Top Of The Boyband Bops: Our Picks Of The 90s n 00s

Lads, if there’s anything you should know about me, it's that I bleedin’ love a boy band. As a 00s baby, I spent my early musical days as a little sprog salivating over scarf-clad, Jack Wills n Topshop wearing One Direction and The Wanted and at the age of 10, was pretty sure that if Louis Tomlinson ever laid eyes on my greasy ginger fringe, he’d ask for my hand in marriage pronto. The most dramatic moment of my childhood, along with Cheryl collapsing with malaria on X Factor 2010 and Lily falling off the roof in Tracy Beaker Returns, was this:

However, we’re not here to talk about that. Inspired by the INCREDIBLE news that the BBC are releasing a three part documentary series about the 90s and 00s boyband boom entitled Boybands Forever, this Saturday, we’ve been thinking things over and compiled a collection of corkers from the era, so spike yer hair up a la Scott from Five, get off yer stools when singing along to a sappy Westlife number and er…try not to do a Brian Harvey and run yerself over after eating one too many baked potatoes. 

1. Keep On Movin by Five (1999)

We’re kicking off with this ‘un because, well, it's an absolute banger. No, that’s an understatement, they’re all bangers here. But this one especially. Everyone has that one 90s cheesy pop song that gets you absolutely turnt and this is the one for me. Packed with motivational messages (I’d listen to this when I was trying to hype myself up to do my uni assignments), and a very “turn of the millennium” video with wide open spaces, elevators and tv screens, it’s just the perfect pop song and SCREAMS Y2k. I’d also like to add that Five were the greatest boyband of the 90s, but some people aren’t ready for that debate yet. 

2. Pray by Take That (1993)

Before Gary Barlow was busy producing massive sons, he was busy producing top pop tracks like 1993’s “Pray” with Take That. The north of England’s answer to New Kids On The Block had been bringing out bops since 1990, but this was their first number one, sealing Take That’s status of being national treasures loved by nineties schoolgirls and Nans everywhere. Ethereal and earthly sounding, It also manages to hip n hop like a Jazzy Jeff n Fresh Prince tune, and hey- it even features a gospel choir! The music video however, is hardly anything holy. Lots of men touching themselves on a beach with not many clothes on. Ooh-er. 

3. Deep by East 17 (1993)

This might just win the award for the dirtiest of the lot. Chwooooar. Pure FILTH. It’s that bad that when they would perform it on Top Of The Pops they’d have ‘em performing “deep deep down” at the bottom of a swimming pool with a dancing mermaid (yeah they took things quite literally on TOTP) with the lyrics about fiddling and fantasising and “doing it” till yer belly rumbles being exchanged for something a bit more pleasant n PG. What makes it even funnier is the instrumental track behind this is absolutely gorgeous and like something out of one of those ambient albums yer Mum would get from Woolies in 1998 with Enigma’s Return To Innocence on it. 

4. Bye Bye Bye by N*SYNC (2000)

We’re going stateside for this one. Whilst this lot were taking on America with JT (that's Justin Timberlake to you) in his curlynob era, they were missing out on a hell of a lorra banging boybands from our ends. But I won’t get into that argument. Ah yes, “Bye Bye Bye”, their biggest track and for blimmin’ good reasons. A proper stomper of a pop tune, it oozes with attitude and teenage angst,The musical equivalent of someone punching walls. With a puppety video that was nicked by The Wanted for the cheese-tastic “Walks Like Rihanna” in 2013, it’s gone on to be an icon of its era. 

5. Larger Than Life by Backstreet Boys (1999)

It’s only right like rivals Take That and East 17 that we mention this lot after N*SYNC. Released in 1999 and one of the singles off the bands very aptly named Millennium album, we’ve chosen to pick this- to use an Americanism- awesome anthem over the mushy ballad “I Want It That Way” from the fellow Florida fivesome for it’s squelchy bassline and sci-fi blockbuster of a music video (because the year 2000 just sounds so FuTuRiStIc don’t it???). However, you might need to pass the sick bucket because despite it’s badass backing track,  the lyrics aren’t short of sap. This un’s a dedication to the fans that picked Nick Carter’s curtains over Justin Timberlake n his curls. Nawww. 

6. When The Going Gets Tough by Boyzone (1999)

Look, we could have chosen from an array of Boyzone tracks, they well and truly had the charts in a chokehold despite the divide between Britain and Ireland back in ver day, but we’ve decided to go with a cover, of which they did MANY. “Love Me For A Reason”, “Words”, “Father & Son”, even their biggest hit “No Matter What” was nicked- did this lot EVER release their own choons? This time we’ve gone for a cover of an 80s classic from 1999 (what a year for boyband bops eh?) The band's rendition of Billy Ocean’s “When The Going Gets Tough” ain’t short of fun, released as a charity single for Comic Relief, the music video features the band bouncing around with a bunch of big red balls and an array of slebs (including the cast of Emmerdale????)

7. When You’re Looking Like That by Westlife (2000)

Believe it or not, there are a coupla Westlife tunes that don’t sound like the soundtrack to someone's funeral. In fact, “Swear It Again” was at one point the most popular song for both weddings and funerals in Ireland. However, we’re talking about BOPS here and as we knew we HAD to include a track from the high stool and matching suits enthusiasts, we’ve gone for the denim clad “When You’re Looking Like That”. It’s a twinkly teenybopper tune and the musical equivalent of a clamouring camembert- pure cheese and the music video features the iconic irish band dressed like a bunch of rugby lads n kissing old ladies (yer nan fancies Brian McFadden x)

8. Bodyshakin’ by 911 (1997)

Starting life as backing dancers on ver box’s The Hitman & Her (where, fun fact fact fans, Take That’s Jason Orange also started his career) 911 went on to become one of the defining boybands of ver 1990s- and bizarrely, upon research, to this day very popular in Vietnam. Slapped onto the covers of Smash Hits in the mid 90s, this lot brought a bucket load of sickly singles, including the 90s dance infused “Love Sensation” and blubbering ballad “A Little Bit More”. However, we’ve gone with their biggest and best known hit “Bodyshakin’” to add to our list, which although didn’t add anything to a bad boy image (“I was the boy walking tough king up the street”-SURE YOU WERE) it did bring a more rough n ready sound to a discography that don’t sound half dated nowadays. Still we listen with nostalgic ears. 

9. All Rise by Blue (2001)

Said the court judge when Lee Ryan got done for being a bit of a prat on a plane in 2023. Whilst the traditional all singing all dancing boyband was on the decline in 2001 and swapped for pint sized pop rockers like McFly and Busted (one year later in 2002 One True Voice were absolutely obliterated by fellow Popstars contestants Girls Aloud and subsequently never heard from again), Blue brought a bit of the old R&B to a dying breed and still to this day “All Rise” and the subsequent singles that followed remain absolute TUNES and Heart Radio has never been the same since. 

10. Five Colours In Her Hair by McFly (2004)

Thought we’d end on a controversial one. Don’t worry, they’re not wronguns, there’s just a bitta debate on whether this lot are a boyband or not. With their Blink 182 and Beach Boys combo of Surf Pop, McFly have gone on to be one of the most influential bands of the 2000s pop scene, inspiring many spotty teenagers to start their own bands, such as The Vamps, Rixton and even as far as Aussie rockers 5 Seconds Of Summer. This fun and fab number 1 from 2004 was based off the character of Sooz in Channel 4s top teen show “As If”. She went on to absolutely despise the song. Oh well. 

Before we go, there’s a coupla choons we’d have loved to include but narrowly missed the top 10, so here’s a few honourable mentions:

Same Old Brand New You by A1

I’ve Got A Little Something For Ya by MN8

Step by Step by New Kids On The Block

Beat Again by JLS

Boybands Forever is out on BBC iplayer on Saturday 16th November, if you're anything like me, you'll be watching with popcorn at the ready!