Billboard has released their list of the Top 100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All-Time.
The Beatles land at #3 with "I Want To Hold Your Hand".
Do the Beatles qualify as a "boy band"? Paul McCartney was 21-years-old when they recorded the song as a band.
I can understand the Jackson 5 making the list. Michael was much younger at the time they released "I Want You Back". However, the J5 were also a true band.
If the Beatles qualify with "I Want To Hold Your Hand", at what point do they no longer qualify? Sgt. Peppers? The White Album? Their solo stuff?
According to Wikipedia, "a boy band (or boyband) is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation,[1]singing love songs marketed towards young women."
If you use this definition, the Beatles may qualify. They were young men when they formed. They definitely sang songs marketed toward young women. However, they were not a "vocal group" in the traditional sense. "Vocal groups" typically harmonize to backing bands. The Beatles were a legitimate band playing their own instruments.
Check out the full list. The Beatles don't seem to fit with the rest of the groups.
[THE 100 GREATEST BOY BAND SONGS OF ALL TIME: CRITICS' PICKS]