The+Backstreet+Boys

Who are the Backstreet Boys? Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson(who dropped out of BSB in 2006) make up a vocal pop group, famous in the late 1990s and into the 21st century, who are still together today. Below is a timeline of the group's achievements.....

__//**The Formation of the Backstreet Boys: 1992/1993**//__ The Backstreet Boys, or BSB, was formed after Lou Pearlman, a noteworthy entrepreneur started advertising for male vocalists who wanted to join a boy-band. Auditions were held in Orlando, Florida, beginning in June of 1992. Pearlman recruited A.J. Mclean in August, Nick Carter in October, Howie Dorough in December that year. Kevin Richardson became the fourth addition in March of 1993. The 5th member, suggested by Richardson himself, was his own cusin, Brian Littrell, who joined the group in April.

The Backstreet Boys actually got their name from a popular flea market, as well as a teen hangout, called the Blackstreet Market, located in Florida.

After signing with Pearlman, the Boys, under direction of Bob Curiano, a song producer, aired their first two hits "Lover Boy" and "Get Ready". The group began performing at grade school assemblies, shopping malls, and Sea World became their first official performance in front of three thousand people.

__//**An Early Start: 1994- 1996**//__ In 1994, BSB signed a contract with Jive Records. After spending some time in the studios, the Boys released their first single "We've Got it Going On." This song aired in August of 1995 on the radio. This song was of little popularity in the United States; however, it was acknowleged in Europe. This event caused the Boys to leave the United States and to move to Europe to promote themselves to a higher level on the charts.

In 1996, the Backstreet Boy's debut album was made public internationally, with the exception of the U.S. BSB even left for sold-out 57 concert European tour. The Boys sold over 10 million of their internatinal album and won the 1996 MTV European Viewer's Choice Award. Also, BSB won //Durchstarter// (Best Newcomers) in Germany's Viva Comet Awards.

__//**Back in the States: 1997/1998**//__ In this year, the Backstreet Boys came back to the United States to record new music. These songs, along with previous hits, were compiled into their first U.S. demo, //The Backstreet Boys//, which was released August 12, 1997- this was a number four on the U.S. album charts. At the same time, the album //Backstreet's Back,// the group's second international release delivered recognition as "number one" in Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, and Australia. On both CDs you could find hits such as "Everybody", "As Long asYou Love Me", and "Quit Playing Games With My Heart". Both albums together more than 28 million copies worldwide, with half sold in the U.S. In these years, Litrell, McLean, Richardson, and Dorough brought a lawsuit against Pearlman and Trans Continental Records, claiming that Pearlman has not been truthful about the earnings made by the group, resulting in a couple of settlements. The Backstreet Boys began their 39-city tour throughout the U.S.

__//**Millineum: 1999**//__ In June of this year, the album //Millenium//, was released to the public. This CD was the top selling album in this year, and had one million copies sold in its first week, and eventually sold forty million copies across the globe. Among the biggest hits were "I Want It That Way", "Larger Than Life", and "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely", and "The One".

__//**Black and Blue: 2000/2001**//__ In 2000, BSB traveled around the world in one hundred hours to promote their follow up album, //Black and Blue// (which sold almost two million copies in America in a single week, making BSB the first artist since The Beatles to accomplish more than a million back-to-back first week sales. However, //Black and Blue// never matched up to the sales of their first two albums.

Singles of the album included "Shape of My Heart," "The Call" and "More Than That." In the first week alone, the single "Shape of My Heart" was played on Top 40 stations in the U.S. and became the Number 9 hit on the Billboard Top 100 songs of the year.

The Backstreet Boys released the album //The Hits: Chapter One//, of all the songs BSB had recorded, including a new song! This entered the the Top 4 album in the America, and Number 1 in Canada.Internationally, it hit the top 10 for album sales. In the U.S. it turned platinum for selling over one million copies. Also, the Backstreet Boys sung the National Anthem at the Super Bowl XXXV in 2001 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, along with 'NSync.

__//**The Band Takes a Break, the Comeback, and a Dropout: 2002-2006**//__ In this year, BSB decides to take a brake. It was not until 2003, when A.J. McLean appeared solo on the Oprah Winfrey Show (when the rest of the Boys all came to suprise him) that the group had come together for the first time in public after taking a break. The band began planning for their comback album. In 2004, BSB tours Asia and Mexico, promoting brand new songs. In 2005, the Boys release the album //Never Gone;// this album took more than a year recording. In 2006, Kevin Richardson announced that he was leaving BSB, claiming that he wanted "to move on with the next chapter of his life". Two days after Kevin left, the remaining Boys began making plans to record their upcoming album on June 25, 2006.

__//**Unbreakable: 2007/2008**//__ //Unbreakable//, the Backstreet Boys 6th album, aired on October 30th. This was the first album with only four Backstreet Boys. Although it did well in Japan (#1), it failed expectations in the U.S. As a result, BSB went on a worldwide tour to promote this album in Tokyo, Japan on February 16, 2008.

__//**This is Us: 2009- present day**//__ The Backstreet Boy's next album, //This is Us//, was released on October 6th, 2009, the group's seventh studio album and second as a foursome. Although the album wasn't as much of a success in America as previous albums, it peaked at #2 in Japan and was certified platinum, and "Straight Through My Heart", the albums top hit single, was #18 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs. On October 30, 2009, the group went on a This is Us World Tour, that ended at the beginning of 2011.

A second Backstreet Boys greatest hits album called, Playlist: The Very Best of Backstreet Boys, aired in January of 2010(this was their last album for Jive Records). BSB is also planning to have a joint tour with New Kids on the Block.

At the 2011 Dick Clarks Rockin' New Year's Eve, the Backstreet Boys and the New Kids on the Block performed live together, both singing each others songs.

Below are some links to some of the Backstreet Boys' music videos! You can simply click on any of the links and it will take you straight to the music video! Enjoy :) [|"I Want It That Way"] (1998) [|"Incomplete"] (2005) [|BSB Live New Year's Celebration](2011)

Also, I have made a podcast discussing the troubles that both 'NSync and the Backstreet Boys have gone through by having Lou Pearlman as a manager. Enjoy listening! media type="file" key="Lou Pearlman Podcast.mp3" width="288" height="21"

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