The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group , formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean , Howie Dorough , Brian Littrell , Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson . They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys (1996). In the following year, they released their second international album, Backstreet's Back (1997) and their debut album in the United States which continued the group's success worldwide. They rose to superstardom with their album Millennium (1999) and its follow-up album, Black & Blue (2000). After a three-year hiatus, the band regrouped and have since released three albums: Never Gone (2005), Unbreakable (2007) and This Is Us (2009).

Richardson left the group in 2006 to pursue other interests, leaving the band as a four-piece, but the remaining members did not rule out a possible return of the singer.

The Backstreet Boys have sold over 130 million records worldwide, making them the best-selling boy band of all time . According to Billboard , they are the first group since Sade to have their first seven albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200 .

The Backstreet Boys are sometimes referred to as BSB.