Ten Daily

With so many great boy bands in the ’90s, surely a top 5 is too hard?

To celebrate Hanson joining us live at the desk this Sunday, we thought we’d take a look back at boy bands of the ’90s.

It’s hard to pick a top 5 as there was just so many, but here it is.

5ive

Coming in at number 5ive is British boy band 5ive.

To be honest they probably aren’t even close to the top 5, but I couldn’t let the opportunity of putting them at number 5ive slip.

Formed in 1997, success was instant for the Simon Cowell created quintet.

Just one year after they formed, they had a world wide top 10 hit with ‘When the lights go out’.

The band still tours as a 3 piece to this day, although they’re still called 5ive…

*NSYNC

Entering the countdown at number 4 is a legitimate heavyweight of the 90’s boy band era, *NSYNC.

Formed in 1995ive this American 5ive piece went on to sell 70 million records in 7 years.

Hits such as ‘I want you back’ and ‘Bye Bye Bye’ still get plenty of airtime at clubs and gyms around the world today, unfortunately.

And of course, the one and only Justin Timberlake was in the band, he’s done quite well for himself.

Hanson

A bit controversial considering they’re on the show this Sunday and the only reason I’m writing this article is because of this, but I’ve put Hanson at number 3.

American brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac had a quiet start to their careers after forming in 1992.

It wasn’t until their 1997 album ‘Middle of Nowhere’ that they reached a worldwide audience.

A little song by the name of MMMBop was on that album and my sister played it over and over again, to this day I know it off by heart.

Tune in Sunday night to see what the boys are up to now.

Backstreet Boys

Well if it isn’t the boys from the backstreet coming in at number 2.

Selling over 100 million records worldwide, it’s fair to say that this American quintet were the most successful boy band of the 90’s.

With huge hits such as ‘I want it that way’, ‘As long as you love me’ and ‘Everybody’, these guys crushed the 90’s.

I have fond memories from my teens of standing beside the dance floor at blue light discos while 100’s of kids danced to their tunes.

AJ, Howie, Nick, Kevin and Brian, I salute you.

Human Nature

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

Number 1 on the list is your Mum and my Mum’s favourite, Human Nature.

Formed in Sydney in 1989, this awesome foursome had great success throughout the 90’s.

Their song ‘Telling Everybody’ put them on the map in 1996, and they’ve gone from strength to strength since then.

I know they probably haven’t had the worldwide success of other boy bands from the 90’s, but if I didn’t put them in my mum would be furious.

Daily Mail

They’re well-known for their clean-cut image and catchy pop songs, but it’s fair to say that Hanson aren’t afraid to let their hair down… within reason.

Speaking to MailOnline, lead singer, Taylor Hanson, 35, discussed the band’s craft beer brand, (aptly named MmmHops) and admitted he has got a little carried away when sampling the band’s wares.

He said: ‘You do stupid stuff, you drink, you hang out, you make mistakes, but everything has its place. We enjoy things in moderation.

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Hanson EXCLUSIVE: Taylor talked to MailOnline about ‘getting drunk, making mistakes and doing stupid stuff’ as he revealed the flip-side to the band’s clean-cut image

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Huge success: The singer was nine, his brother Issac was 11 and Zac was just six when they created their band in 1992 and just five years later, they released cult pop song, MMMBop

‘I regret to admit that there was at least one time last year where I woke up genuinely not remembering how I got back from the bar with a group of friends.

‘I do not know how I went from here to there. Thankfully I had my wallet and my phone. I must have had more than one too many though.’

Pausing for thought, he added: ‘I must have had some good friends because they got me home. You have to choose your drinking company wisely.’

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Taylor, (left) said: ‘I regret to admit that there was at least one time last year where I woke up genuinely not remembering how I got back from the bar with a group of friends’

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True to themselves: The brothers have never felt the need to rebel in the way that former Disney stars like Miley Cyrus have in order to shake off their teen tag

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Singing his heart out: Taylor gave it his all on stage as they performed at the Royal Festival Hall

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Rocking out: Isaac sang his heart out during their mesmerising performance

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Multi-tasker: Zac sang a few songs too as he sat behind the drum kit

The singer was nine, his brother Issac was 11 and Zac was just six when they created their band in 1992 and just five years later, they released cult pop song, MMMBop.

They credit themselves with being entrepreneurs as well as musicians and as well as their craft beer, they have run a craft beer festival for the past six years.

They are currently on their String Theory tour, in which they perform songs old and new, along with a live orchestra.

Taylor admits that there have been sacrifices for fame, but he insists the positives far outweigh any negatives.

The brothers say they have never felt the need to rebel in the way that former Disney stars like Miley Cyrus have in order to shake off their teen tag.

Taylor said: ‘We had a breakout success which was particularly extreme and that brings with it a unique set of upsides and challenges. You take the good with the bad.’

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Beaming: Taylor was in high spirits as he sang for the adoring crowd

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Having a great time: All three brothers gave it their all as they sang on stage

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Close: Taylor married wife Natalie when he was aged 19 (pictured in 2009) and they have six children together, ranging from the age of 15 to two months old

‘[Rebelling] wouldn’t be being true to who we are. We’ve been very consistent from the start. We are songwriters and musicians and that is what we do.’

The brothers have 13 children between them. Taylor has six, the eldest is 15 years old and the youngest two months old.

Having lived his life in the limelight, Taylor says he’s proud, rather than embarrassed that he lived his younger years in the public eye.

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Axing skills: Isaac showcased his stellar guitar skills during the night

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Passionate: Taylor put everything he had into the performance

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Mesmerising: Taylor and his brothers were sure to put on an incredible show for the crowd

‘We are proud,’ he said. ‘We know how difficult it is to have success. We know very talented musicians who wouldn’t be able to fill a stadium. Success is a lottery.

‘Our band posters and pictures of us hopping on tour buses are essentially our high school yearbook.

‘There are things that you would change, but that’s just life, isn’t it? I would be worried whether a person was of sound mind if they didn’t think that way.’

‘There’s definitely a flat side to putting yourself out there as an entertainer.

‘You lose privacy but when you have success in a big way, you take the positives and the negatives together… that’s the deal.’

Entertainment Focus

Hard as it may be to fathom, Hanson are celebrating their 25th anniversary of making music. While it may not seem 5 minutes since the 90s (seriously where did the time go?) the trio – Zac, Taylor and Isaac – have sustained a successful career making the music they want to make and building a unique relationship with their fans through their fanclub where they release music direct to their supporters. For their 11th studio album, String Theory, in 2018 they reworked a selection of songs from across their career with The Prague Symphony Orchestra and mixed in some new material too. Last night the brothers brought their World Tour to London’s Royal Festival Hall to perform the album in its entirety with the backing of a symphony orchestra.

Split into two acts, Hanson’s String Theory show saw them perform the album’s track listing in order. They opened the show with the piano-led Reaching for the Sky, Pt. 1, which set the tone for the evening nicely with a lead vocal from Taylor. It was also the first opportunity to hear the orchestra add their magic to the music and live it sounded pretty incredible. Second track Joyful Noise let Zac take lead vocals and it had a catchy melody and beat that got the audience moving.

Some of the band’s early hits were in the first act including a fantastic rendition of Where’s the Love, where the trio’s acapella vocals really impressed at the beginning of the song, and their classic MmmBop sounded fresh and modern with its new arrangement. MmmBop understandably got one of the biggest reactions of the night. Fan favourite Yearbook, from the band’s Middle of Nowhere album, was well received too and it could easily be a hit all these years on.

Elsewhere in the set Siren Call was a standout. The atmospheric track was really stirring and Zac’s lead vocal was incredible. The slow-building beat of Battle Cry was another memorable moment as was the gorgeous Broken Angel. No Rest for the Weary showed off a more rootsy and soulful sound from the band and Sound of Light had a big anthem feel that made you want to wave your arms in the air.

Throughout the show the three brothers changed instruments several times, showcasing just how versatile they are as musicians. Their bond and chemistry is so clear and the short-hand they have on stage is amazing. You can tell that they have music deep-rooted within them and that they just love performing. The great audience atmosphere definitely added to the evening and for the last four songs every single audience member was on their feet.

The show came to a close with Tonight and it was a jubilant way to end a fantastic night of music. After the song the band took their bows and left the stage but the audience hung around for a while hoping for an encore. Sadly there wasn’t one but having performed 23 songs over the set, Hanson had definitely given fans value for money.

I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised by Hanson’s show. In all honesty I’ve never been a huge fan, for no other reason than they just weren’t the kind of music I listened to in the 90s. Having now seen them live I can appreciate why they’ve stood the test of time and they’ve got a fantastic catalogue of music under their belts. The twist of the orchestra was very effective and I’d be surprised if they don’t perform more shows with this set up in the future. With amazing vocals, fantastic musicianship, a strong set list and the backing of the wonderful orchestra, Hanson wowed last night and I’d definitely call myself a fan now.

Set list: 1. Reaching for the Sky, Pt. 1 2. Joyful Noise 3. Where’s the Love 4. Dream It Do It 5. MmmBop 6. Chasing Down My Dreams 7. Tragic Symphony 8. Got a Hold On Me 9. Yearbook 10. Siren Call 11. Me, Myself and I 12. Reaching for the Sky, Pt. 2 13. This Time Around 14. Something Going Round 15. Battle Cry 16. You Can’t Stop Us 17. Broken Angel 18. What Are We Fighting For 19. Breaktown 20. No Rest for the Weary 21. I Was Born 22. Sound of Light 23. Tonight Performance date: Friday 15th February 2019

Nottinghamshire Live

Hanson (Image: Handout)

It was certainly a Valentine’s Day to remember – sandwiched between hundreds of screaming 30-something women as 90s pop sensations Hanson took to the stage at Rock City.

This was a band that would have sold out the Motorpoint Arena back in the 90s when everyone raced out to grab the cassette or CD (no Spotify) of MMMBop.

And I’m not going to hide, I certainly added to their sales #notashamed.

Hanson showed a refreshing digression from the substandard backing-track bands of their day.

Three brothers who played their own instruments, wrote their own songs, later to inspire the likes of British bands like McFly and Busted, which followed in their footsteps.

Tonight, we are treated to a stripped down performance of their sensational 1997 hit, with acoustic guitars and tambourine.

Lead singer Taylor, now sporting a Jesus-like beard, tells the baying crowd: “It is one of the least understood songs ever.”

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HANSON

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I’m not sure there are any profound meanings behind MMMBop, but it certainly got the crowd jigging.

Taylor promises us tonight’s show is going to be “loud and fast” and he wasn’t lying.

Hanson blasted through a 20-odd catalogue of songs, barely stopping for a water break through the one hour and 30 minute set.

Musically and vocally, you couldn’t get tighter.

Taylor, Zac and Isaac frequently swap instruments, taking their turn on lead vocals to show the crowd that the strength of the group does not lie on one member.

By the end I couldn’t hold it in.

Punching the air with my pint-free hand and reciting all the words (don’t know how) to encore If Only, I even thought naively – ‘If I scream loud enough will they hear me?’

#notashamed.

Hanson, you made our Valentine’s Day!

Cosmopolitan UK

GETTY IMAGES

If you were anything like I was circa 1998, you’ll have had an embarrassing number of Hanson friendship bracelets, a copy of Hanson: Tulsa, Tokyo And The Middle Of Nowhere on VHS, and the Snowed In Christmas album (which I still listen to annually, btw…).

So, imagine my disdain when I heard from the man himself – Taylor Hanson – that ‘MMMBop’ was very nearly a completely different song. And even started out as just “a background part” for another song.

Sacrilege!

GETTY IMAGES

Speaking exclusively to Cosmopolitan UK, Taylor revealed that he and his brothers – Zach and Isaac – originally came up with the ‘MMMBop’ hook when they were writing another song. But it was so damn good, they shelved it knowing that it would soon have the makings of a pop banger.

“We were working on a part for another song and it was too hooky and too dominant, so we logged it, and put it aside as it wasn’t a background part. And then over the next two years it was there – it was an idea that we knew existed.

“Then one day the emergence of a verse pattern came and they worked together [to create ‘MMMBop’].”

Taylor, Zach and Isaac now

HANSON

And thank God they did work together – imagine a life without the lyrics, “Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose. You can plant any one of those…”

It doesn’t bear thinking about.

Once more for old time’s sake?

“Keep planting to find out which one growssssss. It’s a secret no-one knowsssssssss.”

Also best not to think about are some of Hanson’s fashion choices from back in the day.

When asked if there was anything he looked back and cringed at, Taylor replied: “Mostly just polyester. The ‘90s included a lot of materials that all of us hope don’t make a return. But a lot of materials are coming back in fashion – it’s really frightening.”

Hanson are currently in the UK touring their new album String Theory, which is out now.

 

The Guardian

Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
Backed by an orchestra, the former teen trio deliver a charming set of soft rockers and mature ballads

  Not lacking in chutzpah … Hanson at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. Photograph: Lindsay Walker

The American sibling trio Hanson will be forever remembered as the blond-topped, pearly-toothed threesome who scored an international No 1 in 1997 with MMMBop and shipped 10m copies of their debut album, Middle of Nowhere, before they’d seen off their mid-teens. MMMBop itself asked, rather ominously: “When you get old and start losing hair, can you tell me who will still care?” Yet here they are, now thirtysomething, soberly outfitted fathers (of 13 children between them) with full heads of brown hair, a decent-sized fanbase and playing with a symphony orchestra.

Hanson’s String Theory album and tour invites a certain suspension of disbelief. From Deep Purple to the Who, bands who get the orchestral treatment generally have oodles of smash hits and enormous cultural gravitas. They’re not former teen combos best remembered, in Britain at least, for one song and who haven’t had a Top 40 entry in the UK this decade.

Still, Hanson don’t lack chutzpah. MMMBop is dispensed with early on, as if to demonstrate that the 23-song setlist, laden with new material, will reveal other charms. The now man-band have spent the last 22 years earnestly growing up musically. There are mature, yearning ballads and wistful, vaguely Beatlesque soft rockers, each benefiting from the sumptuous arrangements of David Campbell (Beck’s dad) and the Manchester Orchestra.

Granted, there are moments, especially in the sedate first half, when the band’s well-crafted but anonymous AOR seems too slight for such lavish treatment – although the 2016 choral song Joyful Noise is truly lovely. Things up a gear in the second half as rockers with parping horns mingle with Hey Jude-type orchestral singalongs. The defiant No Rest for the Weary (“Yesterday was just fine, but the future’s all I’ve got time for, yeah!”) gets the audience on their feet, and once the new song The Sound of Light piles on the “whoah whoahs” there is something approaching Hanson-mania. It’s a surreal evening, but it is oddly touching that a band who were expected to have burned out years ago still inspire so much love.

• At Rock City, Nottingham, on 14 February. Then touring.

City Pages

A scene from 2018’s Basilica Block Party.