Backstreet Boys Biography

Backstreet Boys is an American boy-band formed in 1993. They became famous in 1996 with their self-titled debut album. After that, the Florida-based group experienced continuous success in the late 90s and in the early to mid-2000s. They sold over 130 million albums, thus becoming the highest-selling boy band ever. The Grammy-nominated Backstreet Boys are currently working on a ninth album.

Early Years

Shortly after their formation, the boys were discovered by manager Lou Pearlman, who introduced them to Johnny Wright, former New Kids on the Block road manager. The band started to play various gigs in malls, theme parks and schools. In 1994 they released their debut single, We’ve Got It Goin’ On, which had little to no impact locally, but received recognition in Europe.

Continuous Success

A similar fate had the group’s first album, Backstreet Boys (1997). Of out the 14 million records sold, only 3 million were sold in the US. The album spawned the iconic single Quit Playing Games (With My Heart). One year later, the boys’ next album Backstreet’s Back came out to critical acclaim. It was sustained by another massive hit, Everybody and it topped numerous European charts. Following up on that success, the band released their third album,

Following up on that success, the band released their third album, Millennium, in 1999. The album generated hit singles like I Want It That Way and All I have to Give. Additionally, it reached number 1 on the Billboard 200. In 2000, Backstreet Boys did not succumb to the threat represented by rival boy band ‘N Synd and released the international hits Shape of My Heart and The Call.

After Hiatus

After a four-year break, the boys returned to their studio to record their next album. Never Gone received mixed reviews but peaked at number 3 in the US and reached platinum. Most noteworthy, it spawned another extremely popular single, Incomplete. The song was ranked number 13 on Billboard Hot 100.

Photo source: Discogs