Backstreet Boys Tickets

Once a teen band, now all grown-up, Backstreet Boys were formed in 1993 in Florida, by cousins Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell, and friends Howie Dorough, AJ McLean and Nick Carter. Although the boys knew each other and had performed several times together, it was producer Lou Perlman, on the lookout for a boy band, who initially signed up McLean, taking the others with him after making them audition, and also giving them their name.

Their first single, “We've Got It Goin' On” was released in 1995 and received extensive radio airplay in Europe, where it was a Top 5 success in several countries including Austria, Netherlands and Germany. This led to the group touring Europe, and a second single, “I'll Never Break Your Heart”, which was never released in the US. Their self-titled debut album was also released in Europe only, in 1996, and the band continued to enjoy huge success on the 'wrong' side of the Atlantic. Their second album, Backstreet's Back (1997), spawned the global hit “Quit Playing Games With My Heart”, which finally saw them break their own country, and their first album was re-released, as their US debut album, and went straight into the Billboard charts at No.4. Also in 1997, with US success increasing, Littrell took manager Pearlman to court, accusing him of siphoning off profits that should have gone to the band. The other boys also joined the lawsuit and an undisclosed settlement was reached.

Millennium was released in 1999 and gave the group several more international hits, including “I Want It That Way”, “Larger Than Life” and “The One”. Their next album, Black & Blue (2000) was promoted with a 100-hour round-the-world trip, followed by a world tour, which was interrupted by McLean's admission to rehab for alcohol problems. Over the next two years, Nick Carter embarked on a solo project and the rest of the band sued their record label for breach of contract, accusing them of focusing too much on Carter, and not enough on them. In 2004, with McLean sober and the issues with Carter resolved, the band reunited to start work on their new album, Never Gone, which was eventually released in 2005. Again, the record was more successful in Europe and Asia, than the US, despite lots of touring and promotion and, in 2006, Richardson announced he was leaving the band to concentrate on solo projects.

Backstreet Boys released Unbreakable in 2007, the first album since Richardson's departure, but it was not commercially successful, although their subsequent world tour, was, with Richardson rejoining them for their L.A. dates. This Is Us (2009) marked a return to their pop roots, and was supported by another world tour, which lasted 18 months. In 2010, Backstreet Boys toured with a newly-reformed New Kids On The Block and announced extra European dates for 2011/2012. In addition, Kevin Richardson announced in November 2011 that he'd love to perform with the group again, suggesting their 2012 dates as the right time for his comeback.