*NSYNC | Main

Along with the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, *NSYNC dominated the teen pop explosion of the late '90s with harmonies, dance moves, and photogenic appeal. Although the group emerged in 1996 in Orlando, FL, singers JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake had previously co-starred on The Mickey Mouse Club before relocating to Nashville, where they worked on solo projects with the same vocal coach and songwriters. Timberlake soon returned to Orlando, where he befriended Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone; along with Chasez, the four agreed to form a boy band, and *NSYNC officially formed after adding bass singer Lance Bass.

The group recorded its self-titled debut LP with help from a series of producers, including Denniz Pop (whose protégé, Max Martin would later work with the band after Pop's death in 1998). The album was initially released by BMG Ariola Munich, and *NSYNC soon became an overnight success throughout much of Europe, where the singles "I Want You Back" and "Tearing Up My Heart" becoming major hits. The album was then released in America during the spring of 1998; accompanied by a tour of the nation's roller rinks, it became intensely popular and eventually sold more than ten million copies. Home for Christmas followed later that same year (a similar version was released in Europe under the title The Winter Album), and the group broke sales records with the release of No Strings Attached in 2000.

The album was originally slated to arrive in 1999, but a series of legal battles with former manager Lou Pearlman delayed its release by several months. After successfully escaping from Pearlman's contract and signing with Jive Entertainment, *NSYNC watched as sales of No Strings Attached topped one million during its first day of release. Nearly two and a half million copies were sold by the end of the week, and three singles soon cracked the Top Five in America: "Bye Bye Bye" (which many viewed as a sendoff to the band's old management), "It's Gonna Be Me," and "This I Promise You." The group's third album, Celebrity, appeared in summer 2001 to continued fanfare, with first-week sales reaching nearly two million. The album featured several songs written and/or produced by Timberlake and Chasez, an opportunity that may have whetted their desire to pursue respective solo careers.

Following an elaborate stadium tour, the group went on hiatus in 2002. Timberlake released his solo debut that same year, successfully making the jump from boy band vocalist to critically acclaimed solo artist, while Chasez found less success with his own record, 2004's Schizophrenic. Meanwhile, Joey Fatone launched a movie career and performed on Broadway, Chris Kirkpatrick starred in the reality TV series Mission: Man Band, and Lance Bass became a certified cosmonaut in the hopes of making it to outer space. ~ Andrew Leahey & Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide