Which Boy Band Is the Most Googled in 2019?
Boy band mania is back and wilder than ever, as evidenced during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. The BTS and Halsey mashup is being heralded as the “collaboration of the year on Twitter,” Paper Magazine reports. Fans were completely blown away.
But the boy band resurgence extends beyond the Billboard Awards. Most notably, ‘NSync made a surprise appearance with Ariana Grande as she headlined Coachella. Lance Bass spoke with The Cheat Sheet about the experience and said fresh offers to perform are suddenly hitting his inbox.
With the thirst for boy bands needing to be quenched, Google did some research to determine what are the top 10 most searched for boy bands this year. While number one may not be surprising, the band in second place may have you asking, “What?”
10. 5 Seconds of Summer
Also referred to as 5SOS, the band from Sydney, South Wales hit the airwaves in 2011. Their breakout song, “She Looks So Perfect” made them stars in 2014, but then the group faded a bit.
Fast forward to 2018 and the group released the album Youngblood, which lagged with fans initially, Billboard reports. But the album had significant staying power and the single hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Pop Songs radio airplay chart in early October.
9. B2K
Otherwise known as Boys of the new Millennium, B2K was a 90s group who was popular between 1998 through 2004. The hip hop band may have faded from the limelight in the early part of the century, but announced a 2019 tour last year.
However, right before the group was about to hit the road, lead singer DeMario “Raz B” Thornton bailed. He cited concerns over his personal safety. Although he left, the tour continued.
8. ‘NSync
Popular in the early part of the century, ‘NSync rose to fame as part of the manager Lou Pearlman’s marketing strategy to create (and rip off) a number of young, talented musicians.
While ‘NSync ultimately disbanded four members joined Ariana Grande for a performance at Coachella. The performance was met with rave reviews. Bass told The Cheat Sheet he loved performing with her former bandmates and would enjoy doing more with the guys if the right opportunity came their way.
7. EXO
South Korean boyband, EXO surged into the spotlight in 2012. The band’s makeup rivaled Earth, Wind and Fire. They started with 12 members, divided into two groups where one group performed in Korean and the other in Mandarin.
But in 2014 the group fused into one and has performed over 100 shows across four tours. Collectively, the band has released 5 studio albums with solo members recording their own music as well. The band was also heavily involved in the 2018 winter Olympics. EXO’s performance marked the 100-day mark prior to the start of the winter games.
6. New Kids On The Block
The New Kids on the Block were mid-80s sensations. Discovered by Maurice Starr, who discovered boy band New Edition, The New Kids on the Block introduced the country to the Wahlberg family.
Donnie Wahlberg first caught Starr’s attention thanks to his sweet teen rapping skills. Then the band ultimately included Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre and Danny Wood too. The band’s first big hit was “Please Don’t Go Girl” in the late 90s.
5. One Direction
The British-Irish pop boy band burst onto the scene in 2010 after finding success on the British version of the show The X Factor. Simon Cowell from The X Factor insists he was the reason the band was formed. Plus Cowell says it took him about 10 minutes to put the group together.
Once the band hit the airwaves, they immediately became a worldwide sensation. They released a number of hits including “Gotta Be You” and “One Thing.” Many singles topped the charts and their albums debuted at number one. The Guinness Book of World Records inducted the group into its Hall of Fame for being the first British group in US chart history to enter at number one with their debut album.
4. Backstreet Boys
Like ‘NSync, the Backstreet Boys were also created by Lou Pearlman. The group rose to fame around the same time as ‘NSync and burst onto the scene in 1996 with their debut album. The band became especially hot after releasing their third studio album, Millennium in 1999, followed by Black & Blue in 2000.
The Backstreet Boys have enjoyed a lengthy career. While many boy bands fade after a few years, the band’s 2019 album, DNA debuted at number one. The band has sold over 130 million records worldwide and they are considered to be the best selling boy band of all time.
3. Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are a family affair. Formed in 2005 the three brothers got their start through the Disney channel. Their talents were on display in the Disney original, Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. Disney even gave the brothers their own show, but it didn’t last and was canceled.
However, their music has endured. Since their formation, the band has sold over 17 million albums worldwide. Plus brothers Joe and Nick have enjoyed successful solo careers too.
2. The Beatles
Not what most people would consider to be a “boy band,” but Google found they were the second most Googled under the moniker. But perhaps The Beatles were the original boy band as two experts from Billboard debated this notion.
“The Beatles are an interesting boy band debate, because either they’re the furthest thing from a boy band, or they’re the most important boy band there’s ever been,” Billboard’s Andrew Unterberger asserted. “I dunno if there’s much room for an in-between interpretation.” Joe Lynch from Billboard saw it this way. “I feel like they were arguably a boy band in terms of marketing for a couple years, then inarguably not a boy band for the bulk of their run (a number of outfits would follow in those footsteps). For my money, I’d say the self-awareness of A Hard Day’s Night and its meta film marks the end of their boy band-ish era.”
1. BTS
Being the number one most searched comes as no surprise. Boy band BTS is one of the hottest acts right now as the South Korean group is highly sought after worldwide. The group’s early days began in 2010 but BTS found mainstream success around 2016 or 2017.
By 2018, BTS became a household name. In May that year, they released their third Korean-language studio album, along with an appearance at the 26th Billboard Music Awards. Most recently they performed on Saturday Night Live to significant fanfare.
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