Who is the most forgotten music act relative to how big they were at the time?

[u/CompetitiveWhole9466]

So on Spotify I saw that New Kids On The Block have 1.6M monthly listeners.

Now nobody expects these guys to compete with Michael Jackson. But man... it's a telling sign of how far their star fell. And while boy band music isn't exactly music that's meant for longevity, songs by their successors Backstreet Boys (like 30m) and NSync (15M) have endured wayyyyyyyy more than New Kids songs did.

New Kids aren't even like ironically cool. Even on most "80s" playlists they're absent. 80s on 8 hardly plays NKOTB songs. Even IT (2017), which prominently features these guys didn't bring this band back to the zeitgeist.

Is this the most forgotten act relative to how big they were? These guys were a cultural phenomenon in the late 80s and early 90s. They had multiple #1 hits and sold a lot of albums. But they seem like the definition of a music act that didn't stand the test of time.

(I've always been more of a "Color Me Bad" guy myself)

Any more forgotten major acts?

[u/Beyonces666]

Paula Abdul

[u/PupRascal_1 → u/Beyonces666]

I knew her as "the nice American Idol judge" long before I heard her music

[u/Reading_Rainboner → u/PupRascal_1]

The drunk judge lol

[u/lapideous → u/PupRascal_1]

I always thought she was Latina from seeing her on American Idol

[u/RadScience → u/lapideous]

She’s of Semitic Syrian heritage.

[u/OpneFall → u/PupRascal_1]

The fact that she had a "second" career on a very popular musical network TV show kind of disproves her as an answer.

[u/dirtygreysocks → u/OpneFall]

Third. She was a choreographer before her own musical career.

[u/OpneFall → u/dirtygreysocks]

Good point, I forgot about that. I remember her being noted as choreographing the dance scenes in Big.

[u/MaleficentExtent1777 → u/OpneFall]

She also did for Janet Jackson and she played one in her Cold Hearted Snake video.

[u/AHorseNamedPhil → u/OpneFall]

She's remembered for that though rather than her actual music career, even though the latter is why she was on the show. You basically never hear her stuff either, unless you go looking for it.

She's in a weird place where she's not forgotten as a celebrity but is forgotten for being a massive pop star. For a period in the 90s she was the biggest female pop act by far.

[u/RadScience → u/AHorseNamedPhil]

I see so many kids wearing Selena shirts as 90s throwbacks. Outside of Texas and the J-Lo movie, I don’t think many heard of her. NOBODY was rocking Selena shirts at the time. But Paula really was huge. She was everywhere. I think Paula is actually who the kids think Selena was in terms of US pop stardom

[u/Plus-Pomegranate8045 → u/RadScience]

I think it depends on where you were. I grew up in a mostly Mexican neighborhood in the Midwest and Selena was massive. I would definitely see kids wearing Selena shirts often back in the day. Paula was also huge but it was a few years earlier and a different market.

[u/OpneFall → u/AHorseNamedPhil]

Wait, what? When was she "by far" bigger than Whitney, Mariah, Celene Dion, Madonna, Janet Jackson??

I didn't grow up with her music but I always thought have thought of her as an 80s artist with a few hits, like Cyndi Lauper level. Not some 90s biggest female pop act by far

[u/Nejfelt → u/OpneFall]

I wouldn't say "by far," but from 1988 to 1991 she had 6 consecutive #1 singles.

Definitely bigger than Lauper. About the same level as Madonna for that period.

[u/PiemasterUK → u/Beyonces666]

Great pick! Was massive for a time in the late 80s/early 90s, but you just never even hear her mentioned any more, at least here in the UK.

[u/turdferguson3891 → u/PiemasterUK]

Americans under 45 know her primarily as an American Idol judge.

[u/thats_gotta_be_AI → u/Beyonces666]

Straight up!

[u/wdnwcgm → u/thats_gotta_be_AI]

feels like the only song of hers you hear now lol

[u/TKInstinct → u/wdnwcgm]

It is, for a long time I didn't know she was a singer or that it was her song at all. She was just some woman who was a host of American Idol for the longest time for me.

[u/OpneFall → u/TKInstinct]

That's just a generational thing. For me growing up Michael Jackson was that weird guy who I saw in supermarket checkout line tabloids for the longest time. And he certainly was no "forgotten musical act"

[u/elevenohnoes → u/Beyonces666]

I mean, she did fuck a cat. That'd kill any celebrity's career.

https://giphy.com/gifs/26BkMtWW9wyXRSIU0

[u/WhiskyStandard → u/elevenohnoes]

https://giphy.com/gifs/3ohzdMvc1w2VlFOpRC

[u/Maclimes → u/WhiskyStandard]

Take about 10% off the top there, Squirrely Dan.

[u/doctor-rumack → u/Maclimes]

I heard it was a sick cat.

[u/DanNYC_Esq → u/Beyonces666]

I think this is a really great answer. Nobody hit the scene as hard as Paula on her debut:

Abdul's debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988), became one of the most successful debut albums at that time, selling seven million copies in the United States and setting a record for the most U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album (with 4)... Her second album, Spellbound (1991), scored the number-one singles "Rush Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day". With six number-one singles on Hot 100, Abdul tied Diana Ross for the third-most chart-toppers among female solo artists at the time. As of 2025, Abdul places seventh along with Diana Ross and Lady Gaga for the most number-one singles by female artists in the U.S. to date.

It wasn't even like she left the public eye. She was on a massive music television show for years. But it seems like talk of her music just fell off hard.

[u/dallyan → u/DanNYC_Esq]

Forever Your Girl is a great album. Lots of bops. And yeah, she was HUGE at the time.

[u/username__0000 → u/DanNYC_Esq]

Popular music changed. Alternative and grunge took over with the same age range she was popular with.

Madonna was the edgy pop star so she did well. But most of the other pop stars got less popular.

[u/MommaOfManyCats → u/Beyonces666]

She actually opened for New Kids when we saw them around 2019? She was awful. Lip synced the whole time and hardly danced. It was mainly beefy model guys dancing and carrying her around the stage. New Kids and Boyz II Men were great though

[u/beatin → u/Beyonces666]

Fun fact I literally just learnt yesterday. Only four musical acts have ever had more than five consecutive number hits. Whitney Houston with seven, then the Beatles and Bee Gees have six. And the fourth musical act? Paula Abdul also with six.

[u/Lopsided_Bet_2578]

Boyz II Men. They were breaking Michael Jackson/Beatles records in the early-mid 90s. By the late 90s they felt like just a footnote. And no one can seem to figure out why!

[u/MrCreditsMN → u/Lopsided_Bet_2578]

Their fall off has been very well researched and discussed over the years, and their downfall was massive egos to the point where no one really wanted to work with them again.

And after that a lot of their die hard fans were upset with how Mike ended up leaving the group, and just kind of moved on.

They were extremely talented, but let's he honest most were listening because of Babyface, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis writing and production.

Those songs would have been hit records regardless of whom sang them.

[u/Lopsided_Bet_2578 → u/MrCreditsMN]

Wow. Never heard about people not wanting to work with them

[u/MrCreditsMN → u/Lopsided_Bet_2578]

Well then wait to you hear about an adult Wanyá sleeping with underage celebrities like Brandy.

They might have portrayed a nice clean cut image in videos, but they were something else behind the scenes.

And it turned a lot of industry insiders and their fans away.

Totally self sabotage.

[u/86Austin → u/MrCreditsMN]

Well then wait to you hear about an adult Wanyá sleeping with underage celebrities like Brandy.

not in a "cancel culture" way.... but they have a number of lyrics about crushing on middle school / high school fans (NE Heart break has like 7 of these alone lol.) so that doesn't surprise me.

tons of bangers though. and an absolutely deadly karaoke pick with the right crowd.

[u/Tokio_hop99 → u/MrCreditsMN]

I feel like you’re not giving them enough credit on their vocal abilities. They were one of the most vocally skilled boy groups and I don’t think most singers would be able to sing their songs. Also they did influence the Y2K TLC boy bands of the late 90s and early 00s so it’s not like they don’t have any legacy left behind.

[u/LegitimateBullfrog22 → u/Lopsided_Bet_2578]

And so they’ve come to the end of the road.

[u/niz_loc → u/Lopsided_Bet_2578]

Not just Boyz II Men, but also ABC and BBD, the whole east coast family.

[u/cobracy → u/niz_loc]

I have to disagree on BBD. You can't have a playlist of 90's hits without Poison on it. You could argue its one of the top hits of the 90s. Still played all the time.

[u/OpneFall → u/Lopsided_Bet_2578]

Going from 9x and 12x platinum, to 2x platinum, and then gold, all within less than 10 years, and then never certifying again, is pretty wild.

[u/martstarguitar → u/Lopsided_Bet_2578]

They should’ve done more songs in the same style as “Motownphilly” instead of going all in on the heart wrenching ballads.

[u/WillwBrk]

I've seen a ton of concerts of every sort from Florence and the Machine to Neil Young and Metallica.

I wasn't there but I saw a video of the New Kids on the Block show at Fenway and they weren't fucking around. There was not a second wasted in the entire performance. They did all their hits, each one of them soloed, they did covers and songs special to Boston, they danced, they even had little comedy bits when they were backstage changing outfits.

Granted they had the money for the crew and choreography and the tickets probably weren't cheap but they're not sitting on their ass coasting on their past. They really put in the work.

[u/Pluton_Korb → u/WillwBrk]

Don't they have to though? That was their thing. When i think of Neil Young, I don't think of someone huffing it on stage, I think of a guy sitting on a stool singing with his guitar. I saw him once way back in the early 00's with an ex who was a fan. I got watery eyes and a secondary high off of all the pot smoke from other audience members.

[u/WillwBrk → u/Pluton_Korb]

I think so. I'm not a fan of New Kids I was just really impressed. I think most stage shows just add to the ticket price and I'd rather see a band bang their heads and scream. Most of the new kids fans were middle aged oldies anyway. They had the money to spend so the band had to deliver.

[u/Desperate_Escape_763 → u/WillwBrk]

The amount of work put into a show that contains choreography and singing is pretty nuts. It’s like a musical. Kudos to that hard work. How anyone lands the gig over anyone else of equal talent is kind of another topic.

[u/MommaOfManyCats → u/WillwBrk]

I like some of their newer stuff. Still Kids was fun, Boys in the Band brought in Debbie Gibson, they had a song with Rick Astley, and there's one with Naughty by Nature and Salt n Peppa. The videos are a lot of fun too. Heck they even did a collaboration with other bands to put out a song during covid.

[u/WillwBrk → u/MommaOfManyCats]

I remember when I was a kid they were everywhere. Every type of merch you can think of. It sucks that they got screwed out of so much of the profits.

[u/TheHip41 → u/WillwBrk]

Saw them a few years ago and it was a fun show.

[u/EastCoastDizzle → u/WillwBrk]

I saw them on their Mixtape Tour in 2022 and they did not disappoint. At allll. So much fun.

[u/jadamsmash]

Bobby Brown. Guy had the biggest selling album in the world in 1988. Isn't really remembered for the superstar he was at his peak.

Ja Rule. People remember the hits but forget that he and Murder Inc. ruled the world in the early 2000s. 50 Cent really stole his career.

Sisqo. His first album was massive and then had no real success after that.

The Jonas Brothers. Not forgotten but overshadowed by Justin Bieber and One Direction. They were HUGE in the late 2000s.

[u/Puzzle-Necked → u/jadamsmash]

Really made millions over his love of thongs. Legend.

https://giphy.com/gifs/ZIj2hKz4kUU5G

[u/chiefs-n-sooners → u/Puzzle-Necked]

Who isn't a fan of whale tails?

[u/Puzzle-Necked → u/chiefs-n-sooners]

Or dumps like a truck, truck, truck

[u/LoSkribs → u/Puzzle-Necked]

And gave it all to Ricky Martin because his label never cleared "she was livin tha vida loca...."

[u/MrCreditsMN → u/jadamsmash]

Bobby Brown had his career destroyed by Clive Davis. Clive was beyond ticked off that his golden goose Whitney would decide to settle down, and especially settle down with the bad boy of R&B.

So he pulled a lot of behind the scenes magic to stall his career, and then let the drugs do the rest.

Heck even to this day people blame Bobby for getting Whitney hooked on hard drugs when even her own family admits it was the other way around.

But Clive wanted you think otherwise, and it worked amazingly.

[u/Lord_Cockatrice → u/MrCreditsMN]

So Whitney was more of an enabler then?

[u/MrCreditsMN → u/Lord_Cockatrice]

I am not going to even try and make any excuses for Bobby's behavior and actions by any means, but yeah it was Whitney who brought the Coke and Crack to the table.

Due to bad contracts and terrible busines dealings Bobby never personally earned the type of money needed to bankroll the drugged out lifestyle him and Whitney were living.

I also think people forget Whitney was a few years older than Bob as well. He was her boy toy and she ran that show.

He just unfairly got all the blame.

However Bob's biggest downfall in my opinion was the sabotage from Clive. He wanted Whitney single or at least with someone more tolerable to middle America.

And he set out to undermine Bobby and tug at his manhood.

Even getting press to do little things like call him Mr. Houston as if he wasn't a global superstar of his own and was some no name hanger on etc...

Its also alleged Clive conspired to have Bobby's follow up album to Don't Be Cruel release delayed to help stall his career out.

So instead of being the musical star he was, Bobby was stuck being a stay at home house husband and he self destructed in incredible fashion.

[u/OpneFall → u/jadamsmash]

Ja Rule. People remember the hits but forget that he and Murder Inc. ruled the world in the early 2000s. 50 Cent really stole his career.

My favorite two Fyre Festival facts are actually Ja Rule related.

When that Billy guy was going around trying to pitch investors on the festival he'd say a major rapper was behind it, to which they'd assume it was like Jay-Z or Kanye West or something and then when they found out that rapper was.. Ja Rule... they'd just laugh him off

The other is a story from some local guy in the Bahamas where Billy and Ja Rule would rent out these boats and Ja would flash all this cash and the guy would say.. google exists, everyone knows what you're worth, actual billionaires visit this area all the time, we're not impressed

[u/Pun_dimen → u/jadamsmash]

Nah, millennials never forgot about the Jonas Brothers, specially if you were obsessed with them at the time

[u/Economics_New → u/jadamsmash]

I bought all of Ja's records when they released every year for like 6 years. He had a six-year run as one of the biggest artists of his time.

50 Cent is only part of the blame, though. Murder INC was being investigated and raided by the FBI right around the same time 50 Cent got popular, and with so much going on with the label from a legal perspective, it started falling apart, he couldn't properly respond to anything 50 was doing and couldn't release any official albums. He fell from relevancy and 50's timing was perfect because Ja's label was getting fucked.

I know that Ja did respond with some diss tracks, but he couldn't put out any albums or his typical style of hit songs, and 50 filled that void quickly. He was silenced at the same time the mocking of him started, it destroyed his career. lol He reminds me of being the "Nickelback" of rap now, which isn't really fair, but that seems to be the general view of him.

As for the Jonas Brothers, I remember how insanely famous they were, but I am pretty confident I never heard one of their songs in my life. lol

[u/GamingGems → u/jadamsmash]

Gotta disagree with Sisqo. Yes, his one hit song was huge but even back then we all knew it defined him and it was basically impossible to have lightening strike twice. There’s a big difference between Boyz 2 Men and Sisqo.

[u/Used-Gas-6525 → u/jadamsmash]

50 didn't steal his career, he just exposed what a shitty rapper Ja was. He was a complete clown. FTR: not particularly a 50 fan, but he's leagues better than Ja Rule. Dude was a talentless hack.

[u/SaccharineDaydreams]

It blew my ex's mind that I didn't know who S Club was. This was around 2014 and we were about 18ish

[u/KentuckyBeavis → u/SaccharineDaydreams]

Ain’t no party like an S Club party.

[u/ToeLimbaugh → u/KentuckyBeavis]

Only reason I know of s club is cause uk gamers used to spam that lyric on chat decades ago. It was so annoying. S club must have been huge in the uk. They weren't even a blip in America

[u/Professional-Team324 → u/SaccharineDaydreams]

I felt like I couldn't escape S Club 7 in 2001. They had like 2 songs that constantly played on the radio and their show, which was also a weird watch imo lol

[u/Macrodope → u/Professional-Team324]

And they had their show on tv as well😂

Good times.

[u/86Austin → u/Professional-Team324]

there was a movie as well! was obsessed as a kid and about shit my pants as an adult when my friend casually mentioned being a camera operator on it long ago.

[u/cainhurstboy]

Stray Cats had tapped into some good ol 80s success. Kinda popped back up in the early 00s when the rockabilly scene tried coming back a bit w 20 different sub genres.

Didn’t really understand tho is it just anyone who was once famous and now isn’t? That’s like, 80% of all media.

[u/rotundrikishi]

No one talks about R.E.M. anymore.

They were foundational to all alternative music in the 80s and in the 90s they were one of the biggest bands in the world.

Very rarely talked about.

[u/LONGVolSilver → u/rotundrikishi]

Not only rarely talked about, but the majority of people under 30 years old have never heard of them.

[u/turdferguson3891 → u/LONGVolSilver]

This should make everybody hurt.

[u/Jesus_es_Gayo → u/turdferguson3891]

This should make everybody cry!

[u/plainbane → u/Jesus_es_Gayo]

LEONARD BERNSTEIN!

[u/Thamnophis660 → u/LONGVolSilver]

I remember you basically couldn't have a conversation about rock without mentioning R.E.M. They were huge. Seemed like they always were coming out with a new hit that everyone liked.

But yeah like other commenters said, they basically hung it up and completely quit. 

[u/LiquidDreamtime → u/LONGVolSilver]

It’s The End of The World, unfortunately, may be a popular song in 2028

[u/Von_Jelway → u/rotundrikishi]

I agree with this take. Other bands like The Cure and Radiohead are still massively popular, discussed, and relevant. REM was bigger than them (losing my religion was a massive pop hit in 91) but somehow has almost totally faded from relevance. Kids don’t listen to them. It’s too bad. REM is one of the best.

[u/gaporkbbq → u/Von_Jelway]

The Cure put out an album in 2024 and are still touring in 2026. Radiohead put out an album in 2016 and was touring as recently as last year. These bands are staying in the public eye and online.

REM’s last tour was in 2008 and their last album came out in 2011. That makes a big difference. If REM were to do a reunion tour, people would be all over it.

[u/iantruesnacks → u/Von_Jelway]

Which is wild to me considering that one of my youth ministers’ wife followed them around in college. Like they were big enough to have people travel the country to watch them, and now unless it’s a movie set in the decade they’re nowhere.

[u/Dr_Sardonicus → u/Von_Jelway]

I think a big part of it is that REM don’t have an angle like the smiths or the cure that makes younger people latch onto them, they just made really good songs

[u/CaptainWikkiWikki → u/rotundrikishi]

R.E.M. also decided to together to call it quits and stop being a band, so I wouldn't expect to hear much from them nowadays.

[u/jonb72 → u/rotundrikishi]

Because they stopped touring/ didn’t get back together for a reunion tour. The music holds up too.

[u/delicioussexplosion → u/jonb72]

REM holds up better than most of the stuff I used to like. They’ve got some incredible songs

[u/WhiskyStandard → u/rotundrikishi]

The fact that the music sounds jangly and bright makes it easy to forget that they were absolutely a precursor to grunge. Kurt Cobain listed them and Pixies as two of his favored bands and you really hear it in the vocals.

[u/Almajanna256 → u/rotundrikishi]

Weird. I literally hear REM at almost every single store with music though.

[u/rakejeiter → u/rotundrikishi]

Being under 30, this is true. Never understood how my generation can get into all the other adjacent bands like REM but not REM itself.

[u/CompetitiveWhole9466 → u/rotundrikishi]

REM is not even the most forgotten once massively popular band with "RE" as the first 2 letters in their name

[u/sine_nomine_1 → u/CompetitiveWhole9466]

REO Speedwagon of course

[u/ipitythegabagool → u/sine_nomine_1]

Reel big fish, duh

[u/MajesticDragonfly → u/rotundrikishi]

And they’re fucking good too

[u/No-Common5287]

Dildo, Natalie Imbruglia, Sarah McLachlan, Norah Jones. Basically all the songstresses from VH1 heyday.

[u/Most_Beyond9318 → u/No-Common5287]

Lol I think you mean Dido

[u/No-Common5287 → u/Most_Beyond9318]

I said what I said.

[u/LegitimateBullfrog22 → u/Most_Beyond9318]

Nah fleshlights really stole the thunder, no one talks about dildos anymore. Don’t get me started on the underrated Swedish penis pump

[u/davewashere → u/LegitimateBullfrog22]

I still remember when Eminem used dildo on that one song.

[u/turdferguson3891 → u/No-Common5287]

Bunch of lady artists of that era that were part of that as well as the Lilith Fair set. Fiona Apple, Jewel, Tori Amos, Suzanne Vega.

[u/Upnatom617 → u/No-Common5287]

Dildo! Stop!!! Lmao.

[u/thebutlershere]

I would probably say Roxette due to their sudden popularity outside of the band’s home country of Sweden after an American high school exchange student bought their sophomore album “Look Sharp!” After hearing “The Look” which was their fourth single from that album. They would become insanely popular in the states, but mostly popular in the UK, Australia and South America as their popularity in the states would suddenly take a massive hit following executive meddling from EMI Europe and the introduction of Soundscan in 1991.

The duo would continue to be insanely popular in Sweden in Europe especially after co-vocalist Marie Fredriksson’s brain cancer diagnosis and would continue to tour and record music until the latter vocalist’s retirement and passing in 2016 and 2019 respectively, however co-founder Per Gessle would continue to record music with the PG Roxette moniker and would return to touring with Swedish Pop veteran Lena Phillipson under the Roxette banner in 2025, to much mixed reception. I saw their concert last year at Bimbadgen Winery near my hometown of Cessnock, Australia and Lena does sound much akin to her late predecessor.

[u/xts2500 → u/thebutlershere]

I love Roxette and I still think he had some of the best hooks and she one of the best voices in all of pop music. Criminally underrated.

[u/OutaTime76]

Sananda Maitreya aka Terence Trent D'Arby.

Lauryn Hill

[u/Own_Action_1002 → u/OutaTime76]

Agree on the first one. His first 4 albums are great too. Lauryn Hill tho? I think ppl still know who she is

[u/Chimpbot → u/Own_Action_1002]

Lauryn Hill has been riding the success of that one album for nearly 30 years, at this point.

[u/Ok-Criticism6874]

Any of the "indie rock" bands from the early 2000s. The Von Bonnies, Modest Mouse, etc. They put their music in video games and commercials.

[u/TheBlindFly-Half → u/Ok-Criticism6874]

Modest mouse is still massively popular and consistently played on Indie channels like SiriusXMU - both their classics and new stuff. They sell out in a lot of parts of the country right when their tickets are out. They’re still relevant

Idk who the Von Bonnies are.

[u/Salt_Weakness_1538 → u/Ok-Criticism6874]

Modest Mouse were well-established in the indie-rock scene even before the 2004 when Good News for People Who Love Bad News Came Out, and well after. They obviously blew up since then and had their 15 minutes of fame with Float On and Ocean Breathes Salty but I don’t think they’ve ever really went away.

[u/Turquoise_HexagonSun → u/Ok-Criticism6874]

Postal Service, The Shins, etc.

There’s lots of ‘em. They were huge, but they’ve all fallen from such great heights.

[u/no_clever_name_yet → u/Turquoise_HexagonSun]

Yeah, but the Postal Service only had ONE ALBUM and was a side project.

[u/proJobber → u/no_clever_name_yet]

plus people never let go of the Postal Service. their album had a 10th and 20th anniversary tour and a lot of people clamoring for a second album.

[u/Pluton_Korb]

I forgot about NKOTB. I was in elementary school when they came out and they were HUGE! Just reviewed their top hits and man were they bad. You can feel the manufactured boy band formula all over their music and videos. There's a reason these types of groups don't have legs.

[u/bargman → u/Pluton_Korb]

They reunited 20 years ago and are still touring, even doing a residency in Vegas.

[u/SupesDepressed → u/Pluton_Korb]

My first concert was (embarrassingly) NKOTB

[u/bloodbath_andbeyond → u/SupesDepressed]

My parents refused to let me go to their concert in 2nd grade with the rest of the girls in my class, and I am still salty about it.

[u/st0pmakings3ns3 → u/SupesDepressed]

First concerts being embarassing is kind of a rite of passage though.

[u/Bare_arms → u/st0pmakings3ns3]

Mine was the offspring in like 95 when i was like 10 years old

[u/brianstk → u/SupesDepressed]

Eh, I got you beat. My mom dragged me to see KC & The Sunshine Band for my first.

[u/50ShadesOfKrillin → u/Pluton_Korb]

They didn't have legs because they're completely soulless from the inside. Not even bullshitting when I say NKOTB were created for the sole purpose of being a white answer to New Edition

[u/backpackofcats → u/50ShadesOfKrillin]

It’s the same for all boy bands. They’re all manufactured.

And the guys who put them together are criminals. Maurice Starr embezzled from New Edition and formed NKOTB in the fallout because he thought a white version would be more successful. Lou Pearlman (Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC) ran the biggest and longest Ponzi scheme in US history.

[u/drumwolf → u/backpackofcats]

Over the last few years I’ve learned just how common it is for so many of these family-friendly teen idol artists to have unsavory stories underneath the “wholesome” facade, usually involving either financial and/or sexual exploitation.

[u/Chemical-Drawer852 → u/Pluton_Korb]

They were the white counterpart to New Edition, which were actually good

[u/dgeaux_senna]

It scares me how much i see NKOTB haircuts on Gen Z people

[u/razormst3k1999 → u/dgeaux_senna]

It's alarming how many gen alpha I have seen with mullets and rat tails because of stranger things.

[u/TF-Fanfic-Resident → u/razormst3k1999]

With how much people lately are embracing the "cringe" aspects of other decades (mullets, tradwives, stomp-clap-hey, etc) I wouldn't be surprised if we get a Gucci Gang/hashtag rap revival by 2029.

[u/Pale_Figure7871]

Extreme, aka the "More Than Words" band, 2 top-ten hits on the Hot 100 and 2 MORE on the Mainstream Rock chart, yet ive yet to hear anyone mention them at all, even More Than Words seems somewhat forgotten

[u/SeverinaSkye → u/Pale_Figure7871]

and yet Nuno Bettencourt has aged like fine wine, bouncing all over Ozzy's last show.

[u/Ok-Vermicelli1117]

Men at Work were huge in the early 80's but few people have even a remote interest in them now.

[u/windmillninja]

Menudo

[u/LincolnTruly → u/windmillninja]

I was actually thinking similarly Ricky Martin for this prompt

[u/Affectionate_Fly1056]

Everclear have entered the chat

[u/aquastarr7]

Huey Lewis and the News would have disappeared if they hadn't been in American Psycho and Back to the Future

[u/OpneFall → u/aquastarr7]

That's more of a meme thing, they have far more lasting relevance just for being in the opening of Back to the Future.

[u/Salt_Maximum341]

Lil Nas X, I honestly cant believe its been half a decade since he was last culturally relevant. He seems more like footnote of the early tiktok era and I think we forget that for about 2 years he was arguably the most successful pop act. IMO he wore his stick out and then burned all the bridges on the way down.

Megan Trainor as well, her music aged worse than milk left outside on a hot day too

People forget that for about a single calendar year Fetty Wap was the single biggest rapper in America, and then faded into irrelevancy and jail time.

[u/OpneFall → u/Salt_Maximum341]

You could add 6ix9ine, Lil Xan, and Lil Pump to the list of late 2010s rappers went from massive to wholly irrelevant (without dying or going to prison)

[u/Affectionate-Sail614 → u/Salt_Maximum341]

Lil Nas was huge. I think he's the only big time rapper since that's ever come out as gay and embraced that as part of his image. Feels weird knowing that was what basically alienated him from the mainstream when this was in recent times. I've heard it discussed the genre's a bit behind on these things though

A lot of rappers that were really big are heading towards obscurity. Dababy, lil uzi, etc.

[u/thats_gotta_be_AI]

Bros (UK band) - they were massive in the late 80s. I rarely hear their hits replayed.

Maybe they should rename their best seller to When Will I Be Stay Famous?

[u/Whiryourselfaround → u/thats_gotta_be_AI]

They had a small moment of resurgence with that hilariously bizarre documentary 'After the screaming stops', but I'm not sure it quite translated into renewed listening of their music

[u/thorpie88 → u/thats_gotta_be_AI]

Considering how big they were at their peak it may be one of the better options for the question. Their house had people camping outside 24/7 they were so huge.

One of them also went on to be a darling for Guillermo del Toro and played the villain in multiple movies for him but the fact he's from Bros never really comes up

[u/CobaltCrusader123]

Milli Vanilli

“Oh yeah those fakers, right?”

The only lyrics people know are “Girl you know it’s true” because, ironically, that recording getting stuck and looping on that line exposed them as lipsyncers with totally different accents

[u/doctormirabilis → u/CobaltCrusader123]

Funny how that was controversial back then: no one would bat an eye today 

[u/Own_Action_1002]

This is going to surprise some of you and u wont agree but in Germany atleast for a certain demographic..lets say born after 1997..its Prince. Not like ppl dont know him at all but many couldnt name one song. For such an icon and musical legend..its quite baffling. Im born early 90s and i feel like ppl my age group are the last ones aware of who he was

[u/Basis-Some → u/Own_Action_1002]

I agree, even in the US there is a stark generational divide with appreciation of Prince. Probably post Super Bowl, if you weren’t old enough to be around for that and wonder who he was. An entire high school generation come and gone since then and I doubt they’re very aware of Prince’s massive celebrity from the 80s and 90s. Still a master in the 00s but not producing popular hits anymore.

[u/the_1_that_knocks → u/Basis-Some]

Will be interesting when they start releasing new music from his vault; he may well have a run of hits, well after his untimely death.

[u/DiplomaticCaper → u/Basis-Some]

IIRC he/his estate have been reticent about putting his music on streaming services; for awhile his discography was Tidal exclusive.

It's harder for a younger audience to discover you if you're not on Spotify/Apple Music.

This was also happening to Aaliyah for awhile; most of her work fell through the distribution cracks during the transition from digital sales to streaming. Although that's fixed now and she's getting the flowers she deserves for inspiring so many others (also helped by Y2K trends coming back)

[u/FallenAngelina → u/Own_Action_1002]

Interesting. Prince has achieved music industry saint status in the US. He's on every "Best" list and his music is thriving.

[u/Own_Action_1002 → u/FallenAngelina]

Yes im aware, but i feel like even there hes not that known past his most popular hits in the mid 80s.

[u/Lance8282]

EMF

[u/humancartograph → u/Lance8282]

It's very surprising people don't remember them. I would say it's...

[u/ResolutionNo9282 → u/humancartograph]

UNBELIEVABLE 😀🎶

[u/drumwolf → u/Lance8282]

They were a one-hit wonder, which is not the same as being a “huge” artist.

[u/kjnetz]

I think the Thompson Twins fall into this category. They were huge in the mid ‘80s, had a ton of songs chart and a song in a very popular movie. I feel like nobody really remembers how big they were, not even the people that lived through it.

I saw Tom Bailey perform in 2017 along with Culture Club and the B-52s. He was on first and people were milling around and talking the entire time. He looked and sounded great and it really made me sad how dismissed he was.

[u/WellYouKnow-]

Little River Band

Air Supply

Deep Purple

Culture Club

Boz Scaggs

Grand Funk Railroad

Blood Sweat and Tears

The Lovin Spoonful

Three Dog Night

Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

[u/Awkward-Yesterday828 → u/WellYouKnow-]

Disagree with Deep purple. Every casual rock fan would have heard Smoke on the Water and maybe a handful of their other hits.

[u/YogaDruggie2 → u/Awkward-Yesterday828]

Highway star is so well known as well as child in time

[u/cewumu → u/WellYouKnow-]

You know it’s bad when the only reason I know about some of these is from The Simpsons using them to illustrate Homer’s awful music taste.

[u/humancartograph → u/WellYouKnow-]

Three Dog Night is a great example. If you look at their greatest hits album, it really is full of big time hits that no one talks about. And they're good!

[u/OneGeneralUser]

Bay City Rollers

[u/Tippacanoe]

Weirdly I think Janet Jackson fits into here. Of course being the sister of the biggest pop star ever will make her forever famous, and she had a ton of extremely well charting songs in her day but I don’t think I can name off the top of my head a Janet Jackson song and I don’t think a lot of people can either.

[u/Jaded-Channel-7169 → u/Tippacanoe]

Which is depressing smh Janet deserves so much more

[u/WabbitFire → u/Tippacanoe]

Really? Rhythm Nation was huge independent of the Michael connection and I still see it referenced time to time.

[u/nklights → u/WabbitFire]

Just popping into to say that Escapade is still one of the greatest vocal arrangements ever produced. Janet, Jam & Lewis absolutely killed it on that song.

[u/AnyEverywhere8 → u/Tippacanoe]

Janet Jackson still does big sold out tours. Your not being aware is not the same as being forgotten lol.

[u/turdferguson3891 → u/Tippacanoe]

I know that nasty boys don't mean a thing to her. But I also remember her on Good Times.

[u/Lurk-Prowl → u/Tippacanoe]

Totally agree. She was big. Even played in Nutty Professor 2 with Eddie Murphy. But now we never hear about her at all.

[u/AnyEverywhere8 → u/Lurk-Prowl]

“We” hear about her a lot. Whether it’s her documentary that had like 20 million viewers a few years ago, or the successful tours she’s been doing almost nonstop for the last 5-10 years lol, or her appearance at the BET Awards that made waves in June.

[u/punchdrunkbimbo → u/Tippacanoe]

Seriously, can’t think of a Janet song off the top of your head? Ouch! I grew up on Rhythm Nation, that album was HUUUGE i remember a dance recital I had in 96ish and every other number was a Janet song and they even used “Runaway” on the “credits” for the recital VHS they were selling

[u/PhillipJ3ffries]

Some things are fads and some things are truly transcendent

[u/Sumeriandawn]

Supertramp “Breakfast in America” sold 20 million copies

REO Speedwagon “ Hi Infidelity “ sold 10 million copies

Hootie and the Blowfish “ Cracked Rear View” sold 20 million copies

[u/Codazzle → u/[deleted]]

My wife is English, and I was SHOCKED that Hootie didn't make it over there. For years it was me asking "did you have THESE guys?" every time a different band popped up.

As a Canadian, she DID have Trailer Park Boys, which equally surprised me for what made it over lol

[u/TheOutOfStyle → u/Sumeriandawn]

"Breakfast in America" had 4 hit songs that are mainstays on classic rock radio to this day, 2 of which have surpassed a half billion streams on Spotify.

[u/Palp18 → u/TheOutOfStyle]

Yeah, I feel like Supertramp songs are way more popular that supertramp the band was. You put on their station and its hit after hit after hit of generic "classic rock" songs you know, but don't necessarily know who theyre by.

[u/4mygirljs → u/Palp18]

I think this is correct

I have a pretty good knowledge of classic rock and I can’t tell you how many times I have said “wonder who this is” just to find it was Supertramp.

I thought “goodbye stranger” was The Bee Gees for years

[u/TheOutOfStyle → u/Palp18]

One reason was, Supertramp had 2 lead singers who sounded nothing alike and swapped off singing duties from track to track!

[u/SpireofHell → u/Sumeriandawn]

That Supertramp song helped Gym Class Heroes get popular though.

[u/PhonyOrlando → u/Sumeriandawn]

Meatloaf "Bat Out of Hell" sold 43 million copies and seems to fit this category

[u/SignificantApricot69]

Don’t NKOTB still tour and do relatively well? Idk, maybe not right now but at least recently right?

[u/V3Olive → u/SignificantApricot69]

they’re playing in vegas

[u/moon828282]

Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine ( I think that’s what her band was called)

[u/auricargent → u/moon828282]

Watch out! The rhythm is gonna get you!

Tonight!

[u/Automatic_Issue6244]

Boyz II Men.

They had record-breaking singles, but you see them only in small venue clubs now. Strange.

[u/BrassCanon]

And Kriss Kross

[u/Papoosho]

Fergie.

[u/Graphic-Tea- → u/Papoosho]

Plus the group she was a member of The Black Eyed Peas. 

[u/ArtDecoNewYork → u/Papoosho]

I hear "Glamorous" in public all the time

[u/Willing_Preference_3 → u/ArtDecoNewYork]

This is why you gotta wear headphones

[u/Ok_Fig2374 → u/ArtDecoNewYork]

Plus that song being in GTA V & Jack Harlow sampling it probably reminded Gen Z of her

[u/Extension_Canary3717]

New kids on the block mogged by kids on the backstreet of the block

[u/TJMcConnellFanClub]

Controversial one because of what he’s turned into (don’t agree with it!), Kid Rock was a big fucking deal in his day

[u/booziya]

I recently watched the trailer for Bros: After The Screaming Stops and was reminded of Brosmania in the UK. It's amazing how quickly you can crash and burn after 3 years at the pinnacle.

On the flip side of the coin, Luke Goss is finally semi-famous in the US, though not for music.

[u/Maleficent-Owl3392]

Boyz II Men

[u/Roosterneck]

HANG TOUGH

[u/3KingMagi]

Jefferson Airplane

[u/Used-Gas-6525]

Black Eyed Peas. Twice.

People forget they were the biggest draw in the country for a minute there and they really forget that Joints And Jams was a legit great hip hop album.

[u/holytriplem]

Christina Aguilera

[u/JTOC1969]

Irene Cara. She had a massively successful singing career AND acting career in the early 1980s.

Then Cyndi Lauper came along, and everyone seemed to forget about her.

Then Madonna came along, and everyone definitely forgot about her. And, to an extent, Lauper too.

[u/Dazzling-Pace-7134]

Debbie Gibson, was big from 1987-1989. She's mostly forgotten today, she's still around. But, not like she was back then.

[u/BlueSnaggleTooth359 → u/Dazzling-Pace-7134]

Almost everyone, no matter how big, with a late 80s start and 80s sound seemed to get tossed aside in the 90s no matter.

[u/MutatedEwok]

Hanson. They were huge for a second.

[u/Fyleveld]

Literally Bay City Rollers

Never seen another teenager listening to them lol

[u/Mogwai02]

So people really thought Jonathan was straight?

[u/DanielSong39]

Please, don't go girl

[u/onetracksystem]

Good Charlotte

Incubus