"Unbreakable" by the Backstreet Boys"

"Unbreakable"

Jive Records/2007

www.backstreetboys.com

Back in 1992 these teens started a decade of the boy band craze. While it wasn't until near the end of the decade that this quintet of "all American boys" hit it big in America; they had already struck it rich in Europe and the UK. But once the girls started noticing and screaming - these guys became pop teen idols and an instant success the like of which had not been seen since four mop top lad from England landed on US soil in 1964.

Over the course of their musical career The Backstreet Boys have sold over 75 million album and nearly half of that was in the US alone. The record industry in the US considers an album gold when it sells 500,000 copies. When that same album sells one million copies it is given the label of platinum. It is not uncommon for hit albums to sell million of copies and be labeled three or four times platinum. But on rare occasions an album will reach 10 million copies sold. When this occurs the album is given the Diamond label. Few artists have diamond albums and fewer still have more than one. The Backstreet Boys are one of those few. The band's debut US release "Backstreet Boys" went on to sell 14million copies. The title of their second album was very appropriately named "Millenium". The album debuted at number one, sold one million copies within the first week, and went on to sell 13 million copies.

While The Backstreet Boys never officially broke up the band had its share of problems and after seven years of touring a break was in order.

When the Boys regrouped in 2004 they were no long a q2uintet. Like fellow boy band the UK's Take That, The Backstreet Boys were now a foursome. The change did not effect the sound of the band since there is no one lead singer, the boys share lead duties and harmonize which is what gives them their signature sound that is similar to that in the days of Doo Wop in the fifties. The Backstreet Boys have released their sixth album "Unbreakable". Over the course of a year and a half the band recorded 30 songs before deciding on the 13 that made it into the album. Spending over half their lives in a band the boys have grown up just like the teen girls who idolized them, but the sound is the same even with one less member.

Backstreet is back to thrill the fans from a decade ago and to wow the next generation with a sound that has long been forgotten by many of today's artists.