Perhaps the day of the boy band has passed, and most of the fans have grown up and moved on to punk rock. But the music of The Backstreet Boys is still out there, and even still gets airplay on Adult Contemporary stations. For many, like me, their music was the soundtrack to a certain time in my life. For those who saw them as more than just a fluffy boy band, these are the best songs from The Backstreet Boys.
10. The Call
The Call was the Backstreet Boys first single off their third Cd, Black & Blue. Okay, so the song is about cheating, I guess we can forgive them for that. It was a cool and unique sounding up tempo song that made you want to get on the dance floor, but thankfully didn’t sound anything like N’Sync. It had a pretty cool video to go along with it too.
9. All I Have To Give
To be honest, I don’t have much love for most of the songs on Backstreet Boys, their debut album. This one, however, stands out from the pack. The song was all about them trying to get the girl but not having the cash or material possessions to impress her. Even if they couldn’t relate to that in real life, who cares? It’s a beautiful song.
8. I’ll Never Break Your Heart
This song really showcases the Backstreet Boys signature pop/Adult Contemporary sound. It’s obviously different from their later, more mature stuff, but superior to early singles like As Long As You Love Me and Quit Playing Games. It’s fluffy, it’s sweet, and it’s lovey dovey; all the things that make this song work.
7. Don’t Want You Back
This song was worthy of being a release, but because of a fan poll done on the boys website it lost out to The One by a few percent. Don’t Want You Back is sort of like the reverse situation of The Call; the boys have been cheated on, and this is their way of kicking that no good girl to the curb. I wouldn’t call this one a ballad, more of a dark mid tempo. And I love that they play homage to Backstreets Back in the middle of this song.
6. Get Another Boyfriend
Much like the previous song, Get Another Boyfriend could have easily been a single off of the Black & Blue album, and I have no idea why they never chose to release it. This time the Backstreet Boys is telling a girl to get rid of her dead beat boyfriend. Another great up tempo song with a really catchy hook, and an awesome instrumental intro.
5. I Want It That Way
If you ask the critics, they’d probably name I Want It That Way as the best BSB song. This is the one that garnered the most critical acclaim, including a Grammy nomination for record of the year, and also a coveted spot atop the list of MTV’s best pop songs ever. On my list, I can’t help but put it close to the top. BSB is always good with mid tempo songs, and this is the best of theirs that fall into that category. The song also has a pretty poignant lyrical content that actually makes you think just a little.
4. Show Me The Meaning
This has to be the most heart wrenching of all of the Backstreet Boys ballads. In fact, it’s one of the most haunting songs I’ve ever heard. Especially when you hear the story behind it. The song has a beautiful melody and great harmonies from the boys, as always, but it’s the poetic lyrics that really make it stand out.
3. More Than That
I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for a great Adult Contemporary ballad, and More Than That fit’s the bill to a tee. This is a very heartfelt and honest song about saving someone from lonliness with love. The track is really well produced, with a beautiful acoustic guitar melody, drums and soft vocals to top it all off. The best part is hearing Brian sing with just the guitar towards the end.
2. Everybody (Backstreets Back)
This is the song that officially made me a fan. Everything about this song makes it a great up tempo, dance floor classic. It’s got a great hook, that sounds kind of menacing, but totally works. And how can you mistake that opening, or the “ooh ooh’s” towards the end? This is also their best video.
1. Incomplete
Who would have thought that the Backstreet Boys would come out with their best material after their peak? A long time after their peak, to tell the truth. And it’s kind of unfortunate that this song didn’t get as much attention as it could have because of it’s timing (boy bands aren’t exactly chart toppers these days), but it’s good, and that’s what’s important. The fact that this song showcases AJ, the best singer of the group, only adds to it’s greatness.
