# Boy Bands: There Can Be Only One? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466 "2013-08-17T01:25:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/21 "2013-08-18T08:53:18Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > So, has _any_ boy band had more than one member go on to a successful music career? I’m talking factory-made boy bands as we currently know them, not bands like The Beatles that could play instruments and write music. _ **The Beatles.** _ All of them went on to careers as solo artists, or formed other groups. And all of them were quite successful. Of course, they were an exception. And with an exceptional amount of talent in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/22 "2013-08-18T14:08:14Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > New Edition, please. Bobby Brown, Bel Biv DeVoe, Johnny Gill, and Ralph Tresvant -and that was off off the top of my head!! You can’t name everything and then claim ‘off the top of my head.’ There has to be more that you can name if you wanted to. Also Johnny Gill was a successful solo artist before joining New Edition. > [@Hampshire](#): > > …Michael Jackson are kind of the exception. Jermaine was happening in the 80s for a minute. I didn’t realize he went solo before Michael. K-Ci and Jojo of Jodeci but they were the singers anyway. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/23 "2013-08-18T14:22:30Z")
> [@enomaj](#): > > You can’t name everything and then claim ‘off the top of my head.’ There has to be more that you can name if you wanted to. Bwah? I was just excited that I remembered everyone and spelled Tresvant correctly 😉 what else should I be naming? From Jermaine Jackson page on Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > **Solo career** > Like Michael, Jermaine began a solo career while still a member of The Jackson 5, and had a hit with the 1972 Shep and the Limelites cover “Daddy’s Home”. It sold over one million copies by March 1973, and was awarded a gold disc.[3] When The Jackson 5 left Motown, Jermaine left the group and stayed at Motown, as he had married Hazel Gordy, and Motown head Berry Gordy was his father-in-law. In 2009, Jermaine claimed on the family reality series The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, it was because “Motown was gonna make us like the Beatles. We were the Jackson 5 and that’s all I wanted.”[citation needed] > Jermaine was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his 1980 album Let’s Get Serious. He had a number of Billboard Top 30 hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including “Daddy’s Home” (#9), “That’s How Love Goes”, “Let’s Be Young Tonight”, “Bass Odyssey”, “Feel the Fire”, “Let Me Tickle Your Fancy” (featuring Devo on backing vocals) (#18), “Let’s Get Serious” (#9, also one of his only two UK hits, peaking at #8), “Dynamite” (#15), “Do What You Do” (#13), and “I Think It’s Love” (#16). A duet with his brother Michael, “Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ (Too Good to Be True)”, hit No. 1 on the dance chart in 1984. He and Michael also collaborated with Rockwell, both providing guest vocals on his 1984 hit single, “Somebody’s Watching Me”. In 1985, his duet with Pia Zadora, “When the Rain Begins to Fall”, topped several singles charts in Europe. His final chart success, 1989’s “Don’t Take It Personal”, hit (#1) on the Billboard R&B singles chart. Some of Jermaine’s finest moments as a singer can be heard in the soulful “Castle of Sand” and the Earth Wind & Fire-inspired “You Need To Be Loved”.[citation needed] > Jackson is proficient on the electric guitar and is a talented bass guitar player. At an early age he performed the parts of legendary bass player James Jamerson, etc., when J5 performed live.[citation needed] Jermaine also composed and produced for other artists, such as Switch, and he produced and sang a couple of duets on Whitney Houston’s debut album on Arista Records. In 1992, he produced The Jacksons: An American Dream, an award-winning and highly rated miniseries about the history of The Jackson 5. Jermaine Jr. portrayed his father as a young teenager in the miniseries.[citation needed] ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/24 "2013-08-18T15:33:30Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > _ **The Beatles.** _ Do you not know the definition of “boy band”? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/25 "2013-08-18T19:51:02Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You’re forgetting Donnie Wahlberg. He started out as a New Kid on the Block but went on to a solid solo career. although he’s better known as an actor than a singer. You’re thinking of Donnie’s brother, [Mark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marky_Mark), who was known as Marky Mark (and the Funky Bunch). ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/26 "2013-08-18T19:56:47Z")
Okay, maybe I should take that back. Did some poking around and I see that Donnie has also done a good bit of acting. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/27 "2014-04-01T23:31:27Z")
I dug this thread up - & then found it was only prefab boy bands! How bout the greatest prefab girl band, the Spice Girls. Think Emma didn’t have much success outside the UK, but the others have all done very well - in the case of Victoria So Successful You Don’t Have to Google Her well. As far as One Direction Goes - don’t see Harry being the breakout success. He now looks a lot older than the rest of the band (& he’s the youngest) & usually seems tired & lifeless. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/28 "2014-04-02T13:17:51Z")
> [@maplekiwi](#): > > How bout the greatest prefab girl band, the Spice Girls. Think Emma didn’t have much success outside the UK, but the others have all done very well - in the case of Victoria So Successful You Don’t Have to Google Her well. Mentioned in post #14. And none of the Spice Girls went on to successful solo singing careers. ---
**Author:** ![Mind\_Your\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Mind\_Your\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mind_Your_Head)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/29 "2014-04-02T13:31:24Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > If British boy bands count, there’s also Robbie Williams, who had a decent career after Take That. And Gary Barlow has had a huge career after Take That as well. Or are they together again…no that was last year, oh, not sure ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/30 "2014-04-02T14:04:12Z")
Mel C is successful, surprisingly. Still has sell-out tours at large venues. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/31 "2014-04-02T14:19:56Z")
The Jonas Bros. are OVER?! Damn, they were so young. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/32 "2014-04-02T14:45:07Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > You’re thinking of Donnie’s brother, [Mark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marky_Mark), who was known as Marky Mark (and the Funky Bunch). No, Donnie has had a successful acting career, too. He’s currently the star of the TV cop show _ **Blue Bloods** _, but he also starred in the WW2 series _ **Band of Brothers** _, and has had roles in some major movies (for example, he was the guy who killed Bruce Willis in _ **The Sixth Sense** _). ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/33 "2014-04-02T15:07:32Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > No, Donnie has had a successful acting career, too. He’s currently the star of the TV cop show _ **Blue Bloods** _, but he also starred in the WW2 series _ **Band of Brothers** _, and has had roles in some major movies (for example, he was the guy who killed Bruce Willis in _ **The Sixth Sense** _). To continue the hijack, he’s also a much better actor than his brother. One can only hope his opportunities and abilities increase, while Mark goes back to hawking underwear or something. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/34 "2014-04-02T20:05:09Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Mentioned in post #14. And none of the Spice Girls went on to successful solo singing careers. Oops missed that post. & as another poster said, Mel C was successful for a time. Geri Halliwell too. [Geri Halliwell - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geri_Halliwell) I don’t know if her singles were hits in the States, but her (mediocre) version of Its Raining Men was on the Bridget Jones Soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/35 "2014-04-02T22:15:22Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Mel C is successful, surprisingly. Still has sell-out tours at large venues. Actually, I’d have pegged her as the sole successful stand-alone, but it looks like that’s perception bias. She’s had a good career but was expected to do better, while Chisolm’s had a lesser career but was expected to do worse. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/36 "2014-04-02T22:57:49Z")
> [@maplekiwi](#): > > & as another poster said, Mel C was successful for a time. Geri Halliwell too. [Geri Halliwell - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geri_Halliwell) I don’t know if her singles were hits in the States, but her (mediocre) version of Its Raining Men was on the Bridget Jones Soundtrack. Interesting. No, neither one had anything remotely resembling success in the States. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/37 "2014-04-02T23:20:00Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Actually, I’d have pegged her as the sole successful stand-alone, but it looks like that’s perception bias. She’s had a good career but was expected to do better, while Chisolm’s had a lesser career but was expected to do worse. :dubious: 😕 Are you meaning Geri was expected to do better? > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Interesting. No, neither one had anything remotely resembling success in the States. I’ve read all their Wiki pages & it looks like they’ve all been successful - just to varying degrees. I have to say if I had been told in 1999 that Posh would be the most famous Spice Girl in 2014 I would have laughed my socks off. The funny thing is other than It’s Raining Men, the only solo effort I can recall is Emma’s. This song was a No 1 here (I’m in NZ) & the UK. The album wasn’t even released in the US or most of South America. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX1Df\_sjdzY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX1Df_sjdzY) ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/38 "2014-04-03T01:23:10Z")
> [@maplekiwi](#): > > 😕 Are you meaning Geri was expected to do better? Is that the one that went solo first? Can’t recall the name, but that’s the one I meant. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/39 "2014-04-03T20:10:45Z")
& here is my prediction for One Direction. After their break up (likely to happen when the oldest one, Louis, hits 25) four of them release music. A couple of top 10 hits result & then interest fades. Possibly Louis goes in to acting. _ **Then** _ Harry - the burnout. Zayn - if he has money, retires to an English manor or a Spanish villa. If broke, ends up working in a family business. Niall - becomes a B list celebrity doing reality TV or judging talent shows. Possibly also charity work & some live theatre. Louis & Liam Successful either in partnership or apart - but behind the scenes - songwriting, managing other acts, maybe even in production. & like the op said there will be the reunion tours. Probably never with a complete line up though. I’m going to dig up this thread in 3 years & then in 10 years to see if I’m right. If I am I’ll be smugly obnoxious. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466/40 "2014-04-03T22:54:04Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Do you not know the definition of “boy band”? The original boy band. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boy-bands-there-can-be-only-one/666466.md?page=3)