By Waiching
Formed in Orlando, Florida, the Backstreet Boys are a 5-piece boy/man pop vocal harmony band with Brian Littrell, who is regarded as the group's best vocalist and singer, as well as lead with Kevin Richardson (Littrell's cousin), Nick Carter, Howie Dorough and AJ McClean rounding up the group. At first, their main set of fans comprised of young teen girls, but over time, the group's latter efforts, in particular Black & Blue, Never Gone, Unbreakable all the way through to DNA, garnered appreciation from elders and some male fans and listeners. Back in 1995, following on from successors, New Kids on the Block and the UK's Take That, a new boyband came to prominence in the U.S, though they first made a name for themselves in Europe with singles, 'We've Got It Goin' On' and 'Get Down (You're The One For Me)'. My sister became and is a huge fan of the Backstreet Boys, citing them as her favourite pop group of all-time and had owned pretty much every album that they released.
Whilst their debut effort, Backstreet Boys was released internationally and for the European market, 1997's Backstreet's Back is accredited for being the BSB's first U.S offering and second major studio LP and an album that sold millions.
Millennium from 1999 was the album that became the group's biggest-selling and most successful LP and one considered by many and die-hard Backstreet Boys fans as the ultimate album, spawning 4 single releases - I Want It That Way, Larger Than Life, Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely & The One -, which all hit the top 10 in parts of Europe. But one year later, the follow-up, 2000's Black and Blue (3rd U.S studio album and their 4th elsewhere) received mixed reviews, and whilst it is seen by many as one of their weaker offerings, there was a fair amount of songs I enjoyed more so than their first two albums and shall I add, a tad more than Millennium. Black and Blue made history by selling over 5 million copies, worldwide in its first week of sales.
As they got older, the material and songs showed growth and progression as artists and songwriters as they heralded a massive departure from the teeny-bop and bubblegum pop phases of the early to mid-1990s to early to mid & late -2000s with their brief venture in R&B (Black & Blue and 2009's This Is Us) and settling towards an adult contemporary pop feel. And all with a little help from Swedish Moroccan music producer, RedOne; though both the Cheiron and Max Martin efforts, Millennium and Black and Blue are my 2 favourite albums by the group, with the 2001 effort edging it for me. The latter ditched the bombast of the former in favour of a more R&B-influenced & edgier & flashier style; a decision which paid off, musically in my eyes that is.
Given the Backstreet Boys (or be it men) have endured the test of time, as both a five and four-piece when so many other boy bands have come and gone (namely the Backstreet Boys' rivals, the synonymous and comparative equivalent, N*SYNC) and never returned on the pop scene, is a testament to their popularity, success and appeal, and ability to grow as artists with their ever-dedicated (and ageing) fan base.
It wasn't an easy decision when I made this list, but there was no doubting that early Backstreet Boys or be pre- mid-2000s Backstreet Boys periods will still live on as the group's and die-hard fans most memorable and defining moments of their 30-year + lasting legacy.
Alas, here, I have settled on my 10 chosen Backstreet Boys songs:
1. I Want It That Way (1998) - Millennium; for many, the iconic and signature song of the Backstreet Boys and one of the definitive '90s pop anthems of all-time, more so than Everybody (Backstreet's Back). It was also the song that cemented the surging popularity of the Backstreet Boys in the 1990s like never before
2. As Long As You Love Me (1997) - Backstreet's Back; best BSB ballad, best-selling single in the UK, but also their best selling single not to reach #1 in the UK top 40; regardless, As Long As You Love Me put the group on the world map. Musically and lyrically, it is up there as one of their sheer best single releases along with I Want It That Way. If I want It That Way was considered the best of the best, this would come in second
3. Shape of My Heart (2000) - Black And Blue; their first 2000s EP release and one of their most eagerly anticipated singles, a mid-tempo song about making mistakes and forgiveness, it is Black and Blue's I Want It That Way. The key change struck a chord and alas, it is such a great song
4. Get Another Boyfriend (2000) - Black And Blue; taken from Black And Blue, a very underrated album and my personal favourite that is sometimes overlooked by many, given their change in musical direction, which gained new admirers but also divided fans at the same time. Yet Black and Blue showcased some of the strongest and best material co-written by the members who each had a hand in penning the songs. Get Another Boyfriend sounds like something that NSYNC would have produced themselves with its upbeat- ness and energy. Of all the upbeat tracks on Black and Blue, this is probably the highlight. Get Another Boyfriend is to the Backstreet Boys as It's Gotta Be Me to NSYNC
5. Don't Wanna Lose You Now (1998) - Millennium; the quality of this song lifts this into an adult contemporary pop song with its mature lyrics and sound, it's emotional as it is expressive and majestic. A standout from Millennium
6. What Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful) (2000) - Black And Blue; this featured as a bonus track on the UK edition of Black and Blue and on The Princess Diaries movie soundtrack with lead vocals by Howie D. One of the few BSB tracks with lead vocals from other than Brian, AJ and Nick, it is also one of their best that is underrated. It should have been a single released back in 2000/2001
7. More Than That (2000) - Black and Blue; your typical BSB boyband pop ballad, but like with Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely, the Backstreet Boys add that vocal quality to what would have been a below-average song, tinged with a little Spanish Latin flavour. This is one of my favourite ballads of theirs and whilst a lot of people were sceptical of its release as their final single release from this LP, More Than That still does it for me
8. The One (1998) - Millennium; considered one of the weaker songs on Millennium, this is a mid-tempo energetic number, which got the fan's vote after the Backstreet Boys held a poll on MTV's TRL show allowing fans to choose the next single off Millennium. The One is a song that I still liked listening to back in 1998 and to this day in the post-2010s, I still do
9. All I Have to Give (1996) - Backstreet Boys; produced and written by R&B outfit, Full Force, it is a soulful offering that showcases the 5-piece's vocal harmonies, it was the final single released from their self-titled debut album
10. Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely (1996) - Millennium; strong ballad with Latin influences that was selected by the group's then label, Jive as the BSB's third single off Millennium. Musically, vocally, lyrically and structurally, Show Me The Meaning... shows off the strengths of the Backstreet Boys and what Max Martin, with the assistance of Herbie Crichlow, was capable of as a pop lyricist; two decades later he goes on to pen chart- topping hits for the likes of Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Katy Perry
Honourable Mentions: Anywhere For You, Nobody But You, If I Knew Then, Everybody (Backstreet's Back), Quit Playin' Games With My Heart, Every Time I Close My Eyes, 10,000 Promises, Like A Child, Set Adrift on Memory Bliss, That's What She Said, If You Want It To Be Good Girl (Get Yourself A Bad Boy), Larger Than Life, It's Gotta Be You, Don't Want You Back, No One Else Comes Close, If You Knew What I Knew, The Call, Shining Star, Everyone, Not For Me, Yes I Will, How Did I Fall In Love With You, Treat Me Right (feat. J.C Chasez), Straight Through My Heart, All of Your Life (You Need Love), Drowning, Poster Girl, Something That I Already Know, Masquerade, Best That I Can
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