Mix Tape of the Day: January 31, 2015 - Battle of the Boy Bands

It's Justin Timberlake's birthday...but I found that I'm not really drawn to any of his solo work.  Almost all of his hits bring me boredom or ire (thanks to negative memories, like my college roommate using "Sexyback" as his wake-up alarm).

So I looked to his earlier work with *NSYNC and found out there's only a handful of those songs that I actually like.  I think I might like Backstreet Boys more...

That brings us to today, where we pit Max Martin's pretty boys against each other.  I find it quite amusing that for all the arguments among fans that occurred during the late '90s over which band was better, they were basically singing the exact same songs written by the exact same person.  In fact, a Max Martin mix would be brutal, as I find he's behind a lot of my favorite pop songs (including all of Taylor Swift's recent work).  Today, it's just the boy bands.

1. I Want You Back - *NSYNC (1996) Although we became aware of the Backstreet Boys first, *NSYNC was also forming ties with Martin around the same time.  This was their first big hit, which captured the sound we'd hear on the airwaves every day for the next few years.

2. Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Backstreet Boys (1997) You wanted them back, *NSYNC?  Well, here they are!  Backstreet's first album was very *NSYNCish, but this song marked their territory as the boy band to beat.  And it makes such a great comeback song whenever they do return from a long hiatus.

3. Tearin' Up My Heart - *NSYNC (1997) *NSYNC strikes back with a powerful heartbreak song about the world's most difficult relationship.  How will Backstreet respond?

4. As Long as You Love Me - Backstreet Boys (1997) The Backstreet Boys don't care of some girl is giving them grief or has a troublesome past.  As long as she loves them, they are happy.

5. I'll Never Stop - *NSYNC (2000) *NSYNC strikes back.  They can love someone forever, too!  No matter what!  They are truly the kings of boy bands!  Their No Strings Attached album can prove that.

6. It's Gotta Be You - Backstreet Boys (1999) Backstreet Boys also never want to stop, and they aim to take over the whole Millennium.

7. It's Gonna Be Me - *NSYNC (2000) Gotta be you?  Nah, it's gonna be me!

8. I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys (1999) Backstreet's bringing out the big guns now.  "I Want It That Way" may just be the crowning achievement of boy band pop songs.

9. Bye Bye Bye - *NSYNC (2000) *NSYNC decided in order to win this thing, they'll have to play dirty.  Up until this point, there was an unspoken rule of Max Martin songs only.  But for this hit song, *NSYNC stopped using him as a safety net, and it really paid off, creating their signature anthem.

10. Larger than Life - Backstreet Boys (1999) The Backstreet Boys stuck with Martin to the very end.  They were just such a perfect match for each other.  And while the rest of their repertoire may be classics, for me, it doesn't get better than "Larger than Life."

11. This I Promise You - *NSYNC (2000) Another Martin-less song, *NSYNC cooled down and came back with this sappy ode to end all sappy odes.  Remember ladies, we can still be sensitive!

12. In a World Like This - Backstreet Boys (2013) While everyone went their separate ways at the beginning of the 21st century, the Backstreet Boys followed through on their 15-year-old promise to come back.  Reuniting with Martin again, the Backstreet Boys have grown into Backstreet Men and proven that they can fit into the modern landscape. So who is our winner?  *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?  Judges?

13. When You're Looking Like That - Westlife (2000) What an upset! The underdog boy-band Westlife has managed to snag the win!  They actually had a far better career than the other two boy bands combined (in the UK and other countries, not so much in America).  And yes, wherever there is a pop music act, Max Martin can't be far behind.  He is the true winner.