Backstreet Boys

Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson came together in Orlando in 1993. The group built its first major audience internationally, with the European debut album arriving in 1996 before the self-titled US release in 1997. “We’ve Got It Goin’ On”, “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” and “As Long as You Love Me” established a balance of dance-pop rhythm and earnest ballad singing.

Millennium in 1999 gave that approach its largest stage. “Larger Than Life” opens with a burst of theatrical energy, while “I Want It That Way” makes the chorus feel inevitable before the song has quite explained itself. “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” finds a different weight in the same closely arranged voices.

Black & Blue followed in 2000, carrying “Shape of My Heart” and “The Call”. Never Gone in 2005 brought more guitars into the picture, and later albums kept adjusting the production around the same core group identity. The records are more varied than the familiar image of the late-1990s boy band suggests.

The best starting point is still Millennium, but the earlier singles explain how the group got there. Listen for the contrast between McLean’s rougher tone, Carter’s bright lead lines and the smoother parts of the harmony. The songs are built to be sung by five people whose differences matter. That makes the big chorus feel like a meeting point rather than just another layer of sound.