The 12 best boy bands of all time

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Harry Fletcher9 May 2018

From influential motown groups to 90s R&B heavyweights and pop-punk pin ups, boy bands have created some of the best-loved music of all time.

The best groups through the years have come to define the sound of their era, creating music that inspires future generations of fans and groups alike.

Some are responsible for launching hugely lucrative solo careers but every group listed below managed to strike a chord with fans all around the world and ensure their place in the pop zeitgeist forever.

From legends of the 60s and 70s right up to the present day, these are the 12 best boy bands of all time.

12. Westlife

Reunited: The boys will be playing a string of dates in the UK and Ireland next year
Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Westlife experienced continued success from 1998 until their hiatus in 2012, managing a staggering 14 number one singles in the UK and racking up 50 millions record sales worldwide. The Irish group were one of the acts managed by Louis Walsh to achieve enormous success, with the group coming to embody the golden age of the boy band during their career. As well as strong breakthrough singles like Swear It Again and Flying Without Wings, the group put their own spin on classic songs like Uptown Girl and Mandy and turned out hit after hit until their last number one The Rose in 2006. They also became masters of the infamous barstool-stand-up-keychange move, which became their signature live manoeuvre and a much-copied boy band trait.

11. The Monkees

Portrait Of The Monkees Promotional portrait of popular music and television group the Monkees, dressing in tuxedos and they as they sit in folding chair and look over their shoulders, early 1970s. From left, British musician and actor Davy Jones, and American musician and actors Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith. The chairs are labeled with the band's guitar-shaped logo and the name of each member. (Photo by NBC Television/Courtesy of Getty Images)
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The Monkees were one of the first manufactured boy bands in UK pop and certainly one of the most successful. The four members Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Davy Jones were originally selected by producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider for a self-titled TV show in the late 60s. They had little input in the studio to begin with, instead focusing on acting work and public appearances. Still, the group became incredibly successful, selling 75 million records worldwide and providing a platform for some of the finest songwriting of the era. Daydream Believer, Last Train to Clarkson and the Neil Diamond-penned I'm a Believer (they were clearly big on belief) became huge hits and helped them become one of the most popular groups of the late 60s. They set the bar for those that followed and few boy bands can boast material as fine as the Monkees.

10. Hanson

iHeartRadio Music Festival - Day 2 - Backstage LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 21: (L-R) Zac Hanson, Taylor Hanson and Isaac Hanson of Hanson attend the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 21, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Clear Channel)
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Loveable brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson totally won over the pop world in 1997 with the release of the ludicrously catchy MMMBop. Their breakthrough album Middle of Nowhere sold 10 million copies in 1997 when drummer and youngest member Zac was just 11 years old and the group’s charm earned them a special place in the hearts of fans across the globe. MMMbop is undoubtedly the band’s biggest commercial success but it'd be slightly unfair to call them one hit wonders; tracks including I Will Come To You, Penny & Me and Where’s The Love showcase the band’s impressive songwriting, even if they never reached the same level of popularity as their breakthrough single.

The band also get bonus points for launching their own brand of beer and giving it the inspired name ‘Mmmhops’ back in 2013. Well played boys, well played.

9. New Kids on the Block

New Kids On The Block Honored On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame HOLLYWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 09: Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood of New Kids On the Block pose with 2,530th star on the Hollywood Walk of fame on October 9, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images)
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Boston’s finest, New Kids On The Block, have sold more than 80 million records since forming in 1984 and still perform live across the world today. After years out of the limelight the group received an unexpected boost following the release of 2017's Stephen King adaptation It. The film featured the group heavily and helped introduce them to a new generation of fans. In the movie, as in real life, the group are labelled as guilty pleasures to be enjoyed at the risk of losing serious street credibility. Nevertheless, New Kids on the Block’s brand of carefree pop never fails to raise a smile and their huge success only goes to prove their appeal.

8. Busted

Sophisticated: Busted are back - and they've swapped pop punk for shimmering synths

Narrowly beating their rivals-come-collaborators McFly to a place in this list is Busted, who made a huge impression back in the early 00s. The group mixed pop punk with a chart-friendly outlook with their breakthrough singles What I Go To School For, Year 3000 and You Said No. Charlie Simpson’s decision to leave the band to form the hardcore rockers Fightstar and Busted’s subsequent split in 2005 came as devastating to news to fans but it wasn’t the last they’d hear of the group. After nearly a decade away Jason Bourne and Matt Willis formed the supergroup McBusted with members of McFly in 2014, bringing together two of the most popular boy bands of their era.

7. Blackstreet

2016 Soul Train Music Awards - Arrivals LAS VEGAS, NV - NOVEMBER 06: Recording artists Blackstreet attend the 2016 Soul Train Music Awards at the Orleans Arena on November 6, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Unlike most commercially successful boy bands of the time Blackstreet managed to achieve huge success and win over the respect of the hip hop community thanks to collaborations with Dr Dre and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. They reached number one in the US just once but their biggest hit No Diggity is an irresistible and unforgettable slice of slinky R&B which has stood the test of time incredibly well. The chances of the group making a comeback took a considerable drop when members of the group began taking legal action against each other a few years ago. Still, the group’s status as one of the best boy bands of the 90s has never been in doubt.

6. Backstreet Boys

Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

Oh my God, they’re back again… Backstreet Boys burst onto the scene at the height of boy band-mania in the mid 90s and quickly established themselves as one of the most popular in the game. Today, the group are embarking on a Las Vegas residency and while their more recent musical efforts haven’t found the same levels of success as their early work, the strength on their hits I Want It That Way and Everybody alone are enough the guarantee their status as a great boy band. Sure, they were never the coolest group and their music is gloriously cheesy, but when the songs are this catchy, who cares?

5. Boyz II Men

Vegas Strong Benefit Concert - Show LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 01: (L-R) Singers Shawn Stockman, Wanya Morris and Nathan Morris of Boyz II Men perform at the Vegas Strong Benefit Concert at T-Mobile Arena to support victims of the October 1 tragedy on the Las Vegas Strip on December 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
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Boyz II Men’s crystalline harmonies marked them out as one of the finest proponents of soul-infused R&B in the early 90s, helping to take the genre to the mainstream at the time. Members Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman and Michael McCary represented some of the most naturally gifted vocalists of the decade, perfectly showcasing their romantic material. Tracks like I’ll Make Love to You and Mariah Carey duet One Sweet Day are classic R&B moments while End of the Road stayed at number one of the Billboard 100 for a staggering 13 weeks in 1996, marking the high point in this great boy band’s career.

4. The Jackson 5

A life on stage: the Jackson 5 in 1972 on the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour

Michael Jackson’s solo career came to eclipse his work with the Jackson 5 but the group still remain one of the greatest boy bands of their generation. The group’s combination of virtuoso musicianship, timeless songwriting and soaring vocals made the family group from Indiana a real pop institution in the late 60s and early 70s. The band shot to fame with their first four singles I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save and I’ll Be There, which all went straight to number one and their musical legacy shows no sign of diminishing fifty years on.

3. *NSYNC

*NSYNC's greatest sartorial hits

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Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club helped launch the careers of stars like Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and Britney Spears in the 90s and also played a crucial role in the creation of *NSYNC. Cast member Justin Timberlake became the star member of the band who went on to become one of the biggest acts of their generation. Their album No Strings Attached — featuring the unforgettable Bye Bye Bye, This I Promise You and It’s Gonna Be Me — sold over a million copies on the day of its release in 2000, which remained a record for over 15 years. The group were recently awarded with a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, recognising their enormous contribution to music and pop culture in the 90s and early 00s.

2. One Direction

One Direction - In pictures

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The X Factor has created some of the most successful groups of recent times (Little Mix and JLS) as well as some of the very worst (Same Difference and Jedward). However, One Direction are undoubtedly the biggest success story connected with the show. The group became a worldwide phenomenon after forming as contestants in 2010, going on to become a hugely successful global brand and selling more than 50 million records worldwide. Their cheeky personas, a consistently strong series of singles and indefatigable interaction with fans around the world made them the most popular group of recent times. Their hiatus in 2016 caused heartbreak amongst millions of fans around the world and plenty are holding out hope for a reunion. In the meantime, there's the Louis/Cheryl saga to keep everyone entertained.

1. Take That

Take That - In pictures

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With 12 number ones to their name, a legion of loyal fans and some of the most spectacular live shows in the business, Take That have earned pride of place in the pop zeitgeist since forming in 1990. From dancefloor fillers like Relight My Fire and It Only Takes a Minute to the emotive balladry of Back For Good, Patience and A Million Love Songs, Take That’s back catalogue is packed with a rich variety of perfectly constructed pop songs. The group continue today as a three-piece — minus members Robbie Williams and Jason Orange — but Gary Barlow’s songwriting remains as impressive as ever. Often imitated but never beaten, Take That are the finest boy band of their generation and deserve to be recognised amongst the best British groups of all time. Never forget.

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