"I Want It That Way," Backstreet Boys

No matter how hard I tried, I could not escape the Backstreet Boys (BSB) as a teenager.  They were all over MTV, all over the radio, and all over the other girls’ lockers at school.  I kept predicting that, at any moment, their popularity would go away – just like so many teen idols before them. 

And then this happened:

Ah, yes. “I Want It That Way” was like a boy-band version of Meatloaf’s “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)”.  No one exactly knew what “it” or “that way” was – but it didn’t seem to matter to your sister, mother, or grandmother.  Everyone loved this song. It was more ubiquitous than all the previous BSB hits combined. 

In hindsight, it’s rather funny that the video takes place in an airport – because that’s probably the only place you'll hear the song these days.  The band performs the song in the terminal and in front of their very own plane. Then, out of nowhere, a bunch of girls scream, cry, and cheer for them as they continue singing.  (I’m sure they would’ve jumped them too had bodyguards not been present.)  Sure, these scenes have absolutely nothing to do with the song, but it accurately captures all the mania that surrounded BSB at the time.

While rival boy band N’ Sync would eventually eclipse BSB’s popularity, they still remain popular among those who grew up with them.  Now performing as a quartet, they are currently on tour with their 80s counterparts, New Kids on the Block, selling out arenas around the world.  And now that they’re not everywhere, even I can tolerate BSB’s music a lot more than I used to.  Just as long as I never have to deal with their (screaming) fans again.    


For more boy band throwbacks, check out Take That's "Back For Good" and New Kids on the Block's "Tonight."