In the 1990s and early 2000s, boyband stars were kings. My bedroom was plastered with posters of Take That, the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Boyzone, and Westlife. I listened to A1’s albums on repeat, sang along to Blue, danced along to Five, swooned to Boyz II Men. So when I was writing my latest heart throb character for my new novel Celebrity SOS, he just had to be a boyband star.
Finn Drayson, the main character of Celebrity SOS, is a former member of 1Dream, a fictional boyband inspired by the bands I used to love. And while I was writing his character it was great to remember all those amazing songs I used to dance around to.
It made me wonder, who are some of the best-selling modern boybands? Can you guess? Let’s take a look…
Backstreet boys – claimed sales 100 million.
Formed in 1993, they have just kept going and going. Their album DNA debuted at number one in 2019! They have topped the US Chart in three decades, the first boyband to do so.
Image: Discogs
One Direction – claimed sales 70 million. I remember watching when the band was formed by Simon Cowell on the show The X Factor (UK) in 2010. Since then they have gone on to top the charts across the world.
*NSYNC – claimed sales 70 million. Formed in 1995 and launched the career of Justin Timberlake. The group’s infectious, upbeat pop and hottie members was irresistible, and their second album No Strings Attached, sold over one million copies in one day!
Boys II Men – claimed sales 60 million. Formed by school friends in 1985, the group found huge international success in the 1990s with their emotional, uplifting ballads. They continue to perform as a trio.
Take That – claimed sales 45 million.
Formed in 1990, this British group dominated the UK charts with international success too. Hearts were broken when Robbie Williams left in 1995, but they reformed a decade later as a foursome. They are still wildly popular and had a platinum selling album, Odyssey, in 2018.
Image: Tim Roney / Getty Images
Westlife – claimed sales 45 million. Formed in 1998 in Ireland, they mastered the art of the power ballad, making the ‘key-change stand up’ their signature performance move. They have the most Number 1 debuts on the UK Singles Chart.
Source: Boy band – Wikipedia
The power of the boyband is far from over, especially with the rise of K-pop acts like BTS. There’s a whole new generation of swoon-worthy acts ready to take over the charts!
I’d love to know – which boyband is your fave? One of the 90s classics, one of the noughties mega-groups, or perhaps one of the newer groups?
If you love boybands and romance novels, you may like to check out my latest book, Celebrity SOS: Love Survives. Finn Drayson is down on his luck after 1Dream disbands. He takes part in a reality TV survival show and is reunited with his teenage sweetheart Katerina Murphy. Stuck together in the Alaskan wilderness, will Finn win back the love of his life, or will their love be as lost as they are?
Buckley Books 