13 Backstreet Boys deep cuts you should be listening to

Today we're going to talk about the Backstreet Boys. Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't deny that in the span of their 25-year career (yes, you read that right - the Backstreet Boys have been around since 1993), they have permanently lodged themselves in our collective consciousness. You've rocked out to "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" on the dance floor at a wedding. You've taken a crack at "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" at karaoke. And you know that, no matter where you are or what you're doing, if "I Want It That Way" starts playing, you sing along. 

But today, this devoted BSB fan is here to tell you that if you only know their greatest hits, you're cheating yourself. During my recent 3,100-mile sojourn across the U.S., I had the chance to fully re-acquaint myself with the entire BSB catalogue, and it made me think about how some of my favorite BSB songs are ones that never see the light of day. So, in honor of the release of their 10th (!) studio album, DNA, tomorrow, I decided to share with you all my recommendations for the most under-appreciated BSB songs that really deserve to be heard by more people. 

1. "Feels Like Home"
In A World Like This, 2013
The Boys have always been very vocal about celebrating their international fanbase, and this bouncy, rock-tinged tune from their last studio album carries on that tradition. I love it because it captures the energy and excitement exchanged between the band and their devoted followers, and references both their personal journeys (Kevin Richardson, who sings the first verse about moonshine and bonfires, hails from Kentucky) and their experiences as a band ("London, Berlin/This is where it all began" is a nod to breaking through in Europe before hitting it big in the U.S.). Go ahead and clap along - you know you want to.

2. "Climbing the Walls"
Never Gone, 2005
For me, picking a favorite Backstreet Boys song is what I imagine picking my favorite child would be like, if I had children. It's so damn near impossible, but this soaring, rock-influenced power ballad from 2005's "Never Gone," is always right at the top of my list. Perhaps it's because when this song came out, I was in the midst of a torrid love affair with someone I had no business being in love with, but the song's themes of unrequited love and passion so strong it seeps under your skin resonated so much with me. With the combined belting power of AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Nick Carter, no band does big emotions music better than BSB, imho.

3. "Hey Mr. DJ (Keep Playin' This Song)" 
Backstreet Boys, 1997
Let me tell you something - when I first heard this song in 1998, at age 13, it made me FEEL THINGS. If my life took place in the world of Netflix's Big Mouth, this is the song that would have made my Hormone Monstress bust through my wall and into my life. With it's buzzy beat, silky background harmonies and AJ's smooth-yet-raspy vocals, this song made visions of dark, sweaty dance floors and sexy dudes with killer moves dance in my head. Sadly, when I actually grew up and got to experience dark, sweaty dance floors, I found them to generally be populated with creepy dudes with awkward boners, but I'm still hopeful that one day I will find a guy who makes me want to say "Hey Mr. DJ, keep playin; this song."

4. "Don't Wanna Lose You Now"
Millennium, 1999
Millennium, the Backstreet Boys' first CD released worldwide, is generally considered to be one of their strongest albums, and that fact was borne out in how much I struggled with which tracks from the album to include on this list. Every track on Millennium is solid, so you should really just go listen to the whole thing. But if you can't, or won't, you should at least listen to this mid-tempo track that ticks all the boxes of a great BSB song - glorious five-part harmonies? Check. A big, belty refrain that you want to shout from the rooftop? Check. A heart-wrenching emotional journey? Check. Treat yourself to a live, acoustic rendition from 2016 while you're here. 

5. "That's the Way I Like It"
Backstreet's Back, 1997
This track is such a deep cut, it was never formally released in the U.S. "That's The Way I Like It" was only included on the band's second European CD, "Backstreet's Back," making it something of a white whale for American fans (remember, kids, this was in the pre-Amazon days). But the power of this funky, slinky groove about the intoxicating power of music and mysterious women (which sounds nothing like the KC & the Sunshine Band tune of the same name) would not be denied. My friends and I managed to get our hands on contraband copies of "Backstreet's Back," and jammed our little hearts out, imagining we were the sexy "mystery lady" setting the Boys' desires aflame.

6. "Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon"
Unbreakable, 2007
For fans, 2007's Unbreakable was a bit of a crapshoot. Member Kevin Richardson went on hiatus from the band in 2006, and while we were happy the rest of the fellas decided to soldier on without him, we weren't really sure what the first Kevin-less album was going to be like. On Unbreakable, the Boys adopted a more adult contemporary sound, which is evident in "Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon," the album's closing track, and one of their most beautiful, in my opinion. Written by the four remaining BSB members - Littrell, Carter, McLean and Howie Dorough -  the song traffics more in metaphor and imagery than typical BSB songs, while still offering a strong emotional appeal.

7. "Poster Girl"
Never Gone, 2005
This is one of the few BSB songs that has any kind of narrative, story-telling element to it, which is part of the reason I like it so much. The scratchy record sound (I'm sure there's a technical musical term for that, but I'm not a technical musical person), the bouncy melody, and the tension in loving someone who you know is ultimately a disastrous train wreck makes this my second-favorite song from Never Gone, after "Climbing the Walls," of course.

8. "Don't Want You Back"
Millennium, 1999
Before there was NSync's "Bye Bye Bye," there was BSB's "Don't Want You Back." For the first time, the Boys were angry, and in 1999, BSB fans were here for it. With it's thumping, clanging drumbeat and moody melody, this was as close to raging against the machine as BSB got. This is probably the shallowest deep cut on this list, because the Boys have included this song in several of their tours and live concerts over the years. Twenty years later, we're still here for it. 

9. "Everyone"
Black and Blue, 2000
Did you know that in addition to a song called "Everybody," BSB also has a song called "Everyone"? See, you're learning so much today! This trippy, boppy uptempo song from Black and Blue always made me think of a pinball machine, and was ready-made to be an opener for their Black and Blue world tour. 

10. "10,000 Promises"
Backstreet's Back, 1997
Another song from BSB's second European album, Backstreet's Back. Like "That's The Way I Like It," I've always wondered what record-label shenanigans went down that kept this off their U.S. debut. It's a beautiful kiss-off power ballad that demonstrates the Boys' flawless five-part harmonies, and it's super-easy to relate to if you've ever been duped into loving someone untrustworthy (which sadly is most of us, at this point in our lives). It's ok. The Backstreet Boys understand.

11. "Panic"
Unbreakable, 2007
True story: from the first time I heard this song, it always conjured images in my mind of a trippy funhouse. I love the juxtaposition of the dubby drum and bass rhythm with the dark and moody (for BSB, at least) lyrics. Always guaranteed to get my head bopping.

12. "Undone"
This Is Us, 2009
When you listen to the Backstreet Boys as much as I do, you start to see some overarching themes in their songs. "Undone" is one of the best examples of what I call their "Ya Done Fucked Up" songs (see also: "10,000 Promises" and "Don't Want You Back" on this list). This is a rare example of the Boys exhibiting some restraint in their vocals, but it only serves to make the tone that much more menacing. You know when someone is so angry they whisper instead of scream? That's what's going on in "Undone," and if you've ever had a SO fuck you over, you know how real that feeling is. "Undone" was a pleasant bonus that they threw in their set list for their Las Vegas residency - check it out. 

13. "Try"
In A World Like This, 2013
The Backstreet Boys have always identified itself as, first and foremost, a vocal harmony group, evidenced by their ability to harmonize at the drop of a hat, with or without accompaniment. While it's been awhile since they've included a straight-up a cappella track on an album (although their new album, DNA, does include such a song), Try, on 2013's In A World Like This, came pretty close. Yes, this is yet another song on this list that features AJ as the lead vocalist, but it's simple, sexy and shows off what BSB does best - sing like five angels that fell right out of Heaven and into Orlando, FL.