Backstreet Boys is the reissue of the 1996 album of the same name, released by the vocal-pop group Backstreet Boys in the United States on August 12, 1997.[1] Its initial release contains six tracks from their first studio album, Backstreet Boys (1996) and five tracks from their second studio album Backstreet's Back (1997). Released a day after Backstreet's Back, both albums share nearly the same cover but with different titles. The album served as their debut in the United States, where their previous records were not released.
The album became one of their most successful albums and received acclaim from music critics. It peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 albums chart and has been certified 14× platinum (diamond) by the RIAA for sales to retailers, having sold over 14 million copies to date in the United States.[2] The album was reported as the second highest seller in the past fourteen years for Music Club sales as of 2003, selling 1.72 million units.[3]
Background
Backstreet Boys released their first single, "We've Got It Goin' On", in September 1995. While the single was successful across Europe, it stalled in the United States, peaking at number 69.[4] As a result, the original issue of their 1996 debut album was only released outside of the country.[5] Throughout 1996, the group released three more singles internationally: "I'll Never Break Your Heart", "Get Down (You're the One for Me)", and "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)". Jive Records planned to relaunch the group in the United States in 1997 with the new song "If You Want It to Be Good Girl (Get Yourself a Bad Boy)". The group instead pushed for a US single release of "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)".[5] The label relented, and following its single release in the United States in April 1997, the song peaked at number 2.[6][4] By this point, the group had already recorded material for their second studio album, Backstreet's Back, which was released internationally on August 11, 1997.[7] To serve as their debut album in the United States, Jive decided to reissue the group's 1996 debut album with additional tracks from Backstreet's Back.[1]
The original 1997 pressing of the album contains 11 songs—six from the 1996 Backstreet Boys album and five from Backstreet's Back. This version did not include "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)", which was included on Backstreet's Back. The album was reissued for a second time in 1998. The reissue contains the single mixes of "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" and "As Long as You Love Me" in addition to an extended version of "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)".[8] For the single version of "Quit Playing Games", the second verse was re-recorded to feature Nick Carter, replacing Brian Littrell's verse from the original version. The single version of "As Long as You Love Me" uses different instrumentation, arrangement, and mixing.
The original pressing of the album had a maroon spine and blue background on the back inlay. The second pressing of the album had a teal spine and a straw-colored background on the back inlay. Both versions of the album contained the same enhanced section, containing videos and other multimedia files.
The album received generally positive reviews. Steve Jones of USA Today rated it three stars out of four, commenting that the Backstreet Boys "are confident enough in their voices not to let them get lost in waves of harmonies."[12]Allmusic rated the album four out of five stars, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine calling it "thoroughly enjoyable" and the group "as reliant on their personality as they are their talent".[9]Billboard was complimentary of the different styles presented on the album, regarding "Quit Playing Games" and the lead singles as "lethally catchy" and the cover of "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" to show "more sophisticated musical leanings".[10]
In 2005, Bill Lamb of About.com described the album as "an engaging mix of uptempo dance music and sweet ballads".[13]
Commercial performance
Backstreet Boys debuted at number 29 on the U.S. Billboard 200 the week of August 30, 1997, with 40,000 copies sold.[14] On January 31, 1998, it peaked at number four on the chart; by this point the album had sold two million copies in the United States.[15][16] According to Nielsen SoundScan, it was the fifty-second best selling record of 1997 in the United States with 1,300,000 copies sold and the third best selling album of 1998 with 5,700,000 copies sold.[17][18] The album was certified fourteen times platinum by the RIAA on April 5, 2001, denoting shipments of fourteen million.[2]
As of March 2015, the album had sold 11,687,000 copies in the US according to Nielsen Music.[19] It had sold additional 1.72 million units at the BMG Music Club as of February 2003.[20]
^As of March 2015, the album has sold 11,687,000 copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan, which does not count albums sold through clubs like the BMG Music Club, where it sold 1.72 million units.[19][20] Combined, it has sold over 13,407,000 copies in the United States.
