u/Musicality123

August 30th 2026: Kielce at Kadzielnia Amphitheatre.

September 4th 2026: Leipzig at Goldenen Henne.

These number ones were compiled from March 1984 to December 2010.

European Hot 100:

End of the Road - Boyz II Men. 7th November - 28th November 1992. 4 weeks.

Back for Good - Take That. 22nd April - 20th May 1995. 5 weeks.

Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) - Backstreet Boys. 30th November 1996. 1 week.

MMMBop - Hanson. 14th June - 12th July 1997. 5 weeks.

I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys. 22nd May - 3rd July 1999. 7 weeks.

Shape of My Heart - Backstreet Boys. 25th November 2000. 1 week.

Dragostea Din Tei - O-Zone. 16th June - 1st September 2004. 12 weeks.

Patience - Take That. 29th November - 3rd January 2007. 6 weeks.

European Albums Chart:

Step By Step - New Kids on the Block. 7th July - 25th August 1990. 8 weeks.

Nobody Else - Take That. 20th May - 17th June 1995. 5 weeks.

Greatest Hits - Take That. 20th April - 11th May 1996. 4 weeks.

Backstreet's Back - Backstreet Boys. 6th September 1997. 1 week.

Millennium - Backstreet Boys. 5th June - 26th June 1999. 4 weeks.

Progress - Take That. 1st December 2010. 1 week (last published chart)

European #1's:

Backstreet Boys, Take That. 5

Boyz II Men, Hanson, New Kids on the Block, O-Zone. 1.

Weeks at #1:

Take That. 21

Backstreet Boys. 14

O-Zone. 12

New Kids on the Block. 8

Hanson. 5

Boyz II Men. 4

We all know the debut album broke records in both countries but am curious about their popularity after that.

I read that The Love Album only sold 17,000 which is a major drop from between 500,000 to 1 million.

In forums a lot of people from these countries will talk about their first three albums, which is understandable, but never anything about when they became a four piece which made me wonder about the huge drop.

Would love to hear from those in the know.

Like the title says a very short clip at the 3 minute mark of the group dancing to Take That's 'It Only Takes a Minute' cover.

I knew they were well aware of Take That from at least 1993 when they formed as Lou Pearlman showed them concert/music video footage and played their records to them. He did the same with NSYNC later too.

Didn't realise it was sooner than that.

Is this film by an Irish film maker inspired by the Angels story and Dublin busker?

There are a lot of themes that run similar. Ex boyband superstar gone solo and looking for a hit etc.

Meeting a busker in Dublin who teaches a song. The song being later reworked and becoming a hit.

Thoughts?

Granted he only sang a line or two in Never Forget but being a number one single does that count?

If so they would be a rare boyband group where all members had a verse/lead on a number 1 hit each.

Gary: Pray, Relight My Fire, Sure, Back For Good, Never Forget, How Deep Is Your Love, Patience, Greatest Day, These Days.

Mark: Babe, Never Forget, Shine, These Days.

Robbie: Everything Changes, Never Forget.

Howard: Never Forget, These Days.

Jason: Never Forget.

Obviously this isn't as prominent as the other four having a lead vocal but it is potentially overlooked.

With Take That, Boyzone, and Backstreet Boys/NSYNC having been released in recent years.

Who's singular story (not condensed with others) would you like to see next? Which would captivate an unknown audience?

Sometimes not having a lot of knowledge on the subject makes for a better documentary.

For me it would have to be East 17. There are so many elements and a representation of a different time. I can see unassuming viewers watching it and being interested. Twists and turns.

Thoughts? Who would you pick?

The UK charts have always been pure sales and not weighted sales & airplay like in the US. However adding the two together makes for interesting results for the UK chart toppers.

The weight is the two positions added then halved. As you can see the chart toppers go down to only 14 songs from 79.

It would certainly have created a different discourse around popular boybands in Britain using the US metric and not pure sales.

I Owe You Nothing - Bros #2 (1988)

You Got It (The Right Stuff) - New Kids on the Block #6 (1989)

Hangin' Tough - New Kids on the Block #5 (1990)

I Wanna Sex You Up - Color Me Badd #4 (1991)

End of The Road - Boyz II Men #1, 2 weeks (1992)

Pray - Take That #1, 1 week (1993)

Relight My Fire - Take That feat Lulu #2 (1993)

Babe - Take That #1, 1 week (1993)

Everything Changes - Take That #2 (1994) 

Sure - Take That #2 (1994)

Stay Another Day - East 17 #1, 4 weeks (1994)

Back For Good - Take That #1, 4 weeks (1995)

Never Forget - Take That #2 (1995)

How Deep Is Your Love - Take That #2 (1996)

Words - Boyzone #3 (1996)

A Different Beat - Boyzone #4 (1996)

MMMBop - Hanson #1, 1 week (1997)

All That I Need - Boyzone #2 (1998)

Freak Me - Another Level #6 (1998)

No Matter What - Boyzone #1, 2 weeks (1998)

A Little Bit More - 911 #2 (1999)

When The Going Gets Tough - Boyzone #3 (1999)

Swear It Again - Westlife #5 (1999)

I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys #6 (1999)

You Needed Me - Boyzone #6 (1999)

If I Let You Go - Westlife #4 (1999)

Flying Without Wings - Westlife #5 (1999)

Keep On Movin' - Five #3 (1999)

I Have A Dream/Seasons In The Sun - Westlife #4 (1999)

Fool Again - Westlife #5 (2000)

We Will Rock You - Five & Queen #9 (2000)

Take On Me - A1 #20 (2000)

Against All Odds - Westlife feat Mariah Carey #6 (2000)

My Love - Westlife #3 (2000)

Same Old Brand New You - A1 #20 (2000)

Uptown Girl - Westlife #5 (2001)

Let's Dance - Five #3 (2001)

Too Close - Blue #3 (2001)

Queen Of My Heart - Westlife #9 (2001)

If You Come Back - Blue #3 (2001)

World Of Our Own - Westlife #2 (2002)

Crossroads - Blazin' Squad #7 (2002)

Unbreakable - Westlife #8 (2002)

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Blue feat Elton John #3 (2002)

You Said No - Busted #8 (2003)

Crashed The Wedding - Busted #12 (2003)

Mandy - Westlife #4 (2003)

Who's David - Busted #16 (2004)

5 Colours In Her Hair - McFly #18 (2004)

Obviously - McFly #14 (2004)

Thunderbirds/3AM - Busted #26 (2004)

All About You/You've Got A Friend - McFly #2 (2005)

I'll Be OK - McFly #10 (2005)

You Raise Me Up - Westlife #11 (2005)

Don't Stop Me Now/Please, Please - McFly #24 (2006)

Star Girl - McFly #16 (2006)

The Rose - Westlife #26 (2006)

Patience - Take That #1, 4 weeks (2006)

Shine - Take That #1, 1 week (2007)

Transylvania/Baby's Coming Back - McFly #26 (2007)

Greatest Day - Take That #1, 1 week (2008)

Beat Again - JLS #1, 2 weeks (2009)

Everybody In Love - JLS #1, 1 week (2009)

The Club Is Alive - JLS #4 (2010)

All Time Low - The Wanted #5 (2010)

Love You More - JLS #1, 1 week (2010)

Glad You Came - The Wanted #3 (2011)

She Makes Me Wanna - JLS feat Dev #1, 1 week (2011)

What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction #2 (2011)

Little Things - One Direction #5 (2012)

One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks) - One Direction #6 (2013)

She Looks So Perfect - 5 Seconds of Summer #15 (2014)

These Days - Take That #2 (2014)

Drag Me Down - One Direction #2 minimum, not a #1 airplay hit, actual airplay position not found (2015)

Tally:

Take That: 6

JLS: 4

Boyz II Men, Boyzone, East 17, Hanson: 1

5 Seconds of Summer, 911, A1, Another Level, Backstreet Boys, Blazin' Squad, Blue, Bros, Busted, Color Me Badd, Five, McFly, New Kids on the Block, One Direction, The Wanted, Westlife: 0

Digital Spy Number Ones Vote 1952-2018: Average Out of 10. Voted on by a range of music fan and age in 2019. A more diverse general public assessment.

I have listed the boyband chart topper results here from 1988 - 2018: Sorry for the long list but as you can see quite a few topped the UK charts!

1.Patience - Take That, 8.00 (2006)

2.Back For Good - Take That, 6.61 (1995)

3.These Days - Take That, 6.38 (2014)

4.Drag Me Down - One Direction, 6.25 (2015)

5.No Matter What - Boyzone, 6.0 (1998)

6.Shine - Take That, 5.86 (2007)

7.Greatest Day - Take That, 5.82 (2008)

8.Stay Another Day - East 17, 5.80 (1994)

9.I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys, 5.75 (1999)

10.5 Colours In Her Hair - McFly, 5.63 (2004)

11=.All About You - McFly, 5.50 (2005)

11=.She Looks So Perfect - 5 Seconds of Summer, 5.50 (2014)

13.If You Come Back - Blue, 5.42 (2001)

14.Star Girl - McFly, 5.33 (2006)

15.MMMBop - Hanson, 5.30 (1997)

16.All Time Low - The Wanted, 5.14 (2010)

17.Freak Me - Another Level, 5.08 (1998)

18.Relight My Fire - Take That feat Lulu, 5.04 (1993)

19.Please, Please - McFly, 5.0 (2006)

20.Flying Without Wings - Westlife, 4.88 (1999)

21.Love You More - JLS, 4.86 (2010)

22.Everything Changes - Take That, 4.82 (1994) 

23.Keep On Movin' - Five, 4.76 (1999)

24.Pray - Take That, 4.75 (1993)

25.End of The Road - Boyz II Men, 4.73 (1992)

26.Let's Dance - Five, 4.69 (2001)

27.Obviously - McFly, 4.63 (2004)

28.What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction, 4.62 (2011)

29.Never Forget - Take That, 4.59 (1995)

30.One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks) - One Direction, 4.56 (2013)

31.Too Close - Blue, 4.55 (2001)

32.Swear It Again - Westlife, 4.54 (1999)

33.Don't Stop Me Now - McFly, 4.50 (2006)

34.You Got It (The Right Stuff) - New Kids on the Block, 4.46 (1989)

35.When The Going Gets Tough - Boyzone, 4.38 (1999)

36.World Of Our Own - Westlife, 4.23 (2002)

37.If I Let You Go - Westlife, 4.21 (1999)

38.Same Old Brand New You - A1, 4.13 (2000)

39.I'll Be OK - McFly, 4.10 (2005)

40.Glad You Came - The Wanted, 4.08 (2011)

41.I Owe You Nothing - Bros, 4.04 (1988)

42=Sure - Take That, 4.00 (1994)

42=I Have A Dream - Westlife, 4.00 (1999)

42=Thunderbirds - Busted, 4.00 (2004)

45.Crashed The Wedding - Busted, 3.92 (2003)

46.Words - Boyzone 3.90 (1996)

47.My Love - Westlife, 3.87 (2000)

48.Hangin' Tough - New Kids on the Block, 3.86 (1990)

49.3AM - Busted, 3.83 (2004)

50.Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Blue feat Elton John, 3.82 (2002)

51.A Little Bit More - 911, 3.79 (1999)

52.You Said No - Busted, 3.78 (2003)

53.Little Things - One Direction, 3.75 (2012)

54.I Wanna Sex You Up - Color Me Badd, 3.70 (1991)

55.The Rose - Westlife, 3.67 (2006)

56=.All That I Need - Boyzone, 3.63 (1998)

56=.Fool Again - Westlife, 3.63 (2000)

58.Take On Me - A1, 3.60 (2000)

59.You've Got A Friend - McFly, 3.58 (2005)

60.The Club Is Alive - JLS, 3.57 (2010)

61.How Deep Is Your Love - Take That, 3.52 (1996)

62.Who's David - Busted, 3.43 (2004)

63=.Uptown Girl - Westlife, 3.38 (2001)

63=.She Makes Me Wanna - JLS feat Dev, 3.38. (2011)

65.You Needed Me - Boyzone, 3.33 (1999)

66.Babe - Take That, 3.26 (1993)

67.We Will Rock You - Five & Queen, 3.20 (2000)

68.Beat Again - JLS, 3.18 (2009)

69.Seasons In The Sun - Westlife, 3.11 (1999)

70.A Different Beat - Boyzone, 3.0 (1996)

71.Everybody In Love - JLS, 2.91 (2009)

72=Mandy - Westlife, 2.86 (2003)

72=You Raise Me Up - Westlife, 2.86 (2005)

74.Transylvania - McFly, 2.78 (2007)

75.Unbreakable - Westlife, 2.77 (2002)

76.Crossroads - Blazin' Squad, 2.69 (2002)

77.Queen Of My Heart - Westlife, 2.55 (2001)

78.Baby's Coming Back - McFly, 2.33 (2007)

79.Against All Odds - Westlife feat Mariah Carey, 2.30 (2000)

Will we finally see a Howard solo album?

If we do and it goes UK top 10 then all of them, except Jason, would have achieved this feat. For a boyband that is quite rare.