The dancing, the hooks, the harmonies, the looks — boy bands have been adored and idolized for close to a century, each generation offering up new idols for worship. Yet these days, with older fans eager to go on a cruise with their teen crushes, and younger fans compelled to act on social media in the name of their favorite group, the love of a boy band is anything but a passing fad. From doo-wop to hip-hop, boy bands engender lifelong devotion, and their songs are constants at weddings, in grocery stores, and on streaming playlists. Pop Icons celebrates these pinup heroes with thoughtful analysis and photos galore to give these bands, and their fans, their due.
THE HISTORY OF BOY BANDS
The gift that keeps on giving
AN ODE TO BOY BANDS • The harmonies, the lyrics, the dance moves, and the cuteness—these are the elements that make up a successful boy band. But as tried-and-true as the formula may seem, the genre has a way of producing just the right set of people, at just the right time, for the right generation. What makes a boy band special, and why are we continually fascinated by them?
ORIGIN STORY • The seeds of the boy band phenomenon may have sprouted with the popularity of barbershop quartets in the 1920s and 1930s, but it took rock ’n’ roll—and doo-wop sensation Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers—to make rich vocal traditions align with swoon-worthy pop laments. Musically innovative groups such as The Beatles, and charismatic families The Jackson 5 and The Osmonds, soon followed.
THE BIG BUSINESS OF BOY BANDS • Like star athletes whose endorsement deals may outweigh their salaries, successful groups can sell more than just discs and downloads. The tours, the merch, and some major solo careers not only add revenue to any worthy act, but also help burnish a band’s legacy.
MADE FOR MORE THAN TV • A sitcom may not seem a natural launching pad for a massive musical group, but The Monkees were proof that strong hooks and cute looks could make its makers a fortune. Since then, television and streaming platforms have produced a mix of time-capsule curiosities and monster successes.
THEY CAME FROM ACROSS THE POND • The Beatles and The Rolling Stones led a host of British bands to North America; then MTV ushered in even more in the 1980s. But the true boy bands of the U.K. seemed to thrive best ruling their home shores.
THE GOLDEN AGE • New Edition or New Kids on the Block? *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys? You were the winner no matter your favorite. From the 1980s to the turn of the century, boy bands dominated the airwaves.
SHE WANTS TO HOLD HIS HAND • The images of screaming fans, weeping with elation at concerts has been as much a part of the boy band experience as the performance onstage. Away from the venues, though, the nature of fandom, especially amongst teen girls, encompasses making fanzines, running clubs, and serving as a group’s best PR force or gatekeeper. Has fandom changed remarkably in the social media age?
BTS, K-POP, AND THE FUTURE OF BOY BANDS • The world has not only caught up with the boy band phenomenon but is also expanding and evolving its reach. Who are the boy bands of tomorrow?
NEW TALENT TO WATCH • HINT: EXPECT MORE K-POP
Boy Bands
PHOTO CREDITS