It's Gonna Be May
Howdy! It’s Joey, back with more Fun Fact Friyay. Today, we’re working on our smooth harmonies as we dive into the two most popular boy bands of the 90s and early aughts.
“It’s Gonna Be Me” is the only song by either NSYNC or Backstreet Boys to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
If you were near a radio between 1996 and 2001, chances are you heard an NSYNC or Backstreet Boys song approximately every 14 minutes. These ten fellas were all over the place, wooing fans young and old with their songs about love, hearts, saying bye, being back, and much more.
Yet, despite all of those jams and the two bands’ albums going platinum a combined 64 times in the U.S. alone (that’s more than 64 million album sales just in America), they only hit No. 1 on the hottest of charts a single time.
The Billboard Hot 100 is the standard record chart in the music industry, measuring the most popular songs across all genres. The chart is released weekly; rankings are based on sales, radio play, and (especially in the past decade) online streaming.
“It’s Gonna Be Me” was the second single released from NSYNC’s third album (and second non-Christmas album), No Strings Attached. It hit retail stores on July 11, 2000, and by July 29, it had reached No. 1, dethroning “Oops!… I Did It Again” by Britney Spears.
The stay at the top lasted for two weeks, with “It’s Gonna Be Me” remaining on the charts for 11 weeks total. The song has remained relevant because of a 2012 Tumblr post that noted how Justin Timberlake says “me” like “May.”
Twelve years later, this stupid meme continues to win over our hearts. It’s saying “As Long As You Love Me” (my personal favorite Backstreet Boys video) to us, and we’re welcoming it with open arms.
Of course, these two groups were—and are—still very popular. NSYNC and Backstreet Boys had several Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Beyond “It’s Gonna Be Me,” NSYNC had “Music of My Heart” (peaking at No. 2) with Gloria Estefan, “Bye Bye Bye” (No. 4), “Girlfriend” feat. Nelly (No. 5), “This I Promise You” (No. 5), and “(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You” (No. 8).
Meanwhile, Backstreet Boys never had a No. 1 hit on the Hot 100, but they raided the top 10 with “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” (No. 2), “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) (No. 4), “All I Have to Give” (No. 5), “I Want It That Way” (No. 6), “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” (No. 6), and “Shape of My Heart” (No. 9).
A dozen top ten hits between ‘em, but only one is gonna be May…er, No. 1.
Perhaps you’ll now be like me and enjoy boy band hits for the rest of the day. Before you do, here’s Nicole Story Dent summarizing the enduring power of this song with the perfect nostalgia clothing, to boot.
I can't say I was a particular fan of either boy band, and probably could not have actually named a single one of their songs, but of course I've heard of both groups. Only 1 number 1 song does surprise me. Ok, I guess I'll have to check them out on Spotify this weekend to see if I actually do recognize any of the songs. Thanks, Joey!