Backstreet Boys are an influential American boy band. Formed in 1993 by Lou Pearlman, the band consists of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson. The group began with their first performance at SeaWorld Orlando in May that year, and continued touring in small venues like shopping malls throughout that summer. Eventually, the group would sign a record deal with JIVE Records.

The group would release their debut album, Backstreet Boys, in 1996 and their second and third albums, Backstreet’s Back and The Backstreet Boys, in 1997. The success of these releases would be the group’s first entry into international fame, and garnered over 20 million copies sold worldwide.

The group’s success continued to climb, and by 1999, the members were considered superstars. Overall, the Backstreet Boys have sold over 130 million records worldwide and released 10 studio albums, which have all appeared on the top 10 on the Billboard 200. The Backstreet Boys’ success has laid the groundwork for many other popular modern boy bands within and outside of the United States.