Happy Tuesday! I’m back and ready to accept the challenge, and come up with a brand new Friday Flash Review.
You all know the drill: mt58 randomly selects a genre, category, or some other musical common denominator for you all to think on… and then I talk about the song that you choose.
OK, mt, what’s up for this Friday?
Well… It’s another wide-ranging category! It’s:
“Number One Songs About Martial Arts!“
Sorry. Let’s try that again. How about:
SONGS BY 90s BOY BANDS!
OK, we have a category!
In the comments below: nominate ONE favorite that you’d like to see in a Flash Review. Definitely chat and reply with each other about the choices, but remember:
The comment with the most upvotes get the nod.
See you Friday!
17
Thank You For Your Vote!
Sorry You have Already Voted!
I’m torn here, but I think I’ll go with a song from a group other than the big three (Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys, N’Sync) …
98 Degrees’ “The Hardest Thing” (forget the unfortunate double entendre if you can)
I’m going with the original, on which NKOTB was based…
“Candy Girl”, by New Edition!!!
Well, if Candy Girl is DQ’d because it’s a different decade, how’s about we do a tangent of that and nominate BBD’s Poison?
I mean, you know, never trust a big butt and a smile.
Now you tell me…
I was going to say “Poison” as well, but I’m not sure if Bell Biv DeVoe counts as a boy band. Can we get a ruling from the judges?
Who am I to judge?
But, also, who needs a district judge when the Supreme Court of Knowledge has already made its ruling?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_boy_bands
Yes, BBD is a boy band.
Not sure how Tony! Toni! Tone! would feel about being called a boy band.
Point taken. So, let’s move on from Wikipedia and into ChatGPT:
Is Tony! Toni! Tone! a boy band?
No, Tony! Toni! Toné! is not considered a boy band. They were an American R&B group active from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. The group consisted of three members: D’wayne Wiggins, Timothy Christian Riley, and their cousin Raphael Saadiq. They were known for their soulful and funky sound, blending elements of R&B, soul, funk, and New Jack Swing. Tony! Toni! Toné! gained popularity with hits like “Feels Good,” “Anniversary,” and “If I Had No Loot.” Their music primarily featured male vocalists and instrumentalists, and they were known for their live performances and skilled musicianship.
Is Bell Biv DeVoe a boy band?
Bell Biv DeVoe is not typically categorized as a boy band either. They are considered an American R&B group formed in the early 1990s. Bell Biv DeVoe was a spin-off group from the successful boy band New Edition, which included Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe. After New Edition disbanded temporarily, the trio formed Bell Biv DeVoe and took a different musical direction, focusing on a fusion of R&B, hip-hop, and new jack swing. Their debut album, “Poison,” released in 1990, achieved significant success with its title track becoming a major hit. Bell Biv DeVoe’s music was characterized by its edgier and more urban sound compared to traditional boy bands of the time.
I, for one, welcome our ChatGPT overlords. Sort of.
I especially enjoyed ChatGPT’s slight equivocation on BBD whereas it has Tom-level conviction on T!T!T!.
Go away ChatGPT, you’re ruining everything!
Well then. I guess I’ll change my vote to Hanson’s “MMMBop.”
Hey ChatGPT: Is Hanson considered to be a boy band?
Yes, Hanson is considered to be a boy band. The group, composed of three brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson, gained immense popularity in the late 1990s with their hit single “MMMBop.” Hanson was known for their youthful image, harmonies, and catchy pop-rock sound. They were often compared to other boy bands of the time, such as Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, due to their shared attributes of young male members and a fan-oriented following. Despite their boy band classification, Hanson also played their own instruments and wrote their own music, distinguishing them from some other acts in the genre. Over the years, they have continued to release music and have built a dedicated fan base.
I always thought of Hanson more as a bro band (the older, pre “One Week” definition of bro, that is!).
I don’t care what ChatGPT says, my vote is with you dutchg8r.
[High Fives Edith]
As resident Brit we’ve plenty of identikit 90s Boy Bands that you’re unlikely to have ever heard of; East 17; Bad Boys Inc; Worlds Apart; Ultimate Kaos; MN8; Upside Down; Two Third3; 911; Another Level; A1; Five; Damage; North and South; Point Break (I went to school with one of them!).
I reckon some of these are barely remembered by their relatives let alone anyone else.
Our only boy band to do anything at all over your way was Take That and that was one single only. It was a good one though (these things are relative) and it reached #7 on the Hot 100 in 1995 so some of you may remember it.
My nomination then is Back For Good by Take That.
My work here now done I’ll sit back and watch the upvotes accumulate (for everyone else).
I have an A1 CD. I loved “Caught in the Middle.”
Really? There was a group called Point Break?
You know what my next question will be, right?
.
.
.
So, did you go to school with Brohdi, or Johnny?
The only thing criminal about this Point Break was the music 😁
This is the first time I’ve seen the word “identikit” in the wild. I’m beyond belief.
Same. I’m jealous.
How about “I Want It That Way”? Given that Tom never got to write a column about it…
Sound reasoning. I could get behind that nomination.
DutchSiri, What defines a Boy Band?
“A Boy Band is defined as a group of young male singers who are mandated per their recording contract to have at least one member point at the camera in 74% of their photo shoots.”
😁
This has been a public service post from ChatGP..D.
Can a song from an artist previously associated with a boy band qualify?
If so, I nominate Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times”.
If not, I nominate NKOTB’s delightful Beatles pastiche “Tonight”.
I cast my vote for “Candy Girl”, even though I prefer “Cool It Now”.
Hanson is critically underrated, in my opinion.
I predict U2 will cover “Sign of the Times” someday. I think it’s perfect for Bono.
I feel like my favorite song is a bit too obvious, but I’m curious of what you’d make of “When the Lights Go Out” by Five.
Never heard (or don’t recall) ‘WTLGO,’ but it’s got my vote. A fine specimen of the genre. Put it on the slide and peek at it through the microscope, JD!
“Point of order, Mr. Chairman, I mean your Chatlord. When you google Boy Bands of the ’90’s, BBD come up many times as part of that group.
So I would say “Poison” is a viable song. ”
But for me, grammatically correct or not, Color Me Badd with “I Want to Sex You Up” is my choice for Boy Band of the ’90’s.
In order to get the Flash Friday Review to meet its brand promise of being released on Friday, the polls will be closing TODAY (Wednesday) at 5pm EDT!
As of now, “I Want It That Way” seems to be in the lead! If this is not your desired outcome, I recommend you VOTE VOTE VOTE for an alternative already suggested.
If nothing else, voting here for boy band tunes (be them as they may) is good practice for your civic duties to vote for your local and national politicians (be them as they may).
Which actually begs the question: what if boy bands were allowed to run for office? Imagine the campaign ads!
[insanely creative and hilarious mock-up image by mt58 goes here]
On it.