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Whatever the critics say, great pop will always have the last laugh. The fact that boy-band N'Sync's mega-singles sound as good on the radio today as they did during the band's late-90's heyday attests to the enduring power of great bubblegum songwriting. Originally, N'Sync were positioned as scruffier younger brothers to teenybopper heartthrobs the Backstreet Boys. Backstreet were collectively clean cut, while N'Sync's members came off as edgier (if that term can be applied to any boyband.) Certainly, the boys fit into the classic manufactured pop band mold; Justin Timberlake was the "leader," Lance Bass was the shy one, JC Chasez was the older man, Chris Kirkpatrick was the bad one and Joey Fatone was the goofy party boy. The band was hand-assembled by the infamous industry player Lou Pearlman. But even Lou, who later fought several legal cases defending against allegations of unfair business practices, couldn't have dreamt that the band of fresh faced, honey voiced singers would climb to dizzying commercial heights and make music history. N'Sync broke into the American music market with 1998's rollicking synth-pop hit "I Want You Back." Simple lyrics and crashing harmonies proved an irresistible combo that would go on to set the blueprint for the band's later record-shattering success. With some help from the Disney Channel and their own telegenic good looks and dance moves, N'Sync's next single, "Tearin' Up My Heart," launched the band's career for real. Both tracks appeared on the self-titled *NSYNC, which was a moderate commercial success when first released. On the buzz from those first two dance-pop singles, the band released their 12X certified platinum monster hit disc No Strings Attached in 2000. With the aid of reclusive Swedish super-producer Max Martin, the album served up a tasty collection or irresistible big-bass synth hits, complete with complicated melodies and cryptic lyrics. "Bye Bye Bye," considered by many to be the group's signature tune, was titillatingly mean spirited, especially coming from the angel faced poppets. Follow-up singles included "It's Gonna Be You" and the ballad "This I Promise You." N'Sync's final album was distinctly more adult as the band grew up in the spotlight; Celebrity offered fans a far more aggressive set of disco, funk and club tracks that highlighted future solo star Justin Timberlake's spine-tingling falsetto. Following Celebrity, the members of N'Sync called it quits indefinitely to pursue their own careers.

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