It was an era in which people thought the "Curtained Haircut" was a good idea, when the TV show Friends exploded, rollerblading was a form of transport, and we didn't have the smartphone, we had the Tamagotchi. But the 90s was also big on something else - the boy band. It's time to dust off your flannel shirts and Doc Martens (or maybe they're not so dusty?), and dance your way through our 10 favourite boy band songs from the 90s...
Five - “When The Lights Go Out”
"Such mystery. What happens when the lights go out? What is it actually all about? What the fuck does 'succumb' mean? Why does that rapping dude have an earring in his eyebrow? Those were the thoughts running through my head when I was like 12 or something, dancing to this in my bedroom every night until I was once caught by my friends and shamed to no end." - Chris Singh
New Edition - “Hit Me Off”
"This was actually the first "favourite song" I ever had when I was a kid. Every time it came on MTV I would run to the TV and not look away. I thought the line "Let's spend an hour in the shower" was the most R Rated thing in the world and I would turn the volume down whenever that line came so no one would hear. Good times. This is still one of my favourite songs of all time and I would not at all consider it cheesy so there's the test-of-time factor too." - Chris Singh
Hanson - “Mmbop”
"I was maybe 4 or 5 when this came out, and it was in the top 10 forever, so every Saturday morning when video hits was on, it would get thrashed.
I also vividly remember my friend not knowing who Hanson were and getting a little shocked that someone didn't know who they were." - Dylan Marshall
"I still don't know what an "mmm bop" is or what the words after "Mmm bop" in the chorus actually are. But it's fun to sing in a really high-pitched voice anyway!" - Justine
Fun fact - I did think Taylor was a girl for a bit. - Justine McNamara
N' Sync - “Tearin' Up My Heart”
"Do I ever need a reason to like this? I don't. I really don't." - Chris Singh
Boyz II Men - “Motown Philly”
"This iconic song put Boyz II Men on the map and kept them there for years. New Jack Swing really was something special, especially with voices like that." - Chris Singh
Backstreet Boys "Everybody (Backstreets Back)"
"Oh my god, they were back again... I can't tell you how much my 16 year old self wanted them to tour Australia at the time. I had friends that spent ages perfecting the dance too cause that clip was so much fun!" - Natalie Salvo
Ultra - “Say It Once”
"This one peaked at #4 on the Australian charts and the corny music video featuring the boys sitting on a yacht, gazing off into the distance playing the bongos and acoustic guitar is all you could ever ask for!" - Brad Coles
Bel Biv Devoe - “Poison”
"This song is so incredibly fun and remains one of the best beats in R&B. New Edition really was like Boy Band inception." - Chris Singh
BLACKstreet - "No Diggity"
"When you think of boybands you think of guilty pleasures and terribly cheesy songs. I had to google if Blackstreet were considered a boy band or not; they are. Like "Hit Me Off" this is, in my opinion, one of the greatest R&B songs ever made so it'd be criminal not to include. It's a timeless, incredibly slick and confident track that shook the world into noticing the splice of New Jack Swing and R&B that Teddy Riley was championing back when this was released. Plus covering this launched Chet Faker's career." - Chris Singh
Boyzone - “No Matter What”
"There’s a sense of nostalgia when it comes to listening to this powerful love ballad by Boyzone. It’s strange to see Ronan Keating in this video because it makes us realise how long ago the 90s were." - Jana Angeles
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If you want to re-live your Boy Band days, one of the ultimates, Backstreet Boys, are kicking off an Australian tour tonight in Melbourne.
Backstreet Boys Supported by All Our Exes Live in Texas Dates
May 8 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne VIC
May 9 - Allphones Arena, Sydney NSW
May 10 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane QLD
May 15 - Perth Arena, Perth WA
Tickets: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=BACKSTRE15
