Boys to Men: A Brief History of Boy Bands

One Direction, the latest boy band obsession, performs at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 18 as part of their On The Road Again Tour. Here, a look at their predecessors. ticketmaster.com

Menudo

1977-1997

Formed in Puerto Rico in the 1970s, Menudo remains one of the biggest Latin American boy bands of all time. Ricky Martin was a member from 1984 to 1989.

New Edition

1978-1990

New Edition, a pop and R&B group, paved the way for the likes of New Kids on the Block, NSYNC and more.

New Kids on the Block

1984-1994

NKOTB was formed in Boston by Maurice Starr (who also discovered New Edition) in the early 1980s. To this day, the band remains one of the best-selling music groups of all time.

Boyz II Men

1988-present

Extremely popular at the turn of the '90s, Boyz II Men is among the few artists who have replaced themselves at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard chart.

Backstreet Boys

1993-present

Formed by now-disgraced impresario Lou Pearlman in Orlando, the Backstreet Boys spurred on the 1990s boy band trend as we know it.

NSYNC

1995-2002

Another Pearlman project, NSYNC is most notable for launching the career of Justin Timberlake.

Jonas Brothers

2005-2013

The Jonas Brothers are three real brothers from New Jersey. They formed the band in 2005, and the related Disney Channel show made them superstars.

One Direction

2010-present

The current reigning champion of the boy band world, One Direction, formed in London, is a global force. The band has released four albums to date. Earlier this year, Zayn Malik left, making it a four-piece.