The Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys: A Popular Rock Band

Kimberly Davis, Writing Tutor

Rock bands are as popular today as they were in the 1950’s, when rock ‘n’ roll was born. The fans get wild when they see their favorite group. The girls scream and faint at concerts and record sales explode. The decade of the 90’s has produced many popular bands. One band in particular is The Backstreet Boys.The group is made up of five young men: Kevin, Brian, Howie, A. J., and, the youngest, Nick. The listeners range in age, but the largest group is teenagers. The Backstreet Boys are popular primarily because of their image, but they also have the ability to manipulate the media successfully and to write engaging lyrics to upbeat music.

The Backstreet Boys have created a nice image for their young fans to follow. One example is the way they look. Their fashionable clothes are cool and up-to-date. Teenagers relate to their baggy jeans, oversized shirts, and top-of-the- line shoes. A. J. and Howie have goatee beards and all of them have short, sometimes colored and spiked, haircuts. Young fans feel they can relate to these guys because their appearance is interesting and attractive to them. The Backstreet Boys are also polite during interviews. They all thank God and their families for their success and talents. They participate in charity events, and they avoid setting bad examples for young people to follow, such as promoting alcohol and tobacco products.

The media and the managers for the group play a huge role in the promotion of The Backstreet Boys. For instance, the group is on many covers of Teen, J-14, Teen-Idol, and other magazines. They release information about their personal lives, their favorite foods, their concert dates, and any other pertinent information they can find on a regular basis. These magazines offer photographs and posters of each member of the band. This type of publicity keeps the fans excited and wanting more. The television is another source of media for bands. Stations like MTV and VH1 play their music videos and invite them into the studio for interviews. This action helps promote the songs and albums they produce; meanwhile, the band becomes even more popular.

On a last note, the lyrics and music The Backstreet Boys create is a definite reason they are popular. Their music attracts