Underappreciated Songs: '90s Boy Band Edition
I have no shame when it comes to music. I grew up on everything from Gilbert and Sullivan to Herman’s Hermits to the Spice Girls. Rather than worry about arbitrary “standards,” I can usually find something to enjoy in most kinds of music – especially since lines between genres are fuzzy at best and arbitrary at worst (but that’s a piece for another time). Regardless, this week I’ve been going through my old CDs – yep I still have those – which led me down a rabbit hole of ‘90s music nostalgia, made even better by knowing that this was all pre-autotune. As always, I like to focus on underappreciated songs that you might know, but probably don’t quite remember. So here are my top five underappreciated songs from ‘90s boy bands.
True to Your Heart – 98 Degrees
I was actually discussing this song in a bar with another woman earlier this week. We were discussing ‘90s music and I brought up this delightful song. And she hadn’t even heard of it, which literally made me gasp in shock (theatrically, of course). This song’s claim to fame, beyond the pop ear-worm glory that all boy bands enjoy, is that it from the Mulan soundtrack. Yep, this song is played at the very end of Mulan (one of the two best Disney films of all times – it and Lion King are tied for first, this is just objective fact). And it features Stevie Wonder. If that’s not a good enough endorsement, I honestly don’t know what is.
Quit Playin' Games with My Heart – Backstreet Boys
While Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) had the best music video from their debut album, this song is my favorite, ever all these years later. It’s a chill jam and I can always sing along with all the words. It’s also just bittersweet enough to appeal to my now-jaded soul. A great jam.
Back Here – BB MAK
BB Mak – remember them? No? Fair enough. They were a British boy band that lasted for less than four years before breaking up, and their first hit is still their best known. And you know what? It’s still great. I never hear it on the radio these days, basically ever, but this song is still fun to jam along to. And you probably know all the words, even if you can’t remember the band. Bonus points – they are from Liverpool.
I Want You – Savage Garden
My sister was a huge Savage Garden fan back in the day. As a result, I absorbed a ton of Savage Garden’s music, and it’s actually still really great pop music. Ok, technically they are a duo not a “boy band” but musically, it’s effectively the same thing. When writing this, I debated between a few songs, but “I Want You” is my favorite, partially because of the chorus and partially because I still don’t know all the words, despite everything – they sing way too fast. And at this point in my life, that’s weirdly impressive.
Tearin’ Up My Heart – NSync
Ok, this song really isn’t underappreciated, but could any ‘90s boy band list of anything be complete without NSync on there? Obviously not. And honestly, this is my favorite song from their first album – which was the only one that actually came out in the 1990s (the second album came out in 2000). So it’s on here because leaving it off would be a crime.
Bonus Song: Motownphilly – Boyz II Men
One of the first ‘90s boy bands, and still one of the greatest. They were a little before my time – I was all of two when this song came out – and only encountered them when I was much older, but they are still utterly fantastic, as is this song. And of course, all the other boy bands on this list owe part of their success to the sound and success of Boyz II Men.
