About Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys started off by sweeping the European charts with their soft vocals and smooth moves. It took them nearly two years to bring their fresh, teen-friendly music and arena-ready choreography back to their home country. Within three years, the young band managed to sell 55 million records all over the world and became a major part of the late-‘90s pop movement.
Formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1993, the band consists of five members – AJ McLean, Nick Carter, Howie D., Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell. They rose to fame with their simple yet sweet teen pop tunes that struck the right chord with young audiences, at a time when boy bands were becoming a big thing in the music industry.
Currently the band is gearing up for performances in the US. This residency show called “Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life” will continue on till February 2018. For people in Alpharetta and Las Vegas, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Grab these Backstreet Boys tickets at the earliest and relive the good old days with BSB.
Backstreet Boys – Early Years & Formation
Backstreet Boys was formed after Lou Pearlman put an ad in a local newspaper, looking to compose a vocal group. After multiple auditions, the band that was put together was given the name of Backstreet Boys, after Orlando’s Backstreet Market, which was a teen hangout spot. The band started out with minor performances in shopping malls, restaurants and charity events. Mercury Records showed an interest in their work, but they were eventually signed on by JIVE Records.
Rise to Fame
After getting a formal recording deal, the group flew to Sweden to record some songs with Denniz PoP and Max Martin, including “We’ve Got It Goin’ On”. This song reached the top 5 in many European countries but was a minor success in the US. In 1996, the boy band released its first album, Backstreet Boys. This album performed well in Europe as well, with the single “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” selling more than 250,000 copies in Germany. The album went platinum in Germany in 1996 and made them one of the most successful debut artists worldwide. “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)”, another single from this album managed to climb the charts in the US as well, peaking at No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100.
Their next album, Backstreet’s Back, was released in 1996 and got them more success in Europe and the US. It peaked at No. 1 in multiple European countries including Germany, Finland, Belgium, Austria and Norway.
Breakthrough Music
The third studio album by the band, Millennium, was released in May, 1999, followed by a highly publicized appearance by the band on Total Request Live on MTV. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 200 and sold 1,134,000 units in the first week alone - singles “I Want It That Way,” “Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely,” ‘Larger than Life” and “The One” were all major hits and took the band to superstardom. The album remained on the Billboard charts for 93 weeks and was certified 13 times platinum.
The tour for this album included 115 completely sold out venues in 84 cities. Dates were added to the tour due to a high demand for the tickets.
Subsequent Successes
The next album by BSB, called “Black and Blue” was released on 21st November, 2000 and was a huge success, both nationally and internationally. Subsequent albums such as “Never Gone,” “Unbreakable” and “This is Us” were also highly successful. The band also got a chance to perform the American National Anthem at the Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, Florida. They made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in October 2010. In August 2012, the group performed at the Good Morning America’s Concert Series, held in Central Park in New York. Their song “It’s Christmas Time Again” was released in November, 2012 and topped the Billboard’s Holiday Digital Songs chart.
2013 was a big year for the band as they celebrated their 20th anniversary in April. Two days after, they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 22nd April, 2013 was declared as the Backstreet Boys Day in Hollywood. Their 20th anniversary tour called, In A World Like This Tour, lasted over two years and had nearly 170 shows across the world. It was the 44th highest grossing worldwide tour in 2014.
The band released its documentary movie, Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of in 2015. The movie takes BSB fans through the story of the band, its formation, early years, success and tough times.
More success followed as members Richardson and Littrell were inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame on 10th April 2015.
Musical Style
Over the years, the musical style and influences of the vocal harmony group have evolved to quite an extent. In their earlier songs, they used a mix of R&B and dance pop with a ballad feel and some elements of hip hop. With the albums, Millennium and Black & Blue, they started changing their style, shifting more towards pop and pop rock. The comeback album, Never Gone was a drastic change from their traditional style with less harmonies and more instrumentation. With their seventh album however, the band went back to its roots. This variation in musical sound has kept the band fresh and relevant, even after all these years.
Awards and Accolades
The Backstreet Boys are among the best-selling artists in the world. They have been nominated for and received many awards and recognitions for their contribution to music. They have been nominated for five Grammy Awards including Best New Artist and Album of the Year. They won the MTV Europe Music Award for “Get Down (You’re the One For Me)” and the Viva Comet Award for The Shooting Star of the Year in 1996. BSB received the Billboard Music Award for Group Album of the Year for “Backstreet Boys” and an MTV Video Music Award for the Best Group Video, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”. Other awards that they have received include the American Music Awards, Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Juno Awards, People’s Choice Awards and even an MTV Movie Award for the Best Musical Moment.
Backstreet Boys Tour Tickets
Without doubt, Backstreet Boys tour tickets are one of the top selling concert tickets right now. With shows planned in multiple cities of the US including a whole series of performances in Las Vegas, you have multiple opportunities to catch these guys live in action. Their BSB Cruise May 2018 tour is already sold out and tickets for the “Larger Than Life” tour are selling out fast. Grab your Backstreet Boys tickets as early as possible!