The Best Boy Bands of All Time, Ranked From Worst to Best

While most people might look at this band’s name in confusion, their fans know their unique name is simply pronounced ‘element.’ Many Glee fans might not realize that years before actor Matthew Morrison starred in Glee, he was in a boy band.

Glee had such a significant following during its time on air, making it one of the most successful shows ever. In the early 2000s, the boy band industry was highly competitive, so LMNT struggled to stand out because of big bands like the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC.

Everyone knows that K-pop is boy band central. As a result, we aren’t surprised that one of the biggest boy bands of all time, Shinhwa, is a K-pop band. While this band’s success might be small compared to other boy bands, the truly extraordinary thing about this band is their determination to succeed.

Struggling with management issues, the band decided to form their own management company in 2011. As a result, their sales improved, and they have sold nearly half a million records worldwide.

This K-pop supergroup has received a long list of awards and was South Korea’s most successful band for four years in a row. While they have sold only half a million records worldwide, it is rather impressive, considering that nearly all of that was only in South Korea.

The band’s biggest hit, “Sorry Sorry”, became a global hit — with people worldwide copying their dance moves. The band received the International Band Award in 2015, proving they deserve global recognition.

Another boy band that struggled to get ahead of the competitive boy band market in the early 2000s was Dream Street. This band, led by Jesse McCartney, had some success with their first album named after the band. They even recorded a song for the Pokémon The Movie 2000 soundtrack.

While they were off to a good start with their first album, Dream Street, the band experienced problems with each other, and they ended their journey after a few months. It seems that creative differences can easily make or break a boy band.

In the late ’90s, the Spice Girls were on top of the world. Everyone seemed to be singing along to their tunes. Britain tried to find a male version of this superband, and 5ive seemed to be the answer. However, they enjoyed the fame and fortune to a different extent than the ladies.

5ive did pretty well in the U.K., and they even spent a few weeks on the Top 10 with their single “When the Lights Go Out”. However, they have yet to become international superstars. That notwithstanding, the band had a small but loyal following.

Most bands are considered part of superstardom when chosen to be an opening act for a megastar like Christina Aguilera. However, SoulDecision’s future would be less successful.

While the band’s single, “Faded”, did well, this Canadian band struggled to get along and move ahead after their first album was released. As a result, they split up.

While this band managed to stay together longer than most boy bands in the 1990s, it didn’t enjoy worldwide fame. This British boy band was formed in the late 1990s, and ten years later, they were still at it.

In the early 2000s, their single, “Back Here”, did well enough to get them on the show Even Stevens. BBMak took a break from making music together, but the band got back together in 2018. We can’t wait to see what they get up to.

While it might be a good idea to take a step back at times before attempting something again, it doesn’t always work out as you’d expect. This is what happened with this rock band, which released a single called “Butterfly” in 2000.

The single was such a global hit that the band was invited to attend and perform at many award shows and festivals, and they had a spot at Ozzfest. However, the band decided to take a break from it all. In 2015, they got together again, but their efforts could have been more successful.

Unfortunately, sometimes life has other plans. The band LFO had a lot of bad luck that stood in their way of becoming superstars. In the late ’90s, the band released a few singles that did well on the charts, with their biggest hit being “Summer Girls”.

Sadly, the band split up shortly after they began to receive international recognition. In 2009, the band decided to give it another go, but their plans were halted when one of the band members, Rich Cronin, passed away. Nearly ten years later, the two remaining members tried to get together again, but Devin Lima passed away, leaving only Brad Fischetti.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, all music enthusiasts tuned in to watch MTV. However, reality music T.V. was popular before that. That is why people quickly began mentioning a new band called O-Town. They were featured on a show called Making the Band, which was shown on ABC.

The band had a few hits, including All of Nothing and Liquid Dreams, but they never seemed to receive global fame. This hasn’t stopped them from enjoying their local fame; the band still performs for their loyal fans today.

What should you do if it is the beginning of the new millennium? The members of B2K will tell you to start a band because that is what they did. While the band seemed to do well in the early 2000s, they split up in 2004 so that one of the members, Omarion, could focus on his acting career.

While many would argue that B2K’s shot at fame was cut short, they had a few smash hits that topped the charts. These included Bump Bump Bump and Santa Hooked Me Up. In 2019, they got together again for a world tour before going their separate ways again.

Fans of Ricky Martin should be grateful to this band because they paved the way for the superstar, although they weren’t nearly as successful. This Puerto Rican band released a smash hit, Hold Me, which stayed in the U.S. Top 100 hits list for weeks in 1985.

Their success on the billboard charts led to ABC producers opening up slots for the band to entertain viewers on Saturday mornings. This resulted in a significant following of fans in the U.S. and Latin America.

This is another band that has managed to stand the test of time. After more than 40 years of working together, New Edition received the Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award. Even though the band began making music in the 70s, they only became really successful in the late 90s.

The band re-released their album Home in 1996. This album became a multi-platinum record, proving that the band had some serious musical talent. These days, New Edition doesn’t tour anymore, but they do once-off events on occasion.

Beginning in the 90s, this R&B band won the hearts of R&B fans around the world. 112 has enjoyed worldwide success, which has led them to Grammys, gold albums, and millions of adoring fans. With hits like It’s Over Now and Only You, this band took the R&B world by storm.

Their most recent album, Peaches & Cream, was released in 2017. It is their sixth album to be released, and it has done tremendously well. While they aren’t actively working together now, they reunite on occasion to record a song or to do a performance.

With music spanning over 30 years, 98 Degrees is still touring and recording today. The band has enjoyed some international fame because of their hits, including I Do, Because of You, and The Hardest Thing.

In 2013, the band went on a massive tour with other successful acts, including Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block. It is clear that this band is committed to giving their fans their best.

These days, all young music fans seem to love the Jonas Brothers. However, they are not the first successful boy band formed by brothers. In the 1990s, three brothers began the band Hanson, which took the world by storm.

Their multi-platinum hit, MMMbop, still has people singing along to its catchy tune. Even though the band’s later albums didn’t enjoy as much success, they still tour and get together to record on occasion.

This fantastic Australian duo had everyone singing along to their number-one hit, Truly Madly Deeply, in the late 1990s. The band’s first album, Savage Garden, topped the charts worldwide in 1997, and as a result, the duo experienced great fame.

They received many awards and completed a few successful world tours. With the release of another smash hit in 1999 called I Knew I Loved You, everyone thought they were going from strength to strength. Unfortunately, the band broke up two years later.

The Irish aren’t really known for their boy bands, but in the early ’90s, there was great excitement because of this band. The band became very popular with hits like No Matter What and Words.

Even though the band didn’t enjoy international success, they did well in the U.K. Their hit, Love Me for a Reason, held on to the 2nd spot in the U.K. Top 10 for weeks. Boyzone has sold 8.9 million records worldwide.

Boy bands were trendy in the ’90s, and this British boy band was one of the top ones in the U.K. Following their superb performance on Top of the Pops in the early ’90s, the band began to enjoy fame and fortune in the U.K. at an alarming pace.

Interestingly enough, they could have done better in the U.S. In fact, they only had one big hit in the U.S., Back for Good. It managed to slot in at the 7th spot in 1995. Take That has sold 14,5 million records worldwide, and although they have gone through numerous member iterations, their excellent music is still the same!

The translation of this band’s name is Storm, and true to the name, they took the world by storm in the 90s. This Japanese band’s big breakthrough came with the Volleyball World Cup in 1999 when their debut single, “Arashi”, was used as the theme song for the event.

Today, Arashi has sold more than 30 million records worldwide, but naturally, their most extensive following is in Japan. Their single “Calling/Breathless” reached triple-platinum status in Japan in 2013.

Even though this Irish band was off to a shaky start, they enjoyed great success in the U.K. and Ireland after they changed management. Their new manager, Louis Walsh, inspired the band to create music that suited their talents. Their hit single “Sweat it Again” stayed at the top spot in the U.K. and Ireland for weeks.

Once again, Westlife is an example of a band that did very well in the U.K., but has yet to make much impact in the U.S. They have sold an impressive 55 million records worldwide. We know we have at least a few of those copies — how about you?

The Monkees were big news in the ’60s. In fact, they were regarded as the American version of The Beatles. Most people might not know who they are today, but they were considered the ninth most successful boy band in the ’60s.

With hits like “Daydream Believer” and “I’m a Believer”, The Monkees have sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Of course, that isn’t a small number, proving they belong in the boy band Hall of Fame.

When it comes to boy band royalty, no one can deny that New Kids on the Block has enjoyed an impressive musical career. In fact, after half a century of recording and touring together, the band is still widely recognized.

Even though the band took a pretty extensive break from the late ’90s until 2010, they came back with a bang when they toured with other superbands — including Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees.

In the 90s, the music industry was awoken by an R&B giant called Boyz II Men. This amazing boy band topped charts worldwide with their catchy love songs and harmonious tunes. They enjoyed worldwide fame thanks to songs like “End of the Road” and “On Bended Knee”.

Surprisingly, the band has enjoyed a different amount of success in the 2000s, with their two albums, Under the Streetlight and Collide, not doing as well on the charts. However, loyal R&B fans will always support this phenomenal boy band.

The band’s number-one hit, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”, was most likely the band’s way to let us all know that they’ll be around for decades to come and have not disappointed their loyal fans. Considered a true heavyweight in the music industry, this boy band has received global fame with hits like “Larger Than Life” and “I Want it That Way”.

The band did a massive world tour in 2013, with venues sold out everywhere. Today, they’re still making music together, and all we can say is that we’re reliving our ’90s joy and happiness all over again!

The silent rival of the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC reached superband status in the ’90s because of chart-toppers like “Bye, Bye, Bye” and “I Want You Back”. This epic boy band experienced years of silence because of Justin Timberlake’s acting career.

In 2013, the band rose to the top and won the hearts of everyone at the MTV Music Video Awards when they reunited for a stellar performance that still has people talking. While they’re not performing together anymore, we’ll never forget their beautiful hits and Justin’s frosty tips.

BTS is arguably the most popular boy band in South Korea, so it isn’t surprising that they hold the record for most albums sold in the country. The band has sold nearly 33 million copies in Korea alone.

Fans were devastated when rumors of the band’s separation began spreading, but one of the members, Suga, informed their loyal fans that they were just enjoying some downtime. The band will continue with their epic musical journey once everyone is rested and ready.

Keeping it in the family works wonders sometimes, and the Jonas Brothers are an excellent example of what can be done in a talented family. The band became popular among young music fans because of their appearances on the Disney Channel.

Years later, the band has sold more than 17 million copies of their chart-topping hits. While the brothers are busy with their own lives now — considering they all have families now — they still get together for performances from time to time.

Any band that has sold more than 77 million albums worldwide is considered boy band royalty. As the name would suggest, the band is made up of brothers, and very talented brothers at that.

Forming in 1962, the band still gets together to perform today. However, while they were six performing together in the ’60s and ’70s, these days they are a duo performing their top hits, including “Let Me In” and “One Bad Apple”.

This group of five fantastic family members has sold a whopping 100 million albums worldwide. As a result, they’re considered one of the most successful boy bands of all time. In fact, in 1967, the band became the first boy band to have four number-one hits in a row.

The band is best known for their hits “I’ll Be There” and “I Want You Back”. While they enjoyed massive success, one of the members, superstar Michael Jackson, wanted to have a solo career. That was a decision that led him to become one of the biggest solo acts of all time.

In the ’60s and ’70s, Beatlemania was taking over the U.K. However, a Scottish band began to catch people’s attention. This band was hip, fresh, and exciting. Their manager realized that a new band would not surpass The Beatles in the U.K. market, so he decided they had to try to make it big in the U.S.

Luckily, their song Saturday Night was a massive hit in the U.S. and held the first spot for weeks. After that, two of their records managed to secure spots in the top 10 for several weeks. The band has released four golden records.

In 2010, a few young lads signed up to participate in The X Factor. They all signed up as solo acts, and one of the judges, Simon Cowell, saw incredible potential if they could be combined into a boy band. That was the birth of one of the biggest boy bands to ever come out of the U.K.

This band did so well that they still hold the record for the only band to have four albums rest at the first spot on the U.S. Billboard 200. Their biggest hits include “Live While We’re Young” and “Best Song Ever”. The band began falling apart in 2015, and since then, they’ve all enjoyed excellent solo careers. Harry Styles is one of the top male artists in the world.

Not many boy bands can say they have successfully recorded 29 studio albums. In fact, only one band owns those bragging rights — The Beach Boys. This legendary boy band was formed in 1961 and has helped revolutionize the music industry.

In 1988, the band had already sold more than 100 million records around the world, leading to their inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The list of hits this band has released goes on forever, but their best songs include “California Girls”, “Good Vibrations”, and “Wouldn’t it Be Nice”.

Move over, boy bands! The leader of the pack has arrived. When it comes to a boy band that leaves the rest in the dust, The Beatles can’t be beat. Holding the record for the most records sold, the Beatles have sold an astronomical 600 million records globally.

This band, from Liverpool, began in 1961, and by 1988, it was clear that they played a vital role in the development of music. In fact, the band is considered to be the most influential of all time. With hits like “Hey Jude”, “Yesterday”, “and Let it Be”, The Beatles remain the champion boy band of all time.