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Backstreet Boys: 30th Anniversary Celebration

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Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Backstreet Boys with the ultimate tribute book—filled with amazing tour photography, band-member profiles, fan memories, and more.

Since breaking into the scene in 1993, the Backstreet Boys have sold over 100 million records around the globe making them one of the world’s best-selling music artists, and giving them the title of best-selling boy band of all time. They are the only boy band to have their first ten albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, and the first group since Led Zeppelin to do so. Celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band in April 2023, members AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Howie Dorough are still going strong and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Featuring a powerhouse foreword by singer-songwriter, DJ, author, activist, and one fifth of the megastar girl group the Spice Girls Melanie Chisholm (aka Melanie C or Sporty Spice), this loving homage to the Boys is written by super fans and BSBFanGirls . com owners Karah-Leigh Hancock and Emilia Filogamo and explores the band’s journey from relative unknowns to superstardom, including:

Personal backstories and journeys for all five members, including a tribute to Nick’s brother Aaron
An exploration of every chart-topping single, best-selling album, and sold-out tour
Fan stories and memories
Quotes and testimonials from industry professionals
Amazing tour photography
Fan memorabilia
And more!

Whether occupying a place of honor on your coffee table or gifted as the supreme fan treasure, relive the ’90s through the amazing journey of the Backstreet Boys, one that is truly larger than life.

Backstreet’s back, all right!

256 pages, Hardcover

Published April 11, 2023

19 people are currently reading
60 people want to read

About the author

Karah-Leigh Hancock

7 books7 followers
Karah-Leigh Hancock is a former award-winning journalist and pop culture expert who now works in marketing. Since becoming a die-hard Backstreet Boys fan in 1998, she has been featured in various books, articles, shows, and podcasts for her fangirl and pop culture knowledge. She was crowned the BSB Trivia Queen on the 2018 Backstreet Boys cruise and owns BSBFangirls.com. Karah-Leigh enjoys writing fiction, going to concerts and traveling the world with her friends, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Atlanta Braves, and binging TV shows.

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Barbara Powell.
1,131 reviews66 followers
February 27, 2023
My Recommendation
Every Backstreet Boys fan dream! A look back at the biggest selling boy band over the last 3o years in pictures and in details starting from how the group got together to how they made it through the pandemic and getting back to performing together again once life started to get back to normal. Includes lots of behind the scenes stuff and quotes from the guys themselves.
As a fan from the beginning. it was fun to look back at some of their hits and how they came to be and even some of their styles!
With a fun foreword from Sporty Spice, this is a fun, must have for any BSB fan. Would make a great gift.
Thanks to Epic Ink, Quarto Publishing and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review
Profile Image for zasou.reads.
1,838 reviews10 followers
February 20, 2023
It can't be. Where have these 30 years gone by? I remember laying on the floor with my best friend, listening to the Get Down single album and trying to write down the lyrics even though I barely knew 4 words of English. I remember getting BSB's second album on my birthday, along with the boombox I would use to listen to it on repeat for days on end. I remember seeing them in concert (my first one, on a school night), 7th row from the stage, with my dad and my 2 little sisters (one of them sound asleep on the seat most of the show, with people around us staring in disbelief), as a reward for making good grades. And going back a few years later, with my mom and sisters, this time in the second to last row. I was (and still am) a die hard fan. So when I saw this pop up on NetGalley, I had to have it. And I flew through it in a couple of hours, going down memory lane and feeling like a preteen again. Add to that a buttload of pics and a foreword from Sporty Spice (genius!), and that rounds up to the perfect coffee table book for the fans.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Sue Wallace .
7,399 reviews140 followers
February 18, 2023
Backstreet Boys by Karah-Leigh Hancock; Emilia Filogamo.
30th Anniversary Celebration.
Since breaking into the scene in 1993, the Backstreet Boys have sold over 100 million records around the globe making them one of the world’s best-selling music artists, and giving them the title of best-selling boy band of all time. They are the only boy band to have their first ten albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, and the first group since Led Zeppelin to do so. Celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band in April 2023, members AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Howie Dorough are still going strong and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
I loved this. It certainly bought back some memories. I have been a big fan since the beginning. 5*.
Profile Image for Kate Henderson.
1,592 reviews51 followers
February 20, 2023
This book is a Backstreet Boys fan's dream!!!
It has some amazing photography and clippings - but not just that, it is packed full of info! About everything and everything!
It's not just pictures (like a lot of books like this) but has so much text too!

As a Backstreet Boys fan, I loved this!!
Profile Image for em.
595 reviews43 followers
March 20, 2023
Backstreets Back! I can’t believe it’s been 30 years. I’ve been a fan since I was young and it was a pleasure to read this book! If you’re a BSB fan you’ll enjoy this. The book was really well put together, easy to read and enjoyable. Great images scattered throughout. After reading I feel like a minor fan compared to many of the fans featured in the book. I could leave all the fan experiences, although sweet I found them very repetitive, but it is a nice addition. I do wish they were a bit more personal on the boys’ lives, not just the music, so I liked that they included that a bit at the end. I would’ve liked to read more on that and less about what number each song charted at in which country. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Marietere T.
1,555 reviews22 followers
February 24, 2023
Are you telling me that it's been 30 year? Oh god.

Now this book is a fangirls dream. It was very fun going through memory lane while reading the history of one of the best boybands ever.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the arc of this book.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
1,354 reviews30 followers
February 18, 2023
So this book started a huge debate in my house about how can it be that’s it’s been 30 years of the backstreet boys I honestly don’t know where the time has gone but these guys are still up there for me as a fan and this is the ultimate companion book to have alongside all the albums as you listen to those tracks again.
1 review
February 20, 2023
As an avid Backstreet Boys fan for years, I thought I knew everything there was to know about BSB. This book she’s light on so many parts of BSB history I didn’t know about! It was great to read through the book like a timeline of their past! And the pictures are so fun! I especially loved the old newspaper articles from the 90s! A must for BSB fans!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
138 reviews
June 23, 2023
This was the perfect read for a very busy work week. I noticed some editorial issues, but overall any BSB superfan will love it. #KTBSPA
Profile Image for Jennifer Jackson.
470 reviews3 followers
February 27, 2023
If you love the Backstreet Boys then you should read this, it goes over the past 30 years! And maybe what is in store to come for them! I love my some BSB!!!
Profile Image for Thomas (ReadWithThomas).
553 reviews8 followers
April 14, 2023
“𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍. […] 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏, 𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒉𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔.”

My years discovering pop music on my own are so connected to the bands we know and adore. The Spice Girls. Backstreet Boys. *NSYNC. When I saw this book celebrating 30 years of BSB, I had to read it!

I love that this book is framed as a celebration first and foremost. It is curated by fans for fans in appreciation for a band that has never broken up. Sporty Spice herself in an introduction states that part of the success of Spice and BSB was the individual personalities of each member that all complimented each other, and I have to definitely agree. I had forgotten a lot about the beginnings of the band - Johnny Wright as their manager, the early performances in schools, restaurants, and malls, being the kick off point to Jive Records’ branch into pop music (previously being known for R&B and hip hop artists), and working with Max Martin & Denniz PoP. Since I owned their first album in 1996, I’m not sure I ever knew that Backstreet Boys sold ten million copies internationally in thirty countries before it was released in the US (also shoutout to how popular they were and continue to be in Canada first!!). This book is a wonderful reminder of how BIG they were in the prime of 2000s pop. Filled with photos, newspapers clippings, and testimonies from fans, there is something for all pop music fans to enjoy in this book. I do wish there were interviews with the boys, but otherwise it is a great tribute.

Backstreet Boys 30th Anniversary Celebration is a book of remembrance, celebration and music. It highlights BSB’s connection with their fans and is definitely a must read for any fan. Thanks to Quarto, Epic Ink and NetGalley for the ARC!
Profile Image for Antonella.
4,123 reviews620 followers
March 1, 2023
This was a nostalgic read for all the fans of Backstreet Boys, and yes, I am one of them.
Maybe not the OG boy bend but one of the prominent bends of pop music, ever, Backstreet Boys are an integral part of the music industry.

I love the music catalog they have and I listen to it even today. I have so many dear memories of my friends and our love for the group. Millennium is still one of the albums that brings me back to the times of early teens, first crushes, dance parties, and friendships.
Long before Spotify and YouTube I would buy cassette tapes of their albums and listen to them on the radio.

While I appreciate this book for what it was; a love letter to a moment in time and a lot of fans sharing stories about their love for the Backstreet Boys, there was a lot of information that people who love them already know and are easy to look up online if you don't know and are curious about them.

I like the addition of photographs.

The ebook version was lacking, and it made it difficult to enjoy this book.
Nonetheless, I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I think if you are a fan, you will probably want to have a paperback/hardcover version of the book.
Profile Image for Pug.
1,353 reviews3 followers
March 30, 2025
I was psyched to discover this book! It had been a long time since I've perused a BSB book (more like, photo album), and this 30th anniversary edition made a good excuse!

But, I'm sorry to have to admit it, this book was dry and dull. Someone called it an "elaborate timeline," and that's a perfect description of it. If you love dates and stats, this is the book for you.

Let me back up and clarify...
While there are never enough (haha), the pictures were beautiful! Because the Backstreet Boys are beautiful. I love them and their music. And I love how kind and gracious they are to us, the fans. We have the best fans in the world, Nick said. Thus, I wanted more of them in this book (ironically). Facts, figures, and quotes from other sources don't cut it for me. I wish it had been a book written by them, personally, not by a bunch of fangirls. Sure, I like discussing BSB with other fans in real life (KTBSPA!)... but I don't want to read [the many, many included] uninspired blurbs from fans about how BSB "saved their life" or whatever. (So I started skipping those. I'm too jealous anyway - lol.)

Nevertheless, reading/seeing/hearing BSB is always enjoyable, and a nice trip down memory lane. It's worth checking out this book (literally, from the library; don't buy books, let us do that for you) if only for the pictures.
Profile Image for Shannon.
636 reviews19 followers
February 27, 2023
My little sister was a HUGE Backstreet Boys (BSB) fan, so naturally I am quite familiar with the group and their music. When the BSB tour came to our area I went to it with my sister and her friends and I have never been to a louder concert in all of my years of concert going. It wasn't the music. It was the pitch of the screams from the fans that was so loud. It's hard to believe the BSB could be celebrating a 30th anniversary. Time flies. This book is written by two of their fans and it is a fantastic compilation of group history, the evolution of their music, tours and more. Sprinkled throughout the book are lifelong fan bios along with pictures of them taken with the group. The book is filled with pictures and information, including a very helpful index. I definitely learned new things and reading the book had me creating a BSB playlist in iTunes to listen to while I read through the book. I highly recommend this book as a great gift to any BSB fan in your family or friends group. They will love it!

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – becker & mayer!, Epic Ink for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Jill Hansel.
17 reviews1 follower
March 8, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I went into this as a huge boy band fan and BSB fan so maybe my expectations were high. This read as just an elaborate timeline of the band. Information about how the band got together, when albums were released, what concert tour went where is all here but that can all be looked up online. I was expecting and hoping to get to know the band members better and maybe even interviews with them regarding the 30th anniversary. Interviews are from fans about what the band has meant to them and most read pretty similarly. The saving grace for me is the pictures. This will be a beautiful book with several 2 page spread photos and the trip down memory lane in photos was a nice treat. Overall this felt like a summary of information already out there.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Suzanne.
76 reviews6 followers
February 27, 2023
I absolutely LOVE Backstreet Boys. They were my childhood favorite! My very first concert was a Backstreet concert. This book was like walking down memory lane. Looking through the book made me feel so happy, like for those moments I was back in my bedroom as a tween/teen obsessing over them and the music.

I loved reading the stories of other fans and Sporty Spice intro was amazing as well cuz Girl Power for life! I really liked learning about each member and their life outside of the group.

My favorite part might have been the timeline in the end it was cool to see all the accomplishments laid out. Definitely a must have in your collection if you were a fanatic!
Profile Image for Destiny Bridwell.
1,719 reviews36 followers
July 3, 2023
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have been a fan almost since they started so when I saw this I had to get a copy to review. While looking through the pictures and reading about how they got together and what they did to come back after the pandemic was a good look inside. It had me thinking about seeing them on tv or waiting for albums to come out. It brought back a lot of nice memories.
Profile Image for Melanie.
1,003 reviews2 followers
March 1, 2023
This is a history of the Backstreet Boys from their beginning to how the band split and everything that the members did after. It's interspersed with fan stories, which is a nice touch. There is also a lovely dedication to the memory of Nick Carter's brother, who passed away last year. Overall, its a great collection of photos, stories and anecdotes perfect for any fan of the Backstreet Boys.
Profile Image for Emily St. Amant.
503 reviews33 followers
December 30, 2023
I’ve been a fan since at least 1997. I really can’t believe it’s been this long. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was glued to TRL in hopes of a BSB video or feature.

I enjoyed most of this, but I really didn’t care to read the gushing fan stories interjected along the way. This also left me wanting more. It’s a really well done chronology, but I wish it’d gone a little deeper.
Profile Image for Sarah.
57 reviews
February 21, 2023
This was a nice trip down memory lane to my late teens. BSB was my first concert, so it was cool seeing pictures and reading stories from the beginning. I liked the little fan snippets and their stories.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
Profile Image for Lauren.
4 reviews
April 16, 2023
This book is fantastic. I am a huge backstreet boys fan and this book allowed me to relieve my favorite BSB moments and memories. I love how the book highlighted every era of the Backstreet Boys. I would easily recommend this to any BSB fan.
Profile Image for Vnunez-Ms_luv2read.
899 reviews27 followers
May 6, 2023
This book is perfect for any Backstreet Boys fan. Would make a wonderful gift. Interesting information about the subject matter. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.
Profile Image for Jennifer Santiago.
53 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing this book for review!

30 years!!!! Are you a huge Backstreet Boy fan? Do you know every song and all the lyrics? You will adore this scrapbook! From the beginning to present this book shows everything you could want to know. Concert info, interviews, stories, history on how the group came about and pictures galor!! This is a true keepsake that will be treasured for many years! What fun to relive music videos, tours and CD covers!!
Flip through the pages to bring back those memories and learn something new!!
#AlwaysaBackstreetBoyfan
Profile Image for Josefa (June.Reads).
435 reviews16 followers
June 22, 2023
backstreet Boys 30th-anniversary celebration is written by fans and that's how a book about a band should be done! And not by random people that know nothing about it, you don't know how cross I get when someone that has zero knowledge about a band decides to write a book with stuff found online that they don't bother to check whether is true or not.
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