The Backstreet Boys were the first of the boy bands of the late '90s/early 2000s to make it big. Their catalog consists of only three previous albums, so it does seem a big premature to have a hits collection out, but apparently the third release didn't perform to expectations, so a hits set was rush released with only one new song.

Even if it seems like a last gasp for success, this CD is a great summation of the group's work up to this point. It provides proof that the group wasn't just the best of their breed (boy bands, that is), but that their best moments transcend the the recent bugglegum pop music boom.

"I Want It That Way," "As Long As You Love Me," and "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," are lovely, timeless pop ballads, featuring great vocal performances. The dance numbers, like "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and "Larger Than Life," are clearly a product of modern music, but offer infectious rhythms that even early Bandstanders can dance to.

If most of the rest of the singles on this 13-track collection aren't quite as good as those afforementioned tunes (the midtempo "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" also certainly ranks with the Boys' best), they nevertheless are well-crafted. That the new single "Drowning" is the weakest track on the set may not bode well for the future however. But regardless of what the future holds for this group, this retrospective provides a strong look at what was popular in pop music around the turn of the century.

I have previously provided rants about how boy band music is no more disposable than any other type of music. Some artists who are critically acclaimed today may be forgotten five years from now. This type of music is bascially aimed at the teen and pre-teen music buying public, but it can also be enjoyed by older people like myself who appreciate good pop music. I may prefer Green Day or Good Charlotte, but I may also find myself singing along to a Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync song on the radio. The point is, music tastes come and go, and just because you don't like it does not mean it has no redeeming qualities.

That being said, this CD is a great hits collection of The Backstreet Boys. If you don't want to go out and buy their individual CD's, this is a great way to have almost all of their hits. I say almost all, because this CD sadly leaves off "We've Got it Goin' On" from their first CD. This song is especially important to me because I orginally heard it on a trip to England in 1995 before they became popular here in America. Anyway, I recommend this CD for providing almost all of their hits on one disc.

The Backstreet Boys are argueably the best of their breed. As a long-time fan of theirs, now here comes along their first greatest hits album. Certainly they do not have as many hits as let's say, the Beatles, so why now? Well, a lot of artists come out with greatest hits collections even while they are still going fairly strong. Like Madonna, for example. 'The Immaculate Collection' came out in the early '90s, when she was still very popular and making music. Now she has two greatest hits collections...same could end up happening for the Backstreet Boys. Here are the track listings to 'The Hits--Chapter One':

1.) "I Want It That Way" ~ what can I say that hasn't already been said about this song? Truly a pop classic. One of my all-time favorite songs! From their 'Millennium' album. 5/5 stars

2.) "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" ~ this song is not the radio edit version you hear on the radio...it's the music video version and album version. This is another true classic! 5/5 stars

3.) "As Long As You Love Me" ~ my personal favorite from their self-titled disc. Mid-tempo song that was huge in '98. 5/5 stars

4.) "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" ~ their best ballad ever. It is so sad and yet, so good! 5/5 stars

5.) "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)" ~ first hit ever for the Boys in the US. From their self-titled disc, another classic. 5/5 stars

6.) "All I Have To Give" ~ I really like this ballad from their self-titled album. The lyrics are sweet, but it's not one of their more popular songs. 4/5 stars

7.) "Larger Than Life" ~ more of a rockin' type of upbeat song, dedicated to their fans. The BSB love their fans so much--another reason to love THEM! 5/5 stars

8.) "I'll Never Break Your Heart" ~ another heart-felt ballad from the Boys off their self-titled disc. I really like this song, too. 4/5 stars

9.) "The Call" ~ something different from our Boys...a song about them cheating (which they'd never do in real life, I'm sure)! Like the beat of this song and the lyrics are cool, too. 4/5 stars

10.) "Shape Of My Heart" ~ from their 'Black & Blue' album, first single. I love this song. It sounds a lot like track number three, but it's still really good. 5/5 stars

11.) "The One" ~ another favorite from 'Millennium'. A very upbeat song and at one point on the song, Brian holds the notes very well. Love it. 5/5 stars

12.) "More Than That" ~ a very nice ballad from 'Black & Blue'. I really like this one, very R&B sounding. 4/5 stars

13.) "Drowning" ~ the only new song on this album, and is their latest single. I love it. It sounds like O-Town's song, "All Or Nothing", in the beginning, but that's only because both songs were written by the same guy, so of course they'd sound alike. 5/5 stars

The BSB have the best vocal harmonies and melodies I've ever heard in a boyband or vocal group. Very polished, solid sounding. A band who loves their fans as much as the Backstreet Boys do should get more fans just for that. Teenyboppers will not like the BSB because they have turned into more of an adult vocal pop group rather than the silly, little boybands we have now. They are doing more ballads than upbeat dance songs, which apparently, teenyboppers do not like. The BSB have started to write more of their own songs, produce their own albums, and have taken their music into their control, meaning they are not just doing something because their manager or record label tells them that they have to. As a long time fan of the Backstreet Boys, I have always been a fan and will always be one, and will not dismiss them when another, more popular band comes along, like a lot of BSB fans did with N Sync. I think the BSB deserves way more credit for their unique, original talent than what they get. Nick, Brian, Kevin, AJ, and Howie...keep up with your great work and I'll be looking forward to your next album! KPTBPA!

I highly recommend 'The Hits--Chapter One', by the Backstreet Boys.

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Backstreet Boys were the most successful boyband in the late 90s when teen pop was still the favorite amongst teenagers. Backstreet Boys debuted in 1997 with the release of their first album simply titled, "Backstreet Boys", where the album produced the hits, "We've Got It Goin' On", "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)", "As Long As You Love Me", "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)", "All I Have To Give", "I'll Never Break Your Heart", & "Get Down (You're The One For Me)". By 2001, Backstreet Boys released their first greatest hits album entitled, "The Hits-Chapter One", an album covering their most popular hits from 1997 to 2000. This is an album that should been owned by every Backstreet Boys fan.

Before I get to the album, let's introduce my buddies. First there is Nick Carter, the blonde Backstreet Boy. Nick grew up in Tampa Bay, Florida. He is now 24 years old. He has a younger brother named Aaron, who is also a huge star. Secondly, we have Brian Littrell, a 29-year-old resident of Kentucky. Brian is now married and is a father of one. Thirdly, we have A.J. McLean, who is sort of known as the freaky member of the band. He is 27-years-old, and is engaged to be married. Fourthly, we have Howie Dorough, a 30-year-old Latino member of the band. Lastly, we have Kevin Richardson, a 32-year-old resident of Kentucky. Kevin is also Brian's older cousin. Small world, isn't it? Moving on to the album.

I WANT IT THAT WAY

From the album Millennium (1999). Their album entitled, Millennium, which was their second album, was released in the Spring of 1999, and it was the biggest-selling album of their time, selling 1.3 million copies in the first week of its release. This song is the first single from that album and it is a great song, without a doubt. A song that I would never skip over.

EVERYBODY (BACKSTREET'S BACK) (Extended Single Version)

From the album Backstreet Boys (1997). This is the single version of the original album version. The original album version runs to 3 or 4 minutes, while the extended single version runs to 4 minutes & 45 seconds. The album version is only available on the dance compilation album entitled, Ultimate Dance Party 1999. This is a another classic song. The beat is enough to make you want to dance forever. The music video is nothing short of amazing. In the video the guys are riding along to their next concert performance until their bus breaks down in front of an old sinister, seemingle haunted, house. The guys decide to spend the night, while their bus driver fixes the bus. That night, while asleep, the guys have dreams of becoming monsters from the old 1930s horror movies. Nick was dressed as THE MUMMY. A.J. was dressed as THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Brian was dressed as THE WOLFMAN. Howie D. was dressed as DRACULA. Kevin was dressed up as DR.JEKYLL/MR. HYDE.

AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME

From the album Backstreet Boys (1997). This is another great song. I probably listen to this song about three or four times before I go on to the next song. The video is amazing, where in one scene, the boys morph into each other.

SHOW ME THE MEANING OF BEING LONELY

From the album Millennium (1999). This is a beautiful heart-felt ballad. The sound of the music and their voices is amazingly relaxing. In the video, the boys take the concept of the song and put it to the test. In the video, Howie D. mourns the loss of his older sister, who passed away of Lupus. Brian focuses on his fatal open-heart surgery. Kevin mourns the loss of his father, who passed away of cancer. A.J. deals with the pain of his girlfriend breaking up with him. Nick did not have a real-life sob-story, so he made one up for the video, where he was just alone.

QUIT PLAYIN' GAMES (WITH MY HEART)

From the album Backstreet Boys (1997). When I first heard this song, I never cared too much for it because I was not too big on boybands. But a year after this song's official single release, I took a huge liking to it. Definitely a classic.

ALL I HAVE TO GIVE

From the album Backstreet Boys (1997). I used to be fanatical over this song, but I kind of wore it out for myself. But I still enjoy hearing it every once in awhile.

LARGER THAN LIFE

From the album Millennium (1999). This is the first track off of their second album. The song is actually about us fans. The lyrics are pretty self-explanatory, where they state that: "...All you people, can't you see, can't you see how your love's affecting our reality? Everytime we're down, you can make it right, and that makes you larger than life..." The video is absolutely incredible, where it is a Star Wars type-of-video.

I'LL NEVER BREAK YOUR HEART

From the album Backstreet Boys (1997). This is actually the song that turned me into a fan. I remember back in September of 1998, I was watching MTV. There was this show that was being aired named, TRL: Total Request Live. That was the show where I had seen this video for the first time. TRL is still on, and is still popular as it was when it first aired.

THE CALL

From the album Black & Blue (2000). I never cared too much for this song.

SHAPE OF MY HEART

From the album Black & Blue (2000). I take this song to heart because I love a moving ballad with powerful vocals. This song features the guys' powerful voices and it is most definitely a moving ballad.

THE ONE

From the album Millennium (1999). I really do enjoy hearing this song, but the music video to the song was their weakest, where it only features clips of their live performances and meetings with many fans.

MORE THAN THAT

From the album Black & Blue (2000). This song is pretty weak, but it is not that bad. I don't mind hearing it every once in awhile.

DROWNING

New song. This is a beautiful song. I can't help, but listen to this one over and over again.

Now, I do have all of Backstreet Boys albums. Whenever I listen to their first and second albums, I go back to my eighth grade year, when I first became a huge fan of theirs. I even reminisce of my eighth grade year when I listen to this album. Well, only when I hear the hits from the first two albums. I don't care what people think of me being a fan of Backstreet Boys. I am proud of being a fan of theirs because they have great music and I love great music. This is an album that all Backstreet Boys fans should own. If you don't, then buy a copy for yourself and listen to the best hits of Backstreet Boys.

I was a huge, huge Backstreet Boys fan around 1 or 2 years ago (huge as in posters all over my walls / scream when they're on T.V for a millisecond), and bought this album. I'm not going to lie and say that I didn't enjoy it - if you're a fan of pop and boy bands like I was a few years ago, then this is for you. There are all the catchy 3-minute pop songs and ballad-with-bridges songs here, but when I listen to it now, I feel that it really lacks something - it's just too synched and perfect. Oh well, that may just be me, but I did enjoy this album for the time that I was obsessed with them - it brought back many sing-along memories, and it is still on my shelf, though picking up dust.

But I must say that I have moved onto 1970s / 1980s classic rock from this, so you never know, you can change for the better after listening to this album ;) Instead of Backstreet these days, Bruce Springsteen, Foreigner, Dire Straits, The Eagles.etc. are blessing my shelves :P I promised myself that I would "be-a-Backstreet-Boys-fan-till-the-day-that-I-die!" - even though it didn't quite turn out like that, I am not ashamed of having this cute album. Give it a try! :)