Special Report

25 Most Popular Boy Bands of All Time

Kevin Kane / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Although the term “boy band” didn’t come into common usage until the late 1980s, all-male vocal groups have been around for far longer. The roots of the modern boy band are sometimes traced back to the a cappella barbershop quartets of the late 19th and early 20th centuries – though the singers were usually adults, not “boys.”

Another antecedent often mentioned is the jazz-oriented group the Ink Spots, again all-male, but with only two of its five members (barely) under 21 when it was formed in 1934. Whatever their ages, they did, however, influence the doo-wop bands of the 1950s and ‘60s, which were typically made up of teenagers.

The original boy band in the modern sense might well have been The Beatles (aged 17 to 20 when they got together). Their success inspired the emergence of the first “manufactured” boy band, the Monkees, who were created for a TV sitcom, though they went on to have hit records of their own. Many of the boy bands that followed were created and packaged by a manager or music business executive. (Though they’ve rarely enjoyed the same level of success, all-female groups have long been part of the musical landscape, too. These are the most popular girl bands of all time.)

The Monkees had been preceded by a few years by the Jackson 5 – out of which came one of the 20th century’s biggest music stars, Michael Jackson – and were soon followed by The Osmonds (which had begun as a family barbershop quartet). Both were undeniably boy bands, though nobody called them that in that era. (These are the most popular rock stars of all time.)

To determine the most popular boy bands of all time, 24/7 Tempo began by defining ‘boy band” as a group consisting of three or more male members who were teenaged when the band formed and are or were primarily vocalists, and whose creation and development was largely guided by a manager or music business executive. 

Next, we developed an index based on lifetime Billboard chart performance and certified record sales. A custom score representing a band’s total time on the Billboard Hot 100 and 200 charts was calculated through January 15, 2022, wherein a week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 is worth 100 points, a week at No. 2 worth 99 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 100 worth one point,  . Certified U.S. album sales come from the Recording Industry Association of America. Both measures were equally weighted. (Data on each group’s biggest song comes from Billboard.)

Click here to see the 25 most popular boy bands of all time

The top three places on our list, not surprisingly, are held by what are probably the three most famous boy bands – Backstreet Boys (at No. 1), ‘N Sync (No. 2), and New Kids on the Block (No. 3). It was the success of the last of these in the late 1980s that encouraged the creation of a new wave of ‘90s boy bands. With the rise of One Direction and of the K-pop genre in the 2010s, the boy band phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down. 

Anthony Devlin / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

25. The Wanted
> Certified U.S. album sales: N/A
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 4 songs (55 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Glad You Came” (No. 3 for 4 weeks)

[in-text-ad]

Jo Hale / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

24. Five
> Certified U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 3 songs (38 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “When The Lights Go Out” (No. 10 for 7 weeks)

Courtesy of BMG

23. No Mercy
> Certified U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 4 songs (80 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Where Do You Go” (No. 5 for 3 weeks)

George De Sota / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

22. O-Town
> Certified U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 3 songs (37 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “All Or Nothing” (No. 3 for 1 week)

[in-text-ad-2]

Bryan Bedder / Getty Images

21. Big Time Rush
> Certified U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 4 songs (14 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Boyfriend” (No. 72 for 1 week)

Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

20. Immature
> Certified U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 8 songs (116 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Never Lie” (No. 5 for 1 week)

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of RCA Music Group

19. Hi-Five
> Certified U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 7 songs (113 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)” (No. 1 for 1 week)

Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

18. 5 Seconds Of Summer
> Certified U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 14 songs (140 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Youngblood” (No. 7 for 3 weeks)

Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

17. B2K
> Certified U.S. album sales: 2 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 7 songs (90 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Bump, Bump, Bump (feat. P. Diddy)” (No. 1 for 1 week)

[in-text-ad-2]

Keystone / Getty Images

16. Bay City Rollers
> Certified U.S. album sales: 3 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 8 songs (105 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Saturday Night” (No. 1 for 1 week)

Keystone / Getty Images

15. The Osmonds
> Certified U.S. album sales: 2 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 12 songs (133 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “One Bad Apple” (No. 1 for 5 weeks)

[in-text-ad]

Jason Kempin / Getty Images

14. Next
> Certified U.S. album sales: 3 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 5 songs (137 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Too Close” (No. 1 for 5 weeks)

David Westing / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

13. Il Divo
> Certified U.S. album sales: 4 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 0 songs
> Biggest song: N/A

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

12. Color Me Badd
> Certified U.S. album sales: 4 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 10 songs (200 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “All 4 Love” (No. 1 for 1 week)

[in-text-ad-2]

Cindy Ord / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

11. BTS
> Certified U.S. album sales: 3 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 22 songs (121 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Dynamite” (No. 1 for 3 weeks)

Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

10. Jonas Brothers
> Certified U.S. album sales: 3 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 24 songs (259 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Sucker” (No. 1 for 1 week)

[in-text-ad]

Brenda Chase / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

9. Hanson
> Certified U.S. album sales: 7 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 3 songs (49 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “MMMBop” (No. 1 for 3 weeks)

Annette Brown / Getty Images

8. 112
> Certified U.S. album sales: 6 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 15 songs (307 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Peaches & Cream” (No. 4 for 2 weeks)

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

7. The Jacksons
> Certified U.S. album sales: 5 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 13 songs (150 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)” (No. 7 for 3 weeks)

[in-text-ad-2]

Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

6. 98 Degrees
> Certified U.S. album sales: 8 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 8 songs (155 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Invisible Man” (No. 12 for 2 weeks)

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

5. New Edition
> Certified U.S. album sales: 8 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 16 songs (225 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “I’m Still In Love With You” (No. 7 for 1 week)

[in-text-ad]

Christopher Polk / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

4. One Direction
> Certified U.S. album sales: 12 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 29 songs (279 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “What Makes You Beautiful” (No. 4 for 2 weeks)

Ethan Miller / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

3. New Kids On The Block
> Certified U.S. album sales: 17 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 11 songs (193 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” (No. 3 for 1 week)

Dan Callister / Getty Images

2. ‘N Sync
> Certified U.S. album sales: 28 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 12 songs (232 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “This I Promise You” (No. 5 for 1 week)

[in-text-ad-2]

Tim Roney / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

1. Backstreet Boys
> Certified U.S. album sales: 37 million
> Billboard Hot 100 performance: 18 songs (318 weeks total)
> Biggest song: “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” (No. 2 for 2 weeks)

Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)

Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.

Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.

Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future

Get started right here.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.