Boy bands may seem to have been at their peak in the 90s but there is no doubt that they have always been quite successful — and probably always will be.
From old-school boy bands like Bay City Rollers which were at their peak in the 70s, over iconic 90s groups such as the Backstreet Boys to boy bands that were recently breaking teenage hearts like One Direction — throwing good looking and talented men into a boy band has always been a recipe for success. This list takes a look at just which boy bands are the 10 best-selling ones of all time and without spoiling too much — let's just say that they wanted it that way.
10 Westlife
Kicking the list off at spot number 10 is the Irish boy band Westlife. Westlife was formed in 1998 and it consisted of Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne, and Brian McFadden.
In 2004 Brian left the band to pursue a solo career so Westlife currently has four band members. The band has released 11 studio albums and their claimed sales are 45 million. In 2012 the band went on hiatus, but they reunited in 2018.
9 Take That
Next on the list is the English pop band Take That which was formed in 1989. The original lineup consisted of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald, Robbie Williams, and Jason Orange. However, in 1995 Robbie left the band to pursue a solo career, and in 2014 Jason Orange left the band as well.
Take That have released 8 studio albums and they have claimed sales of 45 million — which means that there are tied on this list with Westlife. The band went on hiatus from 1996 to 2005, and currently, it has three band members — Gary, Mark, and Howard.
8 Boyz II Men
Number eight on the list goes to the R&B boy Boyz II Men which was formed in 1987. The band's current members include Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Wanya Morris while it’s past members are Marc Nelson and Michael McCary.
Boyz II Men have released a total of 11 studio albums and have claimed sales of more than 60 million records. Unlike most of the other boy bands on this list, Boyz II Men have never gone on hiatus.
7 *NSYNC
American boy band *NSYNC has also made it onto the list. The famous pop band was formed in 1995 and it consisted of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass.
*NSYNC have released a total of four studio albums and they have claimed more than 70 million sales. Unfortunately, the band split up after seven years in 2002, and as fans already know — Justin Timberlake went on to have a very successful solo career.
6 One Direction
Spot number six goes to the British boy band One Direction who was formed in 2010 and rose to fame after finishing third in that year's The X Factor.
The group was composed of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, however in 2015 — a year before the band went on hiatus — Zayn decided to leave One Direction. The band has released a total of five studio albums that have claimed sales of 70 million — which ties them on this list with *NSYNC.
5 Bay City Rollers
Opening up the top five best-selling boy bands of all time is the Scottish band Bay City Rollers who were major teen idols is in the 70s. The band currently consists of Stuart Wood, Ian Thomson, Marcus Cordock, and Jamie McGrory but it actually has a whopping 22 former members.
Bay City Rollers was active from 1966 until 1981 and during that period they released 16 studio albums that have also sold over 70 million copies.
4 New Kids On The Block
Next on the list is the American boy band New Kids On The Block which was formed in 1985 and they enjoyed major success in the late 80s and early 90s. The band's current members are Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood, while it’s past members are Jamie Kelly and Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg.
New Kids On The Block went on a hiatus from 1994 to 2008 but during their active years, they have released six studio albums that have sold in over 70 million copies.
3 The Jackson 5
Opening up the top three best-selling boy bands of all time are the Jackson 5. The band composed of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael, and Randy Jackson was formed in 1965 and it was active until 1989.
As fans already know — Michael Jackson went on to pursue an impressive solo career but in 2012 the four eldest brothers reunited after Michael's passing. The Jackson 5 have released a total of 18 studio albums which have been sold in over 75 million copies worldwide.
2 The Osmonds
The runner-up when it comes to the best-selling boy bands of all time is The Osmonds. The family boy band which was at the height of their fame in the early to mid-70s originally consisted of Merrill, Jay, Alan, Wayne, Donny, and Jimmy Osmond.
The Osmonds have released 22 studio albums and they have claimed over 77 million sales. The Osmonds have been active from 1958 until 1980.
1 Backstreet Boys
Wrapping the list up at spot number one is the most iconic boy band of the 90s — the Backstreet Boys. They were formed in 1993 and the group consists of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson.
The Backstreet Boys went on a hiatus in 2002 but already in 2004, the boy band got back together. The Backstreet Boys have released a total of 10 studio albums which were sold in over 100 million copies worldwide.