Entertainment
Poll Names Backstreet Boys 'The Best Boy B and of All Time' But We Gotta Agree to Disagree
In an Entertainment Weekly poll last week made up of five categories — best appearance, best music videos, best dancers, best vocal moments, and best live performances — One Direction, 'NSYNC, Boyz II Men, New Kids On The Block and New Edition battled for the title of Best Boy Band. The result? BSB won. I find this news hard to swallow because unless EW went back in time and asked my 10- year-old self and no one else to vote on this poll, then sure, the Backstreet Boys would win every category. But my adult self would beg to differ. Here's our picks for who should've won each category.
Sorry, BSB
In an Entertainment Weekly poll last week made up of five categories — best appearance, best music videos, best dancers, best vocal moments, and best live performances — One Direction, 'NSYNC, Boyz II Men, New Kids On The Block and New Edition battled for the title of Best Boy Band. The result? BSB won. I find this news hard to swallow because unless EW went back in time and asked my 10- year-old self and no one else to vote on this poll, then sure, the Backstreet Boys would win every category. But my adult self would beg to differ. Here's our picks for who should've won each category.
Category 1: Best Appearance — One Direction
For anyone willing to debate this, refer back to the PVC pants and sparkly, see-through tank tops of the late '90s and early '00s that plagued other boy bands and the '80s style before that. For someone that grew up in the era of the boy band and with incredible bias, even I'm willing to admit that Niall, Liam, Harry, Zayn and Louis have it together in the style department ... and they probably dress themselves. They have great hair and coordinate like pros and didn't need 20 years to figure it out, so they actually deserve to win this. I highly doubt we'll be making comedic lists about their biggest group-fashion blunders like we've done for 'NSYNC and the supposed kings of the boy band, BSB. They're also cute as hell, so deal with it.
Category 2: Best Music Videos — Backstreet Boys
This was the toughest category for me because of the sheer volume of music videos and the choice between 'NSYNC and BSB. Ultimately, I had to agree with EW.com's voters on this one. I fell in love with Nick Carter while watching the "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" video, all close-ups and moppy hair blowing in the wind. And with Casper being one of my favorite childhood movies, I can't deny that using the same set for the "Everybody" video wasn't/still isn't the coolest thing ever (even if it's a little creepy). Last but not least, let's also take a moment to remember the great "Shape of My Heart" with a theater-audition theme.
Category 3: Best Dancers — 'NSYNC
We all know this is true, sorry NKOTB fans, but the boys of 'NSYNC took your lead and made it cool. There is not a single person you know that doesn't have the "Bye, Bye, Bye" dance memorized and that music video premiered 13 years ago. If you need a good reason why 'NSYNC is the only choice for this category, here's many.
Category 4: Best Vocal Moments — Boyz II Men
I feel like this category might not even be fair because there's no one that could possibly overtake Boyz II Men in the harmony department. As I write this, I'm sobbing through the beauty of "End of the Road" just like I did alongside Seth Cohen in 2005. It takes serious craft mastery to sound better live than you do on your album, and the Boyz got it.
Category 5: Best Live Performance — 'NSYNC
They performed "Dirty Pop" at the MTV Awards in 2001 with Michael Jackson, do I really need to say more? Fine, I will. How about in 2000 at the MTV Movie Awards where they jumped out of life-size doll boxes to perform "It's Gonna Be Me"? Even at this year's VMAs, the buzz around a real, live 'NSYNC reunion performance was larger than for any of the other boy bands in poll. Their live shows rock and they know it.
The Verdict: 'NSYNC is 'The Best Boy band of All Time'
It seems like the Backstreet Boys never left us (somehow they continue making music, see their new album: Never Gone) and New Kids On The Block tried that reunion tour a few years ago, but no one gets the same love as 'NSYNC. I can honestly say this as a die-hard, 10 year-old BSB fan that jumped ship to 'NSYNC after realizing how wrong I was for so long. As far as EW.com's categories are concerned, JT, JC, Chris, Lance, and Joey are the rightful kings of the boy band.
