NKOTB on Billboard's 10 Biggest Boy Bands (1987-2012)

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Boy bands ruled the music industry from the late '80s all the way to the early '00s, selling millions of records and touring stadiums across the globe. Then pop-punk took over, soon bowing to hip-hop and the ladies of pop who rule today. As the boy band era ended, Nick Lachey inked a reality TV deal, Justin Timberlake moved into acting, and most band members waited in the wings, ready to jump on a comeback whenever opportunity knocked.

But in the last few years, with bands like the Jonas Brothers and One Direction taking center stage, we've seen a resurgence of boy band love. In honor of our latest Billboard magazine covers, featuring The Wanted and One Direction, we bring you the best the teen phenomenon has to offer: the top 10 boy bands of the last 25 years, according to our charts*

10. New Edition
9. Hanson 
8. Jonas Brothers
7. 98 Degrees
6. 112
5. All 4 One
4. NSYNC  
3. New Kids On the Block

Key Hot 100 Hit: "Step by Step" (No. 1 for three weeks)
Key Billboard 200 Album: "Hangin' Tough" (No. 1 for two weeks)
After riding the crest boy band mania in the late '80s, New Kids on the Block left the scene only to return for a comeback in 2008. With seven studio albums, the Boston-bred quintet has taken home two American Music Awards, hit the Hot 100 13 times, and put nine albums on the Billboard 200. After returning to the music industry with 2008's "The Block," Donnie, Danny, Joey, Jordan and Jonathan teamed up with the Backstreet Boys in 2011 as supergroup NKOTBSB.

2. Backstreet boys
1. Boyz 2 Men

HOW THIS CHART WAS FORMULATED: This list of the top 10 Boy Bands is based on actual chart performance on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts from January 1987 through through the charts dated March 10. Rankings are based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 having the greatest value and weeks at lower rankings proportionately less. To ensure equitable representation of an artist's biggest songs and albums, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those eras.

SOURCE: http://www.billboard.com/features/top-10-boy-bands-1987-2012-1006396752.story#/features/top-10-boy-bands-1987-2012-1006396752.story