A Fangirl's Top Ten Backstreet Boys Songs

The Backstreet Boys, pop idols of the 1990s, surprisingly are still together, sans Kevin Richardson, into 2010 and beyond. They have released six studio albums in the United States, their latest album, This is Us, having been released in 2009. Though they don't receive nearly the radio play or media attention now as they did during their prime, their harmonic melodies and upbeat dance tracks still remain true to the pop genre they helped define nearly two decades ago. The majority of their fans today may be long-time fans who have KTBSPA (Kept the Backstreet Pride Alive), but that does not stop the pop quartet, now more like Backstreet Men, from staying true to their roots and creating great pop songs.

With that in mind, as one of those long-time fans (this 22 year old college graduate unabashedly proclaims her love for the Boys regularly), it only seemed appropriate to peruse their large library of tunes and pick out my top ten tracks. It wasn't an easy task and some of these were never singles; that just means the ones you've never heard are worth checking out, too! Counting back from 10 to 1, my favorites with their albums in parentheses:

10. "Straight Through My Heart (Soldier Down)" (This is Us) - The first single from their newest album, this song brings back some of the unabashed dance tracks the Boys were known for "back in the day." This is Us samples more from the Hip-Hop/R&B music styles that are topping the charts these days, and this lead-off song wouldn't be out of place in a club alongside Lady Gaga or Beyonce.

9. "Answer to Our Life" (Black and Blue) - Not the best known song from the third BSB album, but easily my favorite track. "The Call" may be the dance-y track and "Shape of My Heart" the love ballad, but "Answer to Our Life" does a little of both and excels. It's upbeat but not club-worthy, romantic but not sappy. It has the spirit of the love songs from their first album while more modern than their more classic songs as the Boys headed into the new millennium. Definitely a hidden gem among the better know songs from the album.

8. "Larger Than Life" (Millennium) - Millennium, I hold, is the strongest overall album BSB has released. It boasts brilliant pop song after another, and some of the best known BSB songs come from this album. "Larger Than Life" is the lead-off track for the album and sets the stage well; its high energy and makes you want to dance from the get-go. It also serves as something of a thank you to the fans who have supported them, a sentiment that would make any tween or teen girl swoon when she thinks her favorite Boy is singing just to her. You've undoubtedly heard this one, and it's for good reason.

7. "Siberia" (Never Gone) - Never Gone serves as a departure from the norm for the Boys but not in a bad way. It's more melodic and softer overall; it has a more acoustic, soft-rock feel to it, which is exactly the kind of music I love outside of the Backstreet Boys. Unfortunately, the album never took off since it was the first release since their popularity began to wane, but it's filled with gems like "Siberia." The song is soft and sad about a girlfriend who is leaving her man for the other man she's sleeping with. Not traditional BSB-fare? Perhaps, but it makes for a beautiful, haunting track that Brian Littrell's vocals especially carry. You've probably never heard this one, as it's the second to last song on the album, but it's worth searching out to hear.

6. "The One" (Millennium) - Another classic BSB song from their strongest album. It never fails to make me want to dance while warming my heart with squee-worthy lyrics like, There you were, wild and free / Reachin' out like you needed me / A helping hand to make it right / I am holding you all through the night." It's hard to come up with enough superlatives to describe the smoothness of the Boys' voices, the classicality of the lyrics and the perfection of the accompanying tune. There's nothing not to love about this track.

5. "All I Have to Give" (Backstreet Boys) - Classic BSB-literally, since it's from their debut album. Again I pick one of the slower songs because I adore the tracks where the Boys really show off their pipes; love 'em or hate 'em, they can sing. "All I Have to Give" follows up the legendary "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" perfectly, toning the listener down from the dance beats of the previous song (also deserving a place on this list but I couldn't quite squeeze it) while keeping them interested with beautiful lyrics and mesmerizing vocals. This is one of their best known songs and for good reason.

4. "As Long As You Love Me" (Backstreet Boys) - Also classic, debut album brilliance. Much like the previous entry, it's slower and melodic, showcasing vocals rather than fancy dance moves. It's a traditional BSB love ballad about loving someone no matter what; it's earnest like young love, which works well because it was the product of the young band. Also a well-known hit and again, for good reason. If you like 90s pop, you have to like this song, if not love it.

3. "Incomplete" (Never Gone) - The one song off Never Gone that did take off, "Incomplete" is slow-building, haunting, melodic and beautiful. The Boys show off their vocal strengths in a much more natural, almost acoustic sounding song. I'd say this is what a mature, adult BSB song sounds like. It has the beauty from their 90s stuff but has matured with the time and fits more with the music stylings of the mid-2000s. It didn't have the radio-play of the songs from the Boys' heyday, but you've probably heard this one anyway. And it's a good one.

2. "I Want It That Way" (Millennium) - This is the song the Boys are often most remembered for. I've seen it described as the epitome of 90s pop music, and yet it never seems to grow old. It's upbeat and also melodic. It boasts beautiful solos from each member, not something we hear in every song unfortunately, and who can forget the white suits in the music video? It lives in infamy from the Youtube video starring the Chinese boys lip-synching this song, but that viral vid aside, it's a classic pop song that epitomizes what's awesome about the Backstreet Boys.

1. "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" (Millennium) - Perhaps "I Want It That Way" is the most iconic BSB song, but my favorite track is a bit more melancholy. Soft and sad but strong and striking, this song boasts some of my favorite lyrics like: "Life goes on as it never ends / Eyes of stone observe the trends / They never say forever gaze upon me / Guilty roads to an endless love (endless love) / There's no control / Are you with me now?" Everything comes together just right in this song: mood, melody, solos and instrumentals. I find this to be the most beautiful song the Boys have done and whether it's the song that defines their legacy or not, it's my favorite.

Picking ten from the dozens and dozens of tracks that the Backstreet Boys have put out over the years was perhaps a Herculean endeavor, especially for a BSB fangirl such as myself. And by picking ten, there are countless honorable mentions that couldn't quite fit the list for whatever reason. The Boys have admittedly put out some duds in their time, but their hits have definitely outweighed the flops, with pure talent and sugary love lyrics keeping them strong in their fans' hearts. As long as they keep putting out albums, you can count on this girl being there opening day to get her own copy.

KTBSPA!