Sure, boybands are criticized endlessly for chruning out formulaic up tempos or ballads but this post will prove that they're more than that. Boybands can actually make some of the most amazing pop songs you'll ever hear, which is the main reason why I'm so drawn to them. For me it was never the looks or the dance routines, those were second nature, I got hooked on them because of the songs, because amidst public knowledge, they're actually pretty good, better than some, at the music part of the deal.
Let's kick it off with something that for the longest time, I was quite embarrassed to mention that I absolutely adore. One True Voice, the unlucky bunch of guys who were put against the brilliant Girls Aloud, lasted until their second single, Shakespear's Way With Words, the brilliant song with the crappy title.
Has anyone else noticed that this looks a lot like Shayne Ward's If That's OK With You? The song is pop brilliance, it deserved more than a number ten position. I mean come on, the melody is amazing and the instrumental can stand on it's own for heaven's sake! Maybe people were put off by the title which I will admit, is crap. Heck, the lyrics suck but as I always say, it's not about the lyrics for me, it's the melody and the song so this is brilliance.
I have all of BSB's albums BUT I've only listened to maybe 50% of the songs, but thankfully, I heard The Answer To Our Life.
It's a brilliant pop song and from what the video's saying, the guys wrote it themselves, which is even more of a plus point. The fact that this disproves the fact that boybands can only co-write or something makes it even better! haha. It's the penultimate boyband song, and it was done in the ultimate boyband way. Still, it never saw the light of a single release. Ugh.
I've made my point about Blue before, that they have amazing solo voices and the songs to cut it but together their a capella work just doesn't measure up. Still, they've made some amazing songs during their time as a top boyband and Elements is one of them.
It was on the Asian Tour Edition of Guilty so I assume it was a b-side to something. It's an amazing song, it's got a very Another Level feel, but you know it's blue. I love the melody and the middle 8 is sheer brilliance.
So Boyzone were back last year with a Greatest Hits album + the obligatory 3 original tracks and out of those three, the only non-single, Can't Stop Thinking About You has got to be the most amazingly boyband-ish.
See? It's poppy, it's got this annoying hook and Ronan's vocals are on top of everyone else's. Standard Boyzone song, but it's not a ballad or something near one so Louis will never let it become a single. Still, I worship this song, it's a guilty pleasure and it sticks in my head for days after I listen to it thrice or something.
Now we all know that Jesse McCartney(now JMac, I've heard..) was in a boyband when he was like 12 and that boyband was called Dream Street. Their songs were actually quite good, they were pop-y and very boyband-y.
The only problem was that their voices were too young, I think. They were too kid-like, except for maybe two guys(especially the guy who sang at the start, he could've had a career in another boyband if he tried..) and the album tracks were just too awkwardly kidd-y trying to talk about love mush. Too young, I think. If you gave them another two years and different lyrics they could've at least had a top ten.
Now Take That made a comeback in 2006 and since then it's been going very well for them, they've had two albums out since then and Gary Barlow is writing some amazing songs! Including this one, which was on Beautiful World.
Amazing, isn't it? It's very now but it's very Take That. Love, love, LOVE this song! haha.
Surprisingly, I quite like Upper Street's The One, it's very edgy. Sounds a lot like a cross between Another Level and Northern Line. Ironically, Dane Bowers was in this reality-made boyband. Hmmm.
It's very 2006, a bit confused but a potential hit. haha.
Let's Make Tonight Special was a b-side to an early Westlife single, was on the Swear It Again EP and it's sheer brilliance I tell you, brilliance. It starts out a lot like Until The End Of Time with just them singing the chorus then the verse comes in and brilliance is repeated over and over again.
It's the ultimate boyband ballad that girls would want to marry boyband members with, they'd want it playing for the first dance, the first date, the wedding march, the works. Seriously! I've heard of stories like that. Plus the fact that the vocals are pristine in this song that it kills.
I can't thank SparkLee enough for introducing me to Human Nature, they're God's gift to Australian boybands. Seriously. Them and Mercury 4. Their singles were amazing but there was one track from their self-titled release that caught my ear called House Of Cards. You can listen to the song here before reading on. Melodically it could've been an NSYNC or BSB song but nooooo, it went to Human nature! It's got a brilliant hook, and the vocals are good on this track. I absolutely, positively think that this song should've been a single and people should've heard this because it's outright brilliant.
There are heaps more songs I want to put on this list but for now it'll have to do. I've got to be up at 5 tomorrow for a four-hour marathon brain mashing study session, wish me luck!
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