I agree with Lex re the general superiority of BSB except to note that:
BSB - SO many classics, both the ballads ("show me the meaning of being lonely" 4eva) and the bangers (they basically invented max martin with "larger than life" etc)
really it was "backstreet's back" that did this, right? I was like 14/15 when this came out and didn't really think of it as a sonic milestone at the time, I'm wondering if anyone else went O_O at the production on it.
― Tim F, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 06:52 (eleven years ago) link
yeah i was too young to pay attention to stuff like that but "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" was their breakthrough US hit and the song that kicked off that whole TRL/teenpop era. i also remember there being a lot of confusion about it ("Backstreet's back? Back from where?") when of course by that time, BSB was already huge in Europe/Asia.
hilarious moment while out dancing a couple of years ago, watching a crowd of corporate jock types who would never have admitted to being BSB fans go absolutely apeshit after the DJ unexpectedly drops backstreet's back in the middle of a bosh-y electrohouse set.
― Roz, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 09:28 (eleven years ago) link
no kidding - you play any BSB song at a bar or whatever and the place goes mental. 40 off-key people singing "I want it that way" at the top of their lungs. one guy who keeps jumping the "don't wanna hear you saaaaaaaaay" prechorus every fucking time (ok, it's me). I kinda dread to think of the kids who'll be doing this to One Direction in 15 years but this is kind of a unique thing to Backstreet from what I've seen, you play NSync or Britney or Xtina Aguila and people will roll their eyes out of their god damn heads at you.
― frogbs, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 14:27 (eleven years ago) link
I don't think anybody is rmde at NSync or Britney or Christina but "I want it that way" is a crown jewel in the pop canon and transcends the band and this poll
― flamboyant goon tie included, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 14:39 (eleven years ago) link
BSB were monstrously great from the get-go while *NSync became monstrously great as time went on
RIP 98 Degrees
― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 14:41 (eleven years ago) link
roz and frogbs otm about BSB's effect on parties
"backstreet's back" is just...universal. every type of party, every type of person, it never fails to go down a storm.
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 14:43 (eleven years ago) link
Perhaps 99% universal.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:19 (eleven years ago) link
98%
― flamboyant goon tie included, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:22 (eleven years ago) link
If we're going by songs, BSB. If we going on looks, Jordan Knight is the only one of these dudes I've ever found attractive.
― Ulna (Nicole), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:22 (eleven years ago) link
Not enough Take That love itt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2ICtCO8TCw
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:28 (eleven years ago) link
If someone put 'Backstreet's Back' on at my house, I would be fairly fucking annoyed.
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:32 (eleven years ago) link
otm plus "Give It To You" is the only song from that era I still listen to regularly.
gonna throw a vote to NSYNC on behalf of my 14yo self though.
― Roz, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:35 (eleven years ago) link
I wish I hadn't voted so early on in this poll. Now I want to change my vote about every hour depending on whose song I'm listening to.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:16 (eleven years ago) link
they're touring with NKOTB this year iirc
― Arty, Noisy, Weird, Funky, Punky Pope (crüt), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:23 (eleven years ago) link
And Boyz II Men, fwiw.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:24 (eleven years ago) link
okay so 98 Degrees had EIGHT top 40 hits????? I thought they had two at most (a drippy ballad and "GIVE ME ONE MORE NIGHT/UNA NOCHE/FUCK ME, I'M BILINGUAL")
― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:25 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, that surprises me. I only remember two (probably the same two you remember).
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:25 (eleven years ago) link
I don't remember any of the 98 Degrees hits but for now I'm going to live under the assumption that those lyrics are verbatim.
― Arty, Noisy, Weird, Funky, Punky Pope (crüt), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:26 (eleven years ago) link
for all the talk of the homoerotic, er, bent, of late nineties boy bands, 98 Degrees really came off like gunsels and ass-for-hire.
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:26 (eleven years ago) link
were O-Town supposed to be attractive?
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxkmiy6W3Y1ql7z4d.jpg
"Back for Good" is the best individual song, but BSB is the best overall.
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:28 (eleven years ago) link
Also underappreciated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx7DC2xEs2U
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:29 (eleven years ago) link
xposts one of the 98 degrees guys went on to join chippendales so...
― Roz, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:30 (eleven years ago) link
back when I actually bothered to watch the VMAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfaF-Og3iP0
― Roz, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:34 (eleven years ago) link
On January 22, 2013, the group appeared on The View along with New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men to announce their joint tour that will take place in summer 2013.[18] This tour has been named "The Package" and the 12 members on tour (Boyz II Men with 3 members, NKOTB with 5 members and 98 Degrees with 4 members) jokingly refer to themselves as "The Dirty Dozen." The North American tour begins on May 31, 2013
― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:34 (eleven years ago) link
Didn't B2M have four member? And didn't 98 Degrees have 3 members?
I can understand someone getting older and bowing out of B2M, but how did 98 Degrees recruit a NEW guy?
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:36 (eleven years ago) link
The Bulge Tour
― Arty, Noisy, Weird, Funky, Punky Pope (crüt), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:37 (eleven years ago) link
Late '80s/early '90s teen idol group New Kids on the Block broke up years ago, but groupies are still talking about the former members. Jordan Knight, the biggest heartthrob of the group, is said to have a huge ego and is a selfish lover, says one lady who claims to have been with him. He's also rumored to have "played for the same team." Joey McIntyre is a pretty good lover but he can be an unfaithful dog, according to another lady who experienced him. Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood were the biggest sluts in the group, and they also had a taste for ethnic women.
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:37 (eleven years ago) link
Don't be fooled by 98 Degrees' nice-boy image because most of the guys in the group are just as slutty as rock stars with a raunchy image. Jeff Timmons likes to pick up strippers and Justin Jeffre can occasionally get fixated on his sex partners. Drew Lachey has a short-guy complex and loves all the attention he can get from attractive females. And "The Hardest Thing" that Drew's brother Nick Lachey could ever do is keep an erection for more than 10 minutes during sex. Word is that Nick is a quick shooter.
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:38 (eleven years ago) link
Members of the Backstreet Boys are some of the biggest playboys of the teen idol groups. A.J. McLean and Nick Carter are said to be the biggest sluts in the group. Nick is said to be very into the white stuff nicknamed "blow" and "snow." Groupies say that A.J. doesn't like to use condoms and he's a "backdoor" man. Kevin Richardson used to be a male slut but he's toned it down now that he's gotten married. Howie Dorough has a reputation of being a overall nice guy who likes to keep his love life very private. Meanwhile, religious married man Brian Littrell is the least likely to fool around with groupies
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:39 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDcpXlttqq4
― that Django got me Nuages (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:41 (eleven years ago) link
yeah i was too young to pay attention to stuff like that but "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" was their breakthrough US hit and the song that kicked off that whole TRL/teenpop era.
"Quit Playing Games With My Heart" was their first big US hit, "Backstreet's Back" was second.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:41 (eleven years ago) link
98 Degrees always had 4 guys IIRC
― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:43 (eleven years ago) link
Didn't B2M have four member?
Michael McCray left (at least ostensibly) for health reasons
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:43 (eleven years ago) link
lol why did I look at that acronym and think "Butt 2 Mouth? waht"
― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:45 (eleven years ago) link
98 Degrees were never a going concern in my sphere, so I'm not surprised I was wrong about the number of members.
Sorry, Michael McCray. :(
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:45 (eleven years ago) link
I thought "Buggers 2morrow"
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:46 (eleven years ago) link
Meanwhile, religious married man Brian Littrell is the least likely to fool around with groupies
I knew it!
― frogbs, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:48 (eleven years ago) link
I dont know how many women over 18 were really in to these groups, now that I think about it
― frogbs, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:50 (eleven years ago) link
It's been a few years and they're all over 18 now.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:52 (eleven years ago) link
Although if the number of women I know my age who want to smash Justin Bieber to tiny pieces is any indication, their appeal probably wasn't as limited as you suspect.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:53 (eleven years ago) link
Brian Littrell is the least likely
"least likely" implies there's some wiggle room in there.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:53 (eleven years ago) link
huh was under the impression at the time that "Quit Playing Games" was bigger outside the states, but I just checked and it actually went to no. 2 on the charts. i still think of "Everybody" as the song that really made them huge though, prob because of the video.
― Roz, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:56 (eleven years ago) link
East 17: Classic or Dud?
― you're going home in a crispy ambulance (cajunsunday), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:56 (eleven years ago) link
considering they namedrop NKOTB, surprised no one's mentioned:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHuGG_FsC20
Lead guy died of leukemia btw. :(
― Roz, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:59 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, I heard "Games" way more at the time. That song was everywhere. xxp
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:02 (eleven years ago) link
It's possible my relative perception of the two songs' popularity is influenced by the fact that the r&b station here played "Quit Playing Games" and never touched "Backstreet's Back".
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:05 (eleven years ago) link
eh they were both massive and inescapable IIRC
― Ima R.A.E.D. (DJP), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:06 (eleven years ago) link
lol and mine because i lived on a diet of MTV xpost
― Roz, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:06 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, possibly. I just happened to have heard the one 1000 times that year and the other like 10 times that year.
― The Reverend, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:08 (eleven years ago) link