So claimed a woman on BBC news.
We never even said that for the Bay City Rollers - with the Monkees before them and even boy bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

I think The Monkees probably take the title of original "boy band". If the criteria was just a bunch of guys singing you could go back to the Doo-Wop bands of the 1950's.

I think the term "Boy band" refers to the manufactured and marketing approach used in forming and selling the band and the fact that the genre of music is pure pop. I can't come up with an earlier example than The Monkees but would be interested in any suggestions.

Does that mean the Sex Pistols were a boyband?

I see were you're coming from Angel but I don't think The Sex Pistols fall into the "pure pop" classification.

Using your logic The Runaways are probably closer to being a girl group but I still think they are too edgy to get into that particular club.

JK2006 wrote:
So claimed a woman on BBC news.
We never even said that for the Bay City Rollers - with the Monkees before them and even boy bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Given that Nigel Martin-Smith admits having copied the TT formula from New Kids on The Block, this is funny !

Going back further ... what about the Ink Spots / Platters / Drifters ?

The term 'boy band' was coined in the '90's wasn't it?

It was the time when the methods of 'manufacturing a pop act/star' went 'overground' ie the public became aware (and got used to) of the process of creating a pop sensation.

Whereas in the days of the Monkees etc, we were all aghast when we found out they didnt play their instruments (I was anyway - but I was 10 years old)- and they had some good tunes!

Nowadays, the whole process is accepted as the way its done (X Factor, Pop Idol, Fame Academy et al), and some people have been able exploited this technique (no names mentioned...) - probably to the detriment and lack of opportunity for real 'talent/stars' with ability/integrity/longevity/ something to say.

So - a boy band is a generic term referring to a process and a time frame, where, generally, mediocrity and banality reign -not just the fact there are 'boys' in a 'band' - isnt it?...

On another tack, does anyone know which boy band is recording with a tenor? I have a song for them.