The Top 10 Boy Bands Ever

Boy bands are hardly a new thing in pop culture. Going back as far as the 1960s boy bands have staked their claim on radio playlists across the world. Usually delivering a repertoire of cheesy ballads and textbook pop songs boy bands are notorious for being fine-tuned mechanisms that generate chart topping singles and marketing money grabs. We here at Meatball Kings have decided to put together a list of what we feel are the Top 10 most prolific boy bands ever!

#10-The Beach Boys

In 1961 brothers Ryan, Dennis, and Carl Wilson along with Mike Love and Al Jardine decided it was time to introduce the rest of America to the "California Sound". With their distinct vocals and original sound the Beach Boys sang songs about the lives of typical Southern California teenagers. Producing 36 top 40 hits in the United States and four number one hits the Beach boys managed to sell in excess of 100 million records worldwide. Their originality and continued popularity was reason enough for Rolling Stone magazine to list them at number 12 of "The 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time"

#9-New Edition

Out of Boston came the pioneers of the 1980s and 1990s boy band influx. New Edition bursted on the scene in 1983 with the hit song "Candy Girl" which charted in both the pop music and R&B scene. New Edition managed to stick with their formula up until 1990 when the group disbanded. Johnny Gill eventually replaced Bobby Brown who left the group in 1985 in an effort to pursue what turned out to be a very formidable solo career. Group members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens, and Ronnie DeVoe ultimately formed the 90's trio Bell Biv Devoe as a side project in 1989. Remaining members Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill also moved on to less celebrated solo careers. By the time the year 2000 hit all the New Edition spinoffs experienced their careers pretty much run out of gas. All six members have staged a few reunions which have included sporadic and less celebrated studio albums which have paled in comparison to the success experienced by this powerhouse boy band in the 1980s.

#8-One Direction

Spawning off reality TV and social media; pop sensation One Direction comes in at #8. This hit machine has managed to release four studio albums and win over 40 major music awards since their debut offering "Up All Night" in 2011. Made up of five members One Direction manages to include several different genres of current sounds into their brand of pop music. Hailing from London, England hasn't deterred these young men from going on tour in the United States and other countries creating an international buzz and garnering attention from some of the industry's foremost publications. Many critics have pointed out that with One Directions ability as of late to deliver a more mature sound they are expected to experience a career loaded with success and longevity.

#7-The Monkees

The Monkees were initially casted in Los Angeles in 1965 as an imaginary band to star in a television sitcom to be broadcasted on NBC. The television shows two season run was enough to catapult a fictional rock group into a registered chart topping boy band. The hit single "I'm A Believer" sat at number one on the Billboard charts for seven consecutive weeks and in 2008 was listed as #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 50th Anniversary Chart. Twenty years after their initial run The Monkees once again found themselves back on television due to MTV's decision to broadcast a Monkees TV show marathon. MTV's rebroadcast and influenced children's cable channel Nickelodeon to follow suit resulting in a resurgence of demand for all things Monkees. Since 1986 the band has reassembled several times with their most recent studio album being released in 1996 in their most recent tour taking place in the spring of 2014.

#6-Menudo

Puerto Rican boy band Menudo experienced success in the 1980s amongst Latin communities within the United States as well as Latin American countries. In addition to Menudos several radio hits their overwhelming popularity also led to the release of two spanish language motion pictures: Una Aventura Llamada Menudo and Menudo: La Pelicula. With 31 studio albums and a revolving door of 37 members over the years Menudos most notable spinoff act was chart topping artist Ricky Martin who achieved international success including Two American Music Awards, six Grammy awards, ten Billboard Music Awards, and eight MTV Music Video Awards.

#5-Backstreet Boys