Boy bands of the 1990s
Boy bands of the 1990s represent a significant and influential trend in popular music, characterized by male vocal groups that combined catchy pop melodies with a focus on image and marketing. The phenomenon gained momentum in the decade following earlier groups like the Monkees, Motown acts, and New Edition, which laid the groundwork for the genre. Prominent examples from the 90s include the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, both of which achieved massive commercial success, with the Backstreet Boys becoming the best-selling boy band in history.
Boy bands were not only about music; they became cultural icons, resulting in a wide array of merchandise, television shows, and fan-driven phenomena. The appeal of these groups, particularly among teenage audiences, was fueled by their carefully crafted personas and synchronized performances. However, as the decade progressed, the market became oversaturated with similar-sounding groups, leading to a decline in popularity due to public backlash and shifting musical trends favoring rock and authenticity.
Despite criticisms of being manufactured, many boy band members transitioned into successful solo careers, exemplified by artists like Justin Timberlake and Robbie Williams. While some original groups have remained active, the legacy of 90s boy bands continues to influence the music industry and pop culture today.
Subject Terms
Boy bands of the 1990s
Pop music groups featuring male singers
Though the music industry had been creating pop groups made up of male singers for several decades, the 1990’s exploded with boy bands that were marketed toward preteen and teenage demographics. Members of these acts were known for their attractive looks, vocal harmonies, slick choreography, and glistening production.
Though the term “boy band” was not officially coined until the 1990’s, male vocal groups composed of similar formulas dated back to the 1960’s, when pop act the Monkees simultaneously lit up the television screen and stage. Other early incarnations included several acts on the soul record label Motown (whose roster included the Temptations, the Four Tops, and the Jackson 5), followed by the Latin group Menudo in 1977, which featured future pop sensation Ricky Martin and continues to operate today (members are changed once they turn twenty to reflect a teenage audience). In the 1980’s, the craze heated up once again thanks to record producer Maurice Starr, who introduced New Edition to the R&B community in 1983 and New Kids on the Block to pop circles in 1986.
By the time the 1990’s rolled around, New Edition had splintered off into several solo directions. New Kids on the Block maintained tremendous success, fueled by the number one album Step by Step (1990). However, the group’s music was far from the only attraction marketed; everything from a Saturday morning cartoon series to lunch boxes, bedding sets, buttons, and even dolls were available to fans. Around the same time in England, Take That was being given similar treatment thanks to the group’s soulful pop sounds and handsome looks. The band crossed to American shores in 1995 thanks to the smash single “Back for Good.”
The Peak of Popularity
After these acts helped build up steam for boy bands, the scene surged in the latter half of the decade, thanks in part to entrepreneur/record label owner Lou Pearlman. His first find was the Backstreet Boys, who broke through in 1997, followed by the like-minded *NSYNC, often considered the most visible boy bands of the period. Though the Backstreet Boys racked up over 100 million album sales and *NSYNC netted over 56 million, the pair was shadowed by 98 Degrees, who boasted 10 million album sales and members’ promise that they were not contrived by music industry moguls.
Nevertheless, producers and executives continued searching for singers whom they could shape into similar molds, including Pearlman’s sculpting of less-enduring groups like LFO and O-Town, the latter of whom formed during the ABC/MTV reality program Making the Band. Given the prefabricated nature of that selection process, the focus on fashion, and the fact that members did not write most of their songs, critics were quick to lash out against the concept as a whole. Even so, audiences (particularly teenage girls) fell head over heels with the appealing packaging, fueling the fire for record labels to clone the concept (spawning the likes of BBMak, Boyzone, Westlife, and Plus One, to name a few).
A Sharp Decline in Sales
By the end of the 1990’s, the market had become so saturated with groups who sounded quite similar to one another that a public backlash ensued, sparked by the aforementioned criticisms, plus the music industry’s embrace of rock trends and instrument-playing acts that did not get their start as a marketing idea in a record label boardroom. Though many of the top-tier groups (like Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC) would continue to tour throughout the early 2000’s, they experimented with a more mature approach to making music and were scorned by those only interested in their earlier works. Many of the other acts associated with the time frame were hampered by personnel problems and eventually lost their record contracts, leading many to break up in the process.
Impact
Though some critics dismissed boy bands as nothing more than prefabricated groups of pretty faces, the cavalcade of groups who defined the sound and look went on to sell millions of CDs, concert tickets, and offshoot products geared toward youthful audiences. Outside of making waves with their music, the most successful boy bands were able to market to every imaginable facet of popular culture, simultaneously riding the record charts while igniting frenzied fads in the process. Despite many members of boy bands falling out of public favor, some stars birthed out of this movement have transcended those roots to evolve in solo contexts.
Subsequent Events
Two of the most notable examples of solo stars include Robbie Williams, who broke away from Take That and has since sold over fifty-three million albums on his own, along with Justin Timberlake, the former member of *NSYNC, with over eighteen million solo album sales to date. As of 2008, a revised lineup of the Backstreet Boys remained on the road, while the New Kids on the Block also announced a potential reunion.
Bibliography
Catalano, Grace. New Kids on the Block. New York: Bantam Books, 1989. An in-depth look at New Kids on the Block’s music, the subsequent rage surrounding the group, and personal trivia about each member.
Delavan, John. Boy Bands: The Hunks and Heartthrobs Conquering the Pop Music World. Syracuse, N.Y.: Benchmark Press, 2001. A close look at several boy bands that drove the 1990’s craze, including the variables that helped them find mass appeal.
McGibbon, Rob. Backstreet Boys: On the Road. Philadelphia: BainBridgeBooks, 1998. Traces the Backstreet Boys’ wild ride to fame and the extreme fanfare members received all over the world.
*NSYNC and K. M. Squires. *NSYNC: The Official Book. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1998. An authorized tale of *NSYNC’s time in the spotlight told from members’ perspectives.