h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"The Monkees would be the first boy band, am I right?" [Pierce the Pirate]

I thought the Everly Brothers were the first, no? The definition, as I understand it, is that boy band members don't play instruments. The Monkees pretended to play guitars, but someone else was doing the actual playing. This seems unfair to me, as the casual listener would hear guitar accompaniment and assume the singers were providing it. The Everly Brothers, Kingston Trio, Chad Mitchell Trio, etc., also had guitar accompaniment, but those singers were doing their own playing.

I think it's not the greatest definition. What I like about most of the boy bands that I've heard is that the singers have good voices. With time, those voices will go downhill. Their songs are often a mixed bag, but if you're lucky the singers;'dictionwill be so terrible that you won't even try to follow the words. Peter, Paul and Mary sang a song called "I Love Rock and Roll Music," in which they gleefully praised the value of not caring what the words are!

Some of them can't even sing, they are just in the boy band for eye-candy.

The lead singer of Westlife, Shane Filan, has the most beautiful voice with just the right amount of Irish twang. He also writes songs. He's launching a solo career now the band have split, I'm looking forward to his first CD.

Boy bands wear uniforms; they are odd. The beatles were a boy band because of the silly haircut and clothes. I prefer The Rolling Stones.

"The lead singer of Westlife, Shane Filan, has the most beautiful voice with just the right amount of Irish twang." [galaxy Babe]

I would be interested in hearing them, then, though not right away. I've spent the last three months listening to hundreds of pop CDs. I'm tired, and would like to have a break from it. However, every store I shop in plays music [though not all the time]. A few months ago, I heard "I want to be with you" in one store. It sounded like Paul McCartney, but turned out to be Enrique Iglesias. I like Enrique, but he'll have to wait, too.

PAL, if it were up to me, the Beatles and Rolling Stones would be considered boy bands, but I have no influence on the authorities who concoct these definitions.

Well one of your people I can't remember was in YES before the Monkeys. I used to like yes but now think it was a load of tosh.

The only good ones are still going.

There's also something to be said for mixed groups.

Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.
Stiller and Meara
Peter Paul and Mary
The Weavers
The Mamas and the Papas

There were also some all-female groups.

Diana Ross and the Supremes
Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt recorded two albums of trios
The Andrews Sisters
The Lennon Sisters
The Shirelles
The Pointers Sisters

But for some reason, the musical promoters in Europe and the UK wanted boy bands because the Monkees had been so successful in their television show in the U.S.....

let's not forget the super groups = renowned solo artists and/or members of renowned bands who gathered in new formations.

I think Cream (Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton) was one of the first in contemporary rock music to earn the title super group.

Another was Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

I've heard Crosby, Stills etc. They sang at the Woodstock Concert, which I have a recording of.

This morning I thought of some other mixed-gender groups:

The Carpenters
ABBA
Fleetwood Mac [Which I'm listening to right now]
Sonny and Cher

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl2lHd4kkTs