “Year 3000” on Disney Channel? Around 2006 The Jonas Brothers emerged onto the scene when they released their very first album, “It’s About Time.” Their music made multiple appearances in movie soundtracks like Aquamarine, The Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Little Mermaid. With their catchy melodies and beautifully shared genetics, it didn’t take long for the fandom to grow. By 2008, the boys hit their peak in popularity as they released their second and third albums, began acting and touring. If you were lucky enough to see The Jonas Brothers live back in the day, consider it a blessing.
3/2. *N SYNC and The Backstreet Boys
*N SYNC and The Backstreet Boys may just be the most iconic boy bands of all time. So iconic that I have to ranked these groups as tied. Who could forget about the original *N SYNC Barbie dolls? Or The Backstreet Boys’ white out wardrobe in their legendary music video for I Want It That Way? Whether you’re team Timberlake or Team Carter, we can all agree that both of these groups set the bar high for any upcoming boy bands out there.
1. One Direction
Did this even come as a surprise? It’s ironic that even though they fell short of the runner-up spot on The X Factor, they’ve grow to be one of the most successful boy bands ever. The vibe of 1D’s music is just so fun and upbeat that is has the power to completely change your mood. One thing that I really admire about this band is that each member has had the chance to show off their personality. With all five members as vocalists, it’s interesting how the band takes the unconventional route of performance. For instance, in previous boy bands there is usually always some choreography involved in the shows and music videos. What’s different about 1D is that they take on a more candid approach and let their personalities show through their work. They make everything feel less robotic and scripted. It’s amazing how many of us have been fans since The X Factor and continued to follow them. We’ve seen them evolve and grow as not only artists, but people. Even though the band has now gone their separate ways, they will not be forgotten. It is guaranteed that 1D’s music will continue to be overplayed for years to come.
