Boy Band Era
tagStarted 1989Peak 1998-2001Last big hit 2001
Producer-built dance-pop and ballads sung by choreographed young-male vocal groups: stacked layered harmonies, soaring key-change climaxes, uptempo-and-slow-jam pairings and synthetic arena-pop arrangements. Image-driven, fan-targeted singles prizing blend, heartthrob appeal and big emotional choruses over live instrumentation.
History
New Kids on the Block built the modern template in the late '80s; impresario Lou Pearlman engineered Orlando's Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, who sold tens of millions during the late-'90s teen-pop boom, many cut by Swedish hitmaker Max Martin. UK acts like Westlife (under Simon Cowell) mirrored it. The format cooled after 2001, then revived globally via One Direction and K-pop.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Want_It_That_Way
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Step_by_Step_(New_Kids_on_the_Block_song)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tearin'_Up_My_Heart
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swear_It_Again