The ballad of John and A.J.
Source: The Orange County Register
Who's the greatest boy band of them all? Many Gen Y members would say the Backstreet Boys, who sold nearly 1.6 million copies of their new album, "Black & Blue," in one week. But the parents of today's pre-teens may have something to say about that: Boomers helped the Beatles, the original boy band, sell 12 million copies of that group's greatest hits collection, "1," in the last three weeks, making it the fastest-selling album in the world. Sales aren't the only yardstick, however. Let's see how
the fab five stack up against the Fab Four.
Straight outta ...
The Beatles: Liverpool
The Backstreet Boys: Orlando
Got their start ...
B: Singing R&B covers for drunken sailors in Hamburg
BSB: Singing harmony for clueless tourists at SeaWorld
Their svengali was...
B: Manager Brian Epstein
BSB: Manager Louis Pearlman
Their maestro...
B: George Martin
BSB: A bunch of guys in Sweden
The cute one is ...
B: Paul
BSB: Kevin
The smart one is...
B: John
BSB: A.J.
The quiet one is...
B: George
BSB: Brian
Gets by with a little help from his friends...
B: Ringo
BSB: Nick
I want...
B: ...to hold your hand
BSB: ...it that way
Boast...
B: "Bigger than Jesus"
BSB: "Larger Than Life"
Persistent rumor...
B: Paul is dead
BSB: They lip synch
Arch-enemies...
B: The Rolling Stones
BSB: *N Sync
Slyly dirty sentiment...
B: "Please Please Me"
BSB: "The Perfect Fan"
Puzzling lyrics...
B: "I am the Walrus, coo-coo ca-choo"
BSB: "Show me the meaning of being lonely"
Breakthrough appearance...
B: "The Ed Sullivan Show"
BSB: "TRL"
Testimony...
B: "The majority of their songs were written by them, and they stand on their own merit. That accounts for their longevity." - Mike Lefebvre, owner of Pepperland Music in Orange County
BSB: "They can sing, they can dance and they're very loyal to their fans... They make you feel the music." - Ediza Rodriguez, 14, La Habra
Early hair...
B: Mop tops
BSB: Mousse tops
Late hair...
B: Hippie long
BSB: Shaggy long
Hue...
B: The White Album
BSB: "Black & Blue"
Ignominious end...
B: Nike's "Revolution" ad
BSB: Shilling for Burger King
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