The ultimate boy band playlist

Whether it's the iconic music video or those impossibly catchy lyrics, it was absolutely impossible to escape "Bye Bye Bye" in 2000. Tweens everywhere were obsessed, earning the band armfuls of awards and a No. 1 hit in several countries at the peak of boy band mania. 

Is there a more iconic boy band song? Probably not. The lead single from the band's sophomore album, "Everybody" was one of the year's top songs of any genre and sold millions of copies across the globe. 

Short for "Lyte Funky Ones," pop trio LFO scored their one (and only) major hit with "Summer Girls" in 1999, and it remains one of the most popular songs about the sunny season. The band disbanded one year later but managed to sell four million records before fading into obscurity. 

Thanks to the suave charm of Nick Lachey and his bandmates, everyone was swooning over 98 Degrees after the release of "Give Me Just One Night" in 2000. 

This Scottish act became one of the earliest boy bands amid the '70s teen idol era. The Bay City Rollers had major hits with tracks like "Saturday Night" and "Shang-A-Lang" and continue to perform for decades despite several line-up changes and losses of members, including founding members Les McKeown and Alan Longmuir. 

Irish boy band Westlife enjoyed a ton of success in the United Kingdom, but "Swear It Again" was their only real major success in the United States. Still, it was one of the top-selling songs of 2000 and is a staple of any great boy band playlist. 

Even if you might not think of the Jackson 5 as a "boy band," it's hard to argue that the young Jacksons weren't among the genre's originators. Released in 1970, it remains one of the band's most beloved tunes thanks to its catchy melody and solid harmonies. 

More than a million copies of this iconic NKOTB song have sold since its release in 1989, at the height of the band's fame. 

Okay, sure, it's a little cheesy, but aren't all great boy band songs? "Tearin' Up My Heart" was the second single from NSYNC's debut self-titled album, released in 1997, and inspired countless wistful crushes across the globe from teens and tweens everywhere. 

After the height of the boy band era in the early '00s, One Direction brought the trend back into full force. And even now that all of the band's members, perhaps most notably Harry Styles, have struck out on their solo careers, "That's What Makes You Beautiful" remains part of their repertoire. 

This Korean boy band grew into a global phenomenon across the decade, with a slew of hits and a legion of deeply devoted fans. And after listening to a thoughtful, emotive song like "Spring Day," it's a little easier to see how this group has attracted so much dedication. 

Even though the lyrics may seem a little silly, the message of "MMMBop" is imbued with a surprisingly deep message about cherishing the ones who love and support you. "Oh, so hold on the ones who really care, in the end they'll be the only ones there," the mop-haired trio of brothers sings. "And when you get old and start losing your hair, can you tell me who will still care?" Wise words. 

Assembled on camera via MTV's Making The Band, O-Town broke up after only a couple of years together, but not before scoring a No. 1 hit on multiple charts with "All or Nothing," a love ballad that will inspire your Y2K nostalgia. 

Sure, the Beatles are now widely regarded as one of the globe's all-time greatest rock bands, but in 1963, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was making teens everywhere swoon — and literally faint! — as the Fab Four became, in a sense, the very first boy band. 

Also credited with launching the boy band trend in the '80s, New Edition's name refers to trying to become the next Jackson 5. And "Mr. Telephone Man" is the kind of earnest love song that only a boy band can produce. 

Boasting all the energetic swagger that made the New Kids on the Block a household name, there's no denying this deeply catchy — and heartfelt! — ballad is a total guilty pleasure. 

98 Degrees teamed up with Stevie Wonder for "True To Your Heart," a song that plays in the end credits of Disney's beloved film Mulan. It helped propel the band to broader fame and even scored a Grammy nomination for Best Song Written For a Movie or TV Show. 

The first major hit for this trio of brothers from Texas, "Burnin' Up" arrived just as JoBros mania was ramping up in 2008. 

Another of the earliest boy bands, "I'm A Believer" is a song that's stood the test of time. It was a No. 1 hit for the band in 1966 and got a major revival nearly four decades later when Smash Mouth recorded the song for Disney's Shrek.

The lead-off single from their 2000 album "Millennium," the Backstreet Boys stayed at the top of the TRL charts that year with "I Want It That Way." It's a little cheesy, sure, but you can't deny that you know all the words.