Throughout the late 90’s boy bands were an essential piece of pop culture and the music industry. The matching outfits, the synchronized dancing, it was beautiful. Of the many boy bands that rose during the 90’s, there were two that really measured up above the rest.

The Backstreet boys and *NSYNC were the two massive groups at the time. They were both very successful and experienced this success at the same time. So naturally they were constantly compared.

As a kid born in 2001, it seems weird that I would take interest in a pair of musical groups that experienced the majority of their success before I was born. However the debate over who’s better, the Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC, is a question that I have been attempting to tackle for the past few weeks.

I was introduced to 90’s boy bands during the 2013 VMA’s. Justin Timberlake was getting honored for his musical career and to celebrate this he put on a massive 15 minute performance. During this performance *NSYNC had a brief reunion. Since then my life has never been the same. I’ve fallen in love with the unique musical stylings of Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Lance Bass.

*NSYNC’s three album catalog is brief, but amazing. Naturally, after discovering *NSYNC I moved on to the Backstreet boys. But they never gave me the same rush that *NSYNC did. After many painstakingly long hours of consideration I’ve determined that *NSYNC is better than the Backstreet Boys.

My personal favorite boy band member of all time is JC Chasez. While he was overshadowed a bit by Justin, this guy can sing. He takes the lead on many of the songs and had a large hand in writing many songs on *NSYNC’s second and most successful album, “No Strings Attached”. He also has great hair that deserves to be recognized. All around nobody can compete with JC.

*NSYNC’s first and self titled album proves that they are a force to be reckoned with. “Tearin’ up my heart” the first and arguably best track sets the stage for a string of amazing songs. The boys show their versatility with ballads like “(God must have spent) A little more time on You” and “Thinking of you (I drive myself crazy).” The first album is good, but the second is even better…

*NSYNC’s “No Strings Attached” is nothing short of a masterpiece. It starts off with a bang with “Bye Bye Bye” and it just gets better from there. The music video concepts are unique and the choreography is superb. The album art of the guys being strung up like puppets is just too good. Backstreet could never. “No Strings Attached” is brilliant in every sense of the word and a main reason for *NSYNC’s success.

The third album is really what sets *NSYNC apart. The album is literally called “Celebrity” and showcases each members personalities’. The music videos from this era are equally as impressive. With extensive sets and big choreography *NSYNC cements themselves as a pop force to be reckoned with.

*NSYNC took the typical boy band formula and perfected it. They had everything. The dance moves, coordinated outfits and of course the acapella style music that relied on their sweet harmonizing verses.

*NSYNC is the best boy band of the 90’s. They had the best dance moves, angelic voices and produced superstar Justin Timberlake. *NSYNC had a big influence on pop culture and those influences are still being shown today. They only made three albums, but their influence is much more.