Top 5 Boybands & Girlbands of the 90s That Rocked the Music World

     In today's era, when Gen-Z hears the words "boyband" or "girlband," they inevitably think of K-pop. However, boybands and girlbands aren't limited to K-pop. Back in the 90s, many British and American boybands and girlbands were incredibly successful. Here, we will discuss the top 5 most successful boy bands & girlbands in the 90s.

1. Spice Girls 

    The Spice Girls are an English pop girl group, who formed in 1994 after responding to an advert calling fot female music and dance auditions, the original group line-up consisted of Melanie Brown ("Scary Spice"), Melanie Chisholm ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They achieved global fame with their debut single Wannabe (1996) and the album Spice, followed by Spiceworld (1997), which cemented their "Girl Power" phenomenon. In 1998, Geri left the group, but the remaining members released their third album Forever (2000) before going on hiatus to pursue solo careers. Despite this, the Spice Girls reunited several times, including a world tour in 2007–2008, a performance at the 2012 London Olympics, and a 2019 tour without Victoria, solidifying their legacy as one of the most successful and influential girl groups of all time.

2. Backstreet boys

    The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson, formed in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. They began by building a fan base in Europe before breaking into the U.S. with their debut albums in the mid-1990s. They achieved worldwide fame with Millennium (1999) and hits like “I Want It That Way,” becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. Despite Kevin Richardson’s temporary departure in 2006, the group continued releasing albums and reunited fully in 2012, later exploring projects like a Las Vegas residency and the 2015 documentary Show ’Em What You’re Made Of. Their career has spanned decades, from pop dominance in the late ’90s to ongoing success with albums such as DNA (2019) and A Very Backstreet Christmas (2022), solidifying their legacy as enduring icons of pop music.

3. TLC

    TLC is an American R&B and hip hop girl group formed in Atlanta in 1990, originally consisted of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and later Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, who replaced original member Crystal Jones. They debuted in 1992 with Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip and rose to global fame with their 1994 album CrazySexyCool, featuring hits like “Creep” and “Waterfalls.” Their success continued with FanMail (1999), which included “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty.” Tragedy struck in 2002 when Lopes died in a car accident, but Watkins and Thomas carried on, releasing 3D later that year and continuing to honor her legacy. After a hiatus, they reunited, toured internationally, and released their self-titled album TLC in 2017. Despite personal struggles and lineup changes, TLC remains one of the best-selling female groups of all time, leaving a lasting impact on music and pop culture.

4. Boyz II Men

    Boyz II Men is an R&B vocal group from Philadelphia that began in the late 1980s as a quartet with Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Michael McCary. They broke into the mainstream in the early 1990s with their debut album Cooleyhighharmony (1991), which showcased a “hip-hop doo-wop” style infused with New Jack Swing elements, most notably in their hit “Motownphilly.” Their popularity skyrocketed with emotional ballads like “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” and “On Bended Knee,” which broke Billboard records and placed them alongside legends like The Beatles and Elvis Presley for replacing their own songs at No. 1. In 2003, McCary left due to health issues, leaving the group as a trio. Although their mainstream dominance declined after the 1990s, Boyz II Men continued recording, performing, and remain celebrated as one of the most successful R&B groups in modern music history.

5. Westlife

    Westlife was formed in Sligo, Ireland, when Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, and Shane Filan—who first performed together in a school musical—decided to create a band; after lineup changes, Nicky Byrne and Bryan McFadden joined, and the group evolved from IOYOU to Westside before settling on the name Westlife. They debuted in 1999 with Swear It Again, which immediately hit number one in the UK and Ireland, followed by a string of chart-topping singles and albums like Flying Without Wings, My Love, and Coast to Coast, breaking sales and chart records. In 2004, Bryan left the group, but Westlife continued as a quartet, releasing more albums, touring worldwide, and solidifying their status as one of the most successful boybands with millions of global sales. After announcing their split in 2011 with a farewell tour, they reunited in 2018, returning with new music and tours, extending their legacy as Ireland’s most iconic pop export.

Written by Amita R. Osswald - October 2, 2025

References :

https://cewekbanget.grid.id/read/06873532/10-boy-band-dan-girl-band-inggris-amerika-yang-populer-ada-favoritmu?page=all

https://t2online.in/music/western/discover-the-top-90s-bands-that-defined-the-music-of-the-era/1022168

https://spicegirls.fandom.com/wiki/Spice_Girls

https://backstreetboys.fandom.com/wiki/Backstreet_Boys

https://tlc.fandom.com/wiki/TLC

https://new-jack-swing.fandom.com/wiki/Boyz_II_Men

https://westlife.fandom.com/wiki/Westlife_History