The Backstreet Boys, commonly referred to as BSB, are one of the most iconic boy bands for anyone in their 20s and 30s right now. Though they have a long history in the public eye and spotlight, there are some things about this group of boys (now men) that most people don’t know. Here, we present 15 things you probably didn’t know about the Backstreet Boys. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: The Group Almost Included Ryan Gosling. You might recall that Gosling used to be a Mouseketeer, and so he lived in the same building as AJ McLean. McLean asked Gosling to be in the band, but Gosling reportedly thought that the group would be too much like NKOTB.
Number Fourteen: They Used to Watch Porn Together. The founder of the Backstreet Boys, Lou Pearlman, would often have the group over to his home to hang out together. On several occasions, the boys would put on a pornographic film and watch it to entertain themselves. It was not a sexual experience, but more of an entertaining one for them.
Number Thirteen: Nick Carter and AJ McLean Got Into a Fight Over Mario Kart. The two were reportedly playing the cult classic video game when Carter got upset and possibly threw the remote at McLean. They then began fighting each other.
Number Twelve: They Were Paid Very Little in the Beginning. The boys were really young when they started their band, so they understandably were not sure what to expect in terms of money. According to McLean, “I don’t exactly recall the exact amount that it was, but we were on a weekly per diem that we were living on, just for like food during rehearsals. I was living on the McDonald’s diet for the better portion of probably six or seven years of our career.”
Number Eleven: They Are the Best-Selling Boy Band of All Time. Having sold more than 130 million copies of their albums, they beat out N*Sync for the world’s best-selling boy band.
Number Ten: They Have Been Together for a Very Long Time. Though they took a brief hiatus, the Backstreet Boys have been together for 21 years. And they are still going strong!
Number Nine: They Got Their Name From a Flea Market. Apparently, the name “Backstreet” comes from a flea market they saw in Orlando that was called the “Backstreet” Market.