A boy band is a group of young male singers, usually teenagers or young adults when they first form. These groups often perform love songs that are aimed at girls and young women. Many boy bands also dance, with performances that include carefully planned movements. In South Korea, boy bands often include members who are assigned to rap. Most boy band members do not play musical instruments during recordings or live shows. They are similar to girl groups, which are groups of female singers.
Some boy bands are formed by the members themselves, but most are created by talent managers or record producers who hold auditions to find new members. The popularity of boy bands has reached its highest point three times: first in the 1960s to 1970s, with groups like the Jackson 5, the Bay City Rollers, and the Osmonds; second in the late 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, with groups such as New Kids on the Block, Take That, Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, NSYNC, Five, Westlife, and Blue; and most recently in the 2010s to today, with groups like Big Time Rush, the Wanted, One Direction, and K-pop groups such as BTS and Seventeen.
History
The term "boy band" was not used until the late 1980s. At that time, Lou Pearlman started a record company to promote a new singing and dancing group after he saw the success of New Kids on the Block.
Although the Beatles are often described as a rock band, they are sometimes called "the first" or "the original" boy band by some journalists. This is because many young female fans loved their music. However, some critics argue that calling the Beatles a boy band might also apply to other 1960s bands. Others, like Ringo Starr, say the Beatles wrote their own music, played their own instruments, and did not rely on choreographed dance moves, which are common in boy bands. The Beatles inspired the creation of The Monkees, a TV show that featured a music group. The Monkees later became a successful rock and pop band.
Before the term "boy band" was widely used, groups like the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds helped shape the format. The Jackson 5, a family group, used soul music harmonies and catchy pop songs. They also performed choreographed dances, and all members sang, which is a common feature of boy bands. The Osmonds, another family group, started by singing barbershop music and later performed at Disneyland, which helped them gain fame.
The Bay City Rollers, a Scottish rock boy band, became very popular in the 1970s. They were called "the biggest group since the Beatles" and sold many records worldwide. Their first album, Rollin' (1974), was a big hit in the UK, Australia, and other countries. Their second album, Once Upon a Star (1975), also sold well and included the top-selling single "Bye, Bye Baby."
In Japan, Johnny Kitagawa formed his first boy band in 1962, called Johnnys. He later started the company Johnny & Associates, which created many successful groups. He also introduced a trainee system, which the K-Pop industry later used.
Menudo, a Puerto Rican boy band formed in 1977, had a unique rule: members were replaced when they turned 16, grew too tall, or their voices changed. Most members were between 12 and 16 years old. Menudo became very popular in Latin America and Asia, with fans comparing their fame to the Beatles.
New Edition, a Boston group formed in 1978, became popular in the 1980s. Though the term "boy band" was not used until the 1990s, they influenced later groups. Maurice Starr, inspired by New Edition, created New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) in 1984. NKOTB became the first modern boy band to achieve international success in the late 1980s.
Bros, a British boy band formed in 1986, had several top-10 hits in the UK. Their album Push (1988) was one of the most successful boy-band albums in the UK. Other British boy bands in the late 1980s included Big Fun and Brother Beyond.
New Kids on the Block inspired European music managers to create their own boy bands. Take That, formed in the UK in 1990, and East 17, formed in 1991, became popular. Take That later reunited in 2006 and had renewed success. Irish manager Louis Walsh created Boyzone in 1993 after seeing the success of British boy bands. Other successful British boy bands in the 1990s included MN8, Let Loose, and Damage and 911, though most disbanded by the late 1990s.
Boy bands were very popular on music charts worldwide. However, in the 1990s, some British music critics criticized boy bands for lacking artistic credibility. Despite this, groups like Five, Another Level, Point Break, and Westlife continued to find success. In 1995, German manager Frank Farian created the Latin American band No Mercy, which had worldwide hits.
3T, the sons of Tito Jackson from the Jackson 5, had several hits in Europe in the mid-1990s. They were the second-biggest-selling act in Europe in 1996, behind the Spice Girls. In Japan, SMAP, formed in 1991 under Johnny & Associates, became one of the most successful groups in the country, selling over 35 million records.
Key factors of the concept
A boy band's success often depends on its image, which is carefully managed by controlling all aspects of the group's clothing, promotional materials (often shared with teen magazines), and music videos. Being trendy is a key factor for a boy band, meaning the group follows the latest fashion and music trends. Each member usually has a unique feature and is shown as having a specific personality, such as "the baby," "the bad boy," or "the shy one." While managing musicians' public image is common, assigning specific roles to band members is a defining trait of boy and girl bands. In K-pop, each member often has an official position, such as "leader," "maknae" (meaning "the youngest"), "visual," "center," "vocalist," "rapper," and "dancer." The last three positions are based on members' skills and are divided into "main," "lead," and "sub" roles. Members in "main" positions are often considered the most skilled and have more parts in songs or are highlighted during performances. The "leader" acts as the group's spokesperson, helps resolve conflicts among members, and communicates with the group's label.
Most boy band music is written, arranged, and produced by a producer who works closely with the group. If needed, the producer may hire other singers to record guide vocals for each member to sing individually if the members struggle to harmonize. However, it is common for modern vocal groups to record each voice separately for clarity. In recent years, a tool called auto-tune has become widely used in vocal production, which has led to criticism for some boy bands. Some groups have also faced criticism for lip-syncing during performances, such as New Kids on the Block.
A typical boy band performance includes carefully choreographed dancing, with members taking turns singing or rapping. Boy bands usually do not write or produce their own music unless the members strongly request creative control. However, some groups were formed around a songwriter's talent, like Gary Barlow of Take That or Tony Mortimer of East 17. It is common for albums to include songs written by band members, but these are rarely used as singles.
Since the 21st century, boy bands have been expected to write or contribute lyrics to their songs. Groups like Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, who previously worked with writers like Max Martin, began writing their own songs in the late 1990s. Newer groups, such as JLS, have emphasized songwriting from the start. Some bands, like The Wanted, have even learned songwriting techniques. In K-pop, it has become common for groups to include members who are involved in writing and producing music. These members are often rappers who gained experience as amateur or underground rappers before joining the group. Rappers are expected to write their own lyrics because self-expression is central to hip-hop. Some "producer idols" in K-pop, like BTS's RM and Suga, also create music for other artists outside their groups.
Some boy band members achieve success as solo artists, using the group's popularity to build their careers. This often ends the group's activity until a future reunion. Examples include Justin Timberlake from NSYNC and Robbie Williams from Take That. In K-pop, it is common for members to pursue solo careers in music or other areas like acting or variety shows while still being part of the group. This often happens when the eldest member reaches 28 (or 30 in special cases) and is required to serve in the military, causing the group to take a temporary break. During this time, other members may pursue solo projects and reunite later when no one is serving or after all members complete their service.
Music genres
Although many boy bands are influenced by R&B or pop music, other genres such as country music and folk music are also included. For example, South 65 and Marshall Dyllon were both country music boy bands. Il Divo, formed by Simon Cowell in 2004, is a vocal group that performs operatic pop in several (mainly Italian) languages. After that, operatic and classical-style boy bands became more popular and common, especially in the UK. Since 2001, some boy bands have combined their music with power pop and pop punk, which often include live instrument performances. Recently, some boy bands have returned to their original doo-wop style, such as The Overtones.
Controversy
Since the 2000s, groups like Backstreet Boys and LFO have not liked being called "boy bands" and have preferred to be called "male vocal groups." Being grouped with boy bands was also the main reason the Moffatts decided to stop working together. Boy bands have been criticized by music journalists for focusing more on looks and marketing than on music quality, trying to attract a preteen audience, and following trends instead of being creative. These criticisms can be very harsh. Boy bands are often seen as not lasting long, but some groups, such as the Jackson 5, Backstreet Boys, Human Nature, New Edition, SMAP, Shinhwa, Take That, and Westlife, have had careers that lasted many years.