Pop Groups You Probably Forgot Existed

Welcome Back

Nostalgia hits especially well when things get a little rocky in the present. Nothing like going back to the days when everyone had bleached hair (those frosted tips!), low-rise pants, and no apparent cares in the world. To get back to that peak time, we’ve curated a list of Pop groups to add to your nostalgic playlists.

702

Known for their 1999 hit, “Where My Girls At”, 702 got their name from the area code of their hometown, Las Vegas. Their songs are sure to bring a spark to any day.

Marcus Ingram, Getty Images

soulDecision

Another famous bleach-tipped boy band, soulDecision made their mark on the industry with the song “Faded”. There are actually three versions of the song—two with different intros and one featuring a verse by Thrust, a Canadian rapper.

Neal Jennings, Flickr

SWV

Featuring Coko, Taj, and Lelee, their band name stands for “Sisters With Voices”. Their music inspired many during their short time together in the 90s, and peaked with songs such as, “Weak” and “I’m So Into You”.

naacpphotos, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Cleopatra

This iconic band started in the late 90s and continues to record today. They found their sound in their song “Cleopatra’s Theme”, and even had their own Disney Channel concert!

Tim Roney, Getty Images

Zhané

This is a quintessential 90s R&B duo, sure to bring some much-needed love to any era-themed playlist. They’re known best for songs such as “Sending My Love” and “Groove Thang”, which both appear on their album Pronounced Jah-Nay.

Thomas Faivre-Duboz, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

All-4-One

And their music is one-4-all. Their hit “I Swear” is a classic slow-dance song, and the band consistently released romantic ballads to warm the heart. They even released a new album in 2015, titled Twenty+.

Sry85, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Sugababes

An aughts girl band who released their first album in the UK in 2000, it took them a while to rise to popularity in the US, and over their decade-long career, the lineup changed completely by the time they disbanded in 2011. Still, their music is an excellent addition to any bop-filled playlist.

Xbecki1993, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

All Saints

Melodrama and vibrant harmony go hand in hand for All Saints. They showed their chops in the hit song, “Never Ever”, released in 1997, and their popular album titled All Saints made them the third best-selling girl group ever.

ger1axg, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Atomic Kitten

A great band name for a great band, whose music production is ongoing despite their debut in the early 2000s. Their cover of Blondie’s “The Tide Is High” gained massive popularity, and their band members—past and present—sometimes appear in media headlines. Be sure to keep them on the roster!

Martin.o, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Boyzone

This Irish boy band had a wild earworm of a song called “Picture Of You” in 1997, and while they were always bigger in Europe than they were in the US, they’re still worth the listen.

Rach, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Allure

This band put all their talent points into harmony. The New York-based R&B group featured many other popular artists on their songs, such as 112 on “All Cried Out” and Nas on “Head Over Heels”. This slightly obscure band is sure to get people asking you for your playlists.

Paul Zimmerman, Getty Images

Take That

While quite popular in their heyday, Take That has since faded a little in the minds of younger generations. No time like the present to bring back classic pop hits off their quintessential boy-band album Nobody Else, and specifically their song, “Back For You”.

Marc E., CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Steps

One of the few mixed-gender pop groups, Steps paired their British origins with the inspiration of many country hits. This includes their (in)famous line-dance song, “5, 6, 7, 8”, which features the lyrics “my boot-scootin’ baby” and “rompin' stompin', pumpin' jumpin', slidin' glidin', here we go”.

Jordanlloydb, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Blue

This early-aughts boy band is more on the obscure side. But any good connoisseur of the era’s pop music would be remiss to skip songs like, “All Rise” and “Best In Me”.

Frédéric de Villamil, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Liberty X

Another mixed-gender pop band, Liberty X leaned into their sexuality to hone the vibe of their band. While primarily popular in the UK, many would recognize their hit “Just A Little” if they were into the pop scene in 2001.

Jdjones1984, Wikimedia Commons

A*Teens

This co-ed pop group began as an ABBA cover band. But this wasn’t the be-all-end-all of their musical identity. A*Teens delved into original hits like “Upside Down” and made their mark in the US with a pop-filled cover of the Lilo And Stitch song, “Can’t Help Falling In Love”.

Adam Fröjdfeldt, CC-BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Savage Garden

This duo is more on the band-band side of music than they are on the pop group side, since one of them played at least one instrument. But their songs appeared in a lot of different pop spaces, and “I Want You” and “Truly Madly Deeply” are quintessential teen-hood soundtrack songs.

Maggz Appleton, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Moffatts

This band consists of triplet brothers and their friend. While they never hit a level of fame as other boy bands of the time, they’re perfect for those who want to curate a more niche pop playlist to wow their friends.

Lebrac72, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Immature

This group had some intense presence for a group of kids, demonstrated in their performances on All That in the Kel Mitchell sketch, “Okrah”. Their hit song, “Never Lie”, will truly encapsulate their childhood talent despite now being a far more mature band.

Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images

Crazy Town

While they might look a little edgier than other boy bands, their songs have titles like “Butterfly” and “Starry eyed Surprise”, which brings a very different tone to their tattoos and chains.

Paul Hudson, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

BBMak

This band sold millions of albums from 1999 to 2003, after their hit “Back Here” shot them into the industry. They were one of those bands who appeared in a lot of places, and can you blame them? They look so good together!

John Lamparski, Getty Images

Wild Orchid

Ever wonder what Fergie was up to before the Black Eyed Peas? Well, she was in Wild Orchid! The group hosted a popular lip-syncing competition show called Great Pretenders, amongst all their other activities and releases.

Robin Wong., CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

Dream Street

A little late to the game, Dream Street got some help from Disney and Nickelodeon when it came to showing off songs like “It Happens Every Time”. Fun fact: This boy band helped Jesse McCartney get his start!

Rito Revolto, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

t.A.t.U

This Russian duo queer-baited a lesbian relationship to increase their popularity, only to admit it was a false claim later in their career. Which, if you look at it in a certain light, is kind of iconic. They’re most known for their massive hit, “All The Things You Said”.

NatureBoyMD, Wikimedia Commons

M2M

Childhood friends Marit Larsen and Marion Raven began the Norwegian pop duo M2M, and they became staple features on Disney Channel film soundtracks. Songs like “Don’t Say You Love Me” and “Pretty Boy” won them a solid amount of fame.

Eirik Helland Urke, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

LFO

Summer of ‘99 wouldn’t be the same without LFO’s ”Girl On TV” and “Summer Girls”. They’re the perfect addition to a 90s nostalgic playlist. Unfortunately, two of the members are no longer with us, but their legacy endures.

Tim Roney, Getty Images

Westlife

Another Irish boy band takes the stage, and with a surprising amount of longevity. While they were more of a fad in the US, their first album Westlife (1999) put them on the map in the UK and they stayed there. In 2012, band member Brian McFadden left the group to start a solo career, but the remaining members are still creating together!

Harry Wad, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

5ive

This boy band was huge in the UK in the late 90s. Even so, they made listeners dance in the US to bops like “Slam Dunk (Da Funk)” and “When The Lights Go Out”.

Jessica Faye Hill, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

2gether

Created to satirize the boy band genre and all it encapsulated, 2gether shouldn’t have been as catchy as they were. Despite this, their top-tier single, “The Hardest Part Of Breaking Up (Is Getting Back Your Stuff)”, made listeners laugh and tap their toe to the beat, even breaking into the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Jeff Kravitz, Getty Images

O-Town

Making The Band indeed made this band in 2000. Back when this concept was still new, O-Town took their audience by storm post-series. They even charted with their major hit, “Liquid Dreams”.

Tomás Del Coro, Wikimedia Commons

S Club 7

Another manufactured pop group, circa 1999-2003, with fascinating and interesting members that stood out while they stood together. Their hit, “Bring It All Back” was released in ‘99, and in 2015, they had a reunion tour named after the track.

02abraro, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

B*Witched

This Irish band came to the spotlight in the early-aughts and describes the specific yet universal experience of being a teenage girl from 1997-2002. Recently, they received a shoutout on the series Pen15, streaming on Hulu.

Unreal7, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

98 Degrees

Before Love Is Blind, Nick Lachey was part of 98 Degrees alongside his brother, Drew. While they didn’t achieve the same level of cult following as N*Sync and Backstreet Boys, they still recorded a song for the Mulan (1998) soundtrack and had several hits, such as “Because of You” and “Thank God I Found You”.

Robyn Paul, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

3LW

Remembered for their hit song “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)”, 3LW is a great addition to any playlist for bands who launched a member's solo career. After her years in a pop group, band member Adrienne Bailon hosted The Real and featured in early seasons of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Joella Marano, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Blaque

These three starred as cheerleaders in Bring It On (2000), which was right at the start of the group's career from 1999-2004. They had several hits, such as “Bring It All To Me” and “808”, but disbanded permanently in 2012 after a member lost her life in a car accident.

Wonderworks Films, Bring It On (2000)

Girls Aloud

This band is probably the peak high-feminine pop group of the early-aughts. Created from contestants on Popstars: The Rivals on iTV, the English-Irish group hit the charts with “Sound Of The Underground” and “Love Machine”. A perfect soundtrack to a true girls' night.

georgeybuckley, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Color Me Badd

This band was started before many of the others on this list, but despite that, they only had their first breakout hit in the 90s, with a song whose title drew lots of attention—and was so scandalous, we can’t name it here. They received similar popularity with the songs “All 4 Love” and “I Adore Mi Amor”.

Raymond Boyd, Getty Images

Danity Kane

These Pussycat Dolls fans were formed on Making The Band in 2005. Most of their music lacked a certain spice, but they were famous enough to be signed to Bad Boy Records by Diddy.

TonyTheTiger, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Eden’s Crush

This girl group formed on the competition Popstars, in 2000. They found moderate acclaim with “Get Over Yourself”, but what could be considered the true success is that it helped Nicole Scherzinger launch into the spotlight as the leading woman of the Pussycat Dolls.

Fremo2018, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Cheetah Girls

After 3LW, the members were cast in the Disney Channel girl group The Cheetah Girls, and formed a real pop group for the film franchise. And a franchise it was. The name spread far beyond a single movie, and remains a staple in early 2000s pop music—but their time in the spotlight came to an end when a bitter feud between the members got too heated. Reportedly, band member Kiely Williams didn't get along with Adrienne Bailon-Houghton and Raven-Symoné. It's no secret that Williams had a temper—even once (in)famously throwing hot chicken at ex-3LW bandmate Naturi Naughton—and it seems like the rest of the Cheetah Girls just couldn't take it anymore, leading to the group's breakup. 

Photobra, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons