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FORMED: 1992
Backstreet Boys were, in many ways, a contradictory band. Comprised
entirely of white, middle-class Americans, the group sang a hybrid of
new jack balladry, hip-hop R&B and dance-club pop that originally
found its greatest success in Canada and Europe, with their 1996 debut
album charting in the Top 10 in nearly every country on the continent;
ironically, success in their native land did not follow until nearly two
years later.
The core of the Backstreet Boys is cousins Kevin Richardson and Brian
Littrell, who both hail from Lexington, Kentucky. The two began singing
while they were children, performing in local church choirs, as well as
festivals, where they sang doo-wop and new jack R&B in the style of
Boyz II Men. Two of the other remaining members, Howie Dorough and A.J.
McLean, were natives of Orlando, Florida who met each other -- as well
as transplanted New Yorker and fifth Backstreeter Nick Carter -- through
auditions for local commericials, theater and television. At one
audition, the three discovered that they shared an affection for classic
soul and could harmonize together. In no time, they were singing as a
trio. Shortly after the trio had formed, Richardson moved to Orlando,
where he became a tour guide at Disney World; at night, he concentrated
on becoming a professional musician. Eventually, he met Dorough, Carter
and McLean through a co-worker, and the four decided to form a group,
naming themselves after an Orlando fleamarket; Littrell was invited to
join to make the band into a quintet.
Through a friend, record producer Louis J. Pearlman, the band secured
management from Donna and Johnny Wright, who put the group out on the
road and had several A&R reps come see the Boys perform live.
Eventually, Jive Records became interested in the band, signing the
group in 1994. Jive/Zomba set the Backstreet Boys up with producers Veit
Renn and Tim Allen and they labored over the album with the band for
several months. The group's eponymous album was released throughout
Europe in late 1995. The record was a success, spending several weeks in
the Top Ten in most continental countries where it charted. In the U.K.,
the Backstreet Boys were named Best Newcomers of 1995 at the Smash Hits
Awards thanks to their international hit single "We've Got It Goin'
On." After scoring another European hit with "I'll Never Break
Your Heart," the group released their eponymous debut album in
Europe and Canada in late 1996; it was a success, spending several weeks
in the Top Ten in most of the countries where it charted. Despite their
popularity in Europe and Canada, "We've Got It Goin' On"
stalled in the lower reaches of the U.S. charts in 1995; this may have
been due to the fact that the American version of Backstreet Boys was
not released until 1997. Combining their international singles with new
tracks (which also formed the centerpiece of that year's European-only
album Backstreet's Back), the American Backstreet Boys finally began
their rise to U.S. success, scoring hits with the singles "Quit
Playin' Games (With My Heart)" and "As Long as You Love
Me" (the former of which went platinum). The album continued to
spin off hits into 1999, with "Everybody (Backstreet's Back),"
"I'll Never Break Your Heart," and "All I Have to
Give" all landing on the charts; both the former and the latter
were platinum Top Five hits, and the album ended up with sales of over
13 million copies. In the meantime, the group saw its share of turmoil;
Littrell underwent surgery in early 1998 to correct a congenital heart
defect, and the Boys became embroiled in lawsuits against Pearlman and
the rest of their management over royalties for most of the rest of the
year. When the dust settled, Pearlman remained the group's manager
(though the rest of the team was fired), and the Boys began work on
their follow-up album.
Millennium was released in the summer of 1999, and debuted at number one
with first-week sales of over a million copies. Despite the fact that no
singles were officially released from the album in the U.S., "I
Want It That Way," "Larger Than Life," "Show Me the
Meaning of Being Lonely," and "The One" all hit the
charts based on airplay alone. The group released its Christmas Album
before the end of the year, by which time Millennium was well on its way
to sales of 12 million copies in the U.S. alone. Once again striking
immediately after their previous album stopped producing hits, the
Backstreet Boys issued Black & Blue in fall 2000. ~ Stephen Thomas
Erlewine, All Music Guide
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