Backstreet Boys

Photo Gallery

• Genre: Pop
• Hometown: Orlando
• Backstreet Boys Website

About

Intensely sweet, danceable pop at its greatest. Backstreet Boys originally built up their massive fan base in Canada and Europe, having to wait for the release of Backstreet's Back to grab the ears of millions of teenage girls in the United States. With gold and platinum album sales in 45 countries and over 28 million albums sold, these five singers have found a worldwide audience who literally scream for their blend of catchy hooks and danceable beats. In 2001, the Backstreet Boys hosted their first television special, The Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life, which did very well for CBS in the ratings. While the band was as popular as ever, things began to unravel for the members of the group. In July of that year, the band's tour was put on hold while A.J. McLean checked into rehab in an effort to get his depression and drinking under control. McLean had barely rejoined the tour when tragedy struck the band: a close associate of the band died on one of the highjacked planes on September 11. October saw the Backstreet Boys playing the Concert for New York City benefit just as their Greatest Hits Chapter 1 was getting ready to be released. This CD featured the single, "Drowning" which once again, put the group back on the pop charts. The next year was relatively quiet for the band. The first half of the 2002 saw Nick Carter getting arrested for refusing to leave a Florida nightclub and the second half saw the band file a multimillion dollar breach of contract law suit against their record label. It didn't come as much of a surprise when the Backstreet Boys issued a statement in early 2003, explaining that the group would be put on hold while its individuals worked on their own projects. Refreshed and rejuvenated, the Backstreet Boys returned to the spotlight in 2005 with the release of the single, "Incomplete." Despite changing musical trends and a collective dislike for boy bands, "Incomplete" managed to finds its way onto Billboard Top 40 charts for both airplay and sales.

- Linda Ryan