Boyzone

Boyzone
Boyzone during a performance in June 2009
Boyzone during a performance in June 2009
Background information
OriginDublin, Ireland
GenresPop
Years active
  • 1993–2000
  • 2007–2019
Labels
Past members
Websitewww.boyzonenetwork.com

Boyzone was an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's The Late Late Show. Its most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating, and Shane Lynch. As of 2018, Boyzone had released seven studio albums and nine compilation albums.

In 2012, the Official Charts Company revealed the biggest selling singles artists in British music chart history, with Boyzone currently placed at 29th and the second most successful boy band in Britain, behind Take That.[1] According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Boyzone has been certified for sales of 6.3 million albums and 8 million singles in the UK,[2] with 25 million records sold by 2013 worldwide.[3][4] Boyzone have had six UK No.1 singles and nine No.1 singles in Ireland. Of the 24 singles they released in the UK, 21 entered the top 40 (including 18 in the top 10 and 12 in the top 2) in the UK charts and 22 singles (including 19 in the top 5) in the Irish charts. They have had five No. 1 albums in the UK.

Boyzone split in 1999, but made a comeback in 2007, originally with the intention of just touring. Gately died on 10 October 2009 of a congenital heart defect while on holiday in the Spanish island of Majorca.[5] Boyzone went on tour in late 2018 to celebrate their 25th anniversary. An album to celebrate the anniversary was released on 16 November 2018.[6][7][8] On 28 April 2018, it was announced that the band would split for good after their anniversary celebrations, which ended in 2019.[9]

  1. ^ "Official Singles Charts' biggest selling artists of all time revealed". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  2. ^ "Certified Awards". Bpi.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  3. ^ Hope, Hannah (29 November 2013). "Boyzone celebrate 20 years at the top - and pledge to make it 50 like the Rolling Stones". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Who's sold the most records? - Boyzone v Take That - Pictures - Music". Virginmedia.com. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Stephen Gately's family hurt by 'wild' drugs rumours". The Belfast Telegraph. 16 October 2009. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Thank You & Goodnight by Boyzone on iTunes". Music.apple.com. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Boyzone have ditched the ballads and gone 'urban' for comeback album | Metro News". Metro.co.uk. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Keith Duffy on Boyzone getting back together again after signing record deal for 25th anniversary - Irish Mirror Online". Irishmirror.ie. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  9. ^ Gallagher, Mary (27 April 2018). "Boyzone 'to split for good' after Stephen Gately tribute". Ok.co.uk.