Backstreet Boys, ‘NSYNC Out Of Battle Of The Boy Bands

MTV 

It was a highly unpredictable first round of MTV’s Battle of the Boy Bands, with perceived favorites Backstreet Boys and ‘NSYNC out of the competition.

Irish boy band Westlife ousted BSB, and British group 5ive took out ‘NSYNC by an extremely thin margin.

Many other matchups went down to the wire, including New Kids on the Block, who narrowly avoided an upset by Take That. O-Town received a late rally from their fans, giving them the edge over the Jackson 5. New boy bands like One Direction, the Wanted and Big Time Rush will move on to the next round, but, as you can see, it seems as if no one is safe.

So who remains in the competition? Let’s take a look at the next round of matchups!

Midwest
Westlife vs. O-Town: Westlife proved to be a real contender in this competition after beating the Backstreet Boys in round one. The group — which is about to kick off a farewell tour in May — seems to have a die-hard fanbase that may prove tough for O-Town to overcome. But don’t count them out just yet: They also had a tough first-round matchup in the Jackson 5, and fans may still be hoping for a reunion from these guys, since last year, four of the five original members announced they wanted to get back together.

The Beatles vs. New Kids on the Block: NKOTB barely made it through to the second round and now have to face an even tougher competitor: The Beatles. The New Kids had much of their success in the late’80s and early ’90s and have sold 80 million records worldwide. Pretty impressive, but the Beatles are known as the original boy band and are the best-selling band in history. Let’s hope NKOTB are “Hangin’ Tough.”

East
Jonas Brothers vs. Hanson: It’s not only a battle of the boy bands; it’s a battle of the brothers! Hanson and the Jonas Brothers will face off in a touch matchup in the next round. Both groups, consisting of three brothers, are known for their infectious pop hits and the fact that they all play their own instruments. Hanson received massive success in the mid- to late ’90s with single “MMMBop,” which hit #1 in 27 countries. After marriages, babies and several albums, the group is very much still together and will be touring this summer. With four LPs in just as many years, the Jonas Brothers have sold 8 million albums worldwide and became a household name after starring in two Disney Channel movies, “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.” The guys took a break to work on solo projects but have been working on a follow-up to their 2009 album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times.

LFO vs. 5ive: Both of these boy bands barely edged out their competition, which should make for an interesting second-round matchup. 5ive found success overseas with 11 top 10 singles and four top 10 albums in the U.K. before they called it quits in 2001, and LFO became popular in the U.S. during the wave of late-’90s boy bands and had two top 10 hits, including “Summer Girls.” This one may go down to the wire again with both groups having very loyal fanbases.

West
The Wanted vs. the Monkees: British boy band, the Wanted have certainly gained momentum here in the States over the past few months. The group released a much-anticipated U.S. EP earlier this week and premiered the “Chasing the Sun” video on “MTV First: The Wanted.” They will have to see if this energy can carry them through when they face off against the Monkees. The group enjoyed success in the mid-’60s with their hit television show and songs like “I’m a Believer” and experienced a revival in the mid-’80s with a performance at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. The band continued to tour off and on until 2011 but lost member Davy Jones earlier this year when he died of a severe heart attack.

Big Time Rush vs. Boyz II Men: Both of these groups easily made it past their first-round competition, but it will most likely be a closer matchup in round two. Big Time Rush may have a younger audience voting for them, since they gained success with their hit Nickelodeon television show. Boyz II Men, on the other hand, have longevity on their side, being that they are the most successful R&B group of all time.

South
One Direction vs. IM5: Even though both of these boy bands are relatively new to the music scene, it seems they already have a lot in common. One Direction were assembled by Simon Cowell on the U.K. version of “The X Factor,” and IM5 were recently created by “American Idol” creator Simon Fuller, Perez Hilton and creative director and choreographer Jamie King.

NKOTBSB vs. Mindless Behavior: With the Backstreet Boys out of the competition, BSB fans can still vote for NKOTBSB. The New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys supergroup released a compilation album in 2011 consisting of each of their hit songs and two joint singles including “Don’t Turn Out the Lights.” The group is overseas on the European leg of their tour. But don’t ignore the power behind the fans of Mindless Behavior. The group, which has actually toured with the Backstreet Boys, just released the single “Hello” in March.

Voting in round two of MTV’s Battle of the Boy Bands runs until noon ET on Monday, April 30. Winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite band made the cut, make sure you keep voting. Tune in to AMTV and MTV Hits for their boy-band video takeovers each day and make sure to spread the word on Twitter using the hashtag #BBB and like us on Facebook for updates!