Our teenage years were during the evolution of one of the greatest types of pop musicians: boy bands. We were lucky enough to experience the cuteness, the danceability and singability and the pelvic thrusts of bands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. And if we were really lucky, we got to see them half-naked in concert. From millions of screaming teenagers to celeb girlfriends - enter Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson - these boy bands had it all. Here's a list of the best boy band music videos to remind you of what we're really missing from MTV.
10) "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" - 98 Degrees Leave it to 98 Degrees to give a taste of the Spanish culture to tweens everywhere. In a video where the group seems to be stranded on some type of archaeological hunt, Nick Lachey and his cronies harmonize with open shirts blowing in the wind. After that vid, our temperatures were way above 98 degrees!
9) "Bump Bump Bump" - B2K "Bump Bump Bump" turned on girls and guys alike. With the B2K boys' smooth moves in tight beaters and sexy ladies shaking it with hardly any clothes on, the video pulls out all the stops. While girls complain that the video and song are degrading, we can't deny that we loved grinding to it at high school dances. Plus, P. Diddy's cameo truly pays homage to those who wear sunglasses at night.
8) "When the Lights Go Out" - Five Technically part of a "British invasion," Five fulfilled the accent quota for our boy band love. They desperately attempted to garner street cred with their London-tinged raps and thumping bass beats. The memorable video took place in a bowling alley (which presumably didn't do much business as there was plenty of room for choreographed dancing to take place), but Five never really rolled a strike in terms of U.S. popularity.
7) "I'll Make Love To You" - Boyz II Men Even though we may not have known the mechanics of it at the time, "I'll Make Love to You" hit a soft spot. Watching Boyz II Men serenade you from the TV in casual suits on a darkly lit street made you want to be the person they're singing to. Since when do guys, let alone brilliant musicians, care about what a woman wants? Boys II Men raised expectations of men in their sexually charged ballad, and did it in just the right way.
6) "U + Me = Us (Calculus)" - 2ge+her Though they were technically spoofing other boy bands, 2ge+her seemed to walk the fine line between parodying and actually fulfilling their man band prophecy. The video's wardrobe is perhaps the best of any, with outfits ranging from futuristic wear to fireman's suspenders. Despite their mocking, 2ge+her truly completed the boy band equation.
5) "Summer Girls" - L.F.O. Back in the days when Abercrombie & Fitch was the place to shop, a song mentioning the store was bound to be a hit. With its catchy sound, summer carnival atmosphere and possibly the worst lyrics ever written, everyone that saw the video questioned their intelligence but still bumped the volume. Unfortunately for L.F.O., we still enjoy our Chinese food from time to time.
4) "Liquid Dreams" - O-Town O-Town might not have had the dancing talent of the *NSYNCers, but their spins and steps while singing about wet - sorry, liquid - dreams in a circle of water was definitely entertaining. Let's give props to this boy band's members, who actually had the guts to sing about boy-specific bodily functions and desires. And expressing to us exactly what they mean in the video with hand motions, too.
3) "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" - Backstreet Boys Possibly the most sexually charged on the list, "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" made "Debbie Does Dallas" look like a romantic comedy. Suggestive dance moves and body caresses fill the four-minute video that seemingly has no plot other than showcasing five ripped young men singing in an empty basketball court. A timely rain strikes the video set, effectively turning an already prepubescent sexuality fest into a male wet T-shirt contest. No wonder we were such experienced second graders.
2) "It's Gonna Be Me" - *NSYNC Dance moves, plastic doll likenesses and the pretty faces that made up *NSYNC result in the gloriousness that is the "It's Gonna Be Me" video. Every girl under twenty knew the dance and weren't afraid to show it when the song came on. (And let's face it - they're the best boy band of them all.)
1) "You've Got It (The Right Stuff)" - New Kids on the Block Anyone who grew up in the '80s can do the dance to "You've Got It (The Right Stuff)," which basically consists of swinging your legs side to side in a rhythmic pattern. Despite the simplicity of the black-and-white video, girls everywhere shot into puberty after watching the famous five sing and dance their way to the top. New Kids on the Block are currently touring again and this song only reaffirms why their popularity hasn't waned.
