Top 10 NSYNC Songs

NSYNC

SGranitz / WireImage

01
of 10

"Girlfriend" featuring Nelly (2002)

This was the third single from NSYNC's third album Celebrity and the final single released by the group. It became their sixth release to hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Neptunes, including Pharrell Williams, remixed the album version of the song adding in rap verses from Nelly for the single release. The recording won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Hook Up. The accompanying music video was also re-edited to include Nelly. The rapper was at the peak of his first surge in popularity. His appearance on the single helped bring "Girlfriend" into the top 25 of the R&B songs chart.

There are two music videos in existence for "Girlfriend." The first uses the album version of the song and features only the group. It was released in December 2001 ahead of the single's release and includes group member Justin Timberlake winning a drag race. A re-edited music video includes scenes of Nelly added into the already existing scenes. Both were directed by Marc Klasfeld.

02
of 10

"Music Of My Heart" with Gloria Estefan (1999)

"Music Of My Heart" was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster for the soundtrack of the movie Music Of the Heart, the only film directed by Wes Craven outside of the horror genre. The movie told the true story of Roberta Guaspari who co-founded Harlem's Opus 118 School of Music. This collaboration between NSYNC and Latin recording star Gloria Estefan received an Academy Award nomination and two Grammy Award nominations. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the adult contemporary chart. "Music Of My Heart" was the second NSYNC single to reach the pop top 10 and the first by Gloria Estefan as a solo artist in eight years. The accompanying music video was directed by Nigel Dick, an English music video director who created the Band Aid video for "Do They Know It's Christmas?" The clip shows NSYNC and Gloria Estefan singing at Miami Senior High School in Miami, Florida.

03
of 10

"(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You" (1999)

"(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You" was the final single released from NSYNC's self-titled debut album and their first to reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #8. It performed even better on the adult contemporary chart going all the way to #2. The song was co-produced and co-written by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers who later put together Rihanna's first hit "Pon De Replay." The country group Alabama recorded a version of "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You" in 1999 with NSYNC on backing vocals and took it to #3 on the country chart. The music video for "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You" was directed by Lionel C. Martin and shows a mother and child as the child grows up and goes to war and comes back home while the group sings the song.

04
of 10

"Gone" (2001)

"Gone" was the second single released from NSYNC's final studio album Celebrity. The beautiful ballad received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Performance By a Duo Or Group With Vocal. "Gone" peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart while also climbing into the R&B singles chart and peaking at #14. NSYNC member Justin Timberlake co-wrote "Gone" and has stated the song was originally intended for Michael Jackson but the project was ultimately scrapped. 

The accompanying music video was directed by legendary fashion photographer Herb Ritts and shot in black and white. It was filmed in August 2001, but it was held back from audiences until late September due to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The clip shows flashbacks of Justin Timberlake and his love interest in the video, model Korina Longin. The music video received a nomination for Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards.

05
of 10

"I Want You Back" (1998)

"I Want You Back" is the song that first broke NSYNC into pop charts across Europe. It reached the top 10 on the German pop singles chart and reached the top 40 across Europe. Two years later it peaked at #5 on the UK pop singles chart and climbed to #13 in the US becoming NSYNC's breakthrough pop hit single. "I Want You Back" was certified gold for sales over one million copies. Max Martin co-wrote and co-produced the song with Denniz Pop. The latter passed away as a victim of stomach cancer at age 35 in 1998.

Two versions of the "I Want You Back" music video have been released. One shot in Stockholm, Sweden appeared with the German release of the song in 1996. It shows the group in a space station. It was directed by Russian-American filmmaker Alan Calzatti. The second video was directed by Jesse Vaughan and Douglas Biro and was shot in black-and-white for the American release of "I Want You Back" in 1998.

06
of 10

"It's Gonna Be Me" (2000)

This was the second single released from NSYNC's second studio album No Strings Attached. It became the group's only song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. "It's Gonna Be Me" also reached the top 10 on the UK pop singles chart. Max Martin was a co-writer of the song and production duties were handled by Rami Yacoub who later co-produced the debut single from One Direction.

The innovative music video, directed by Wayne Isham, features the group members as plastic doll versions of themselves. The music video opens in a toy store with the group's hit "Bye Bye Bye" playing in the background. The group members punch out of their plastic covered boxes and try to attract the attention of a girl who is shopping portrayed by Kim Smith. Other dolls tease the group when they are bought first. Finally, when the girl buys the band members, they become their real-life selves.

07
of 10

"Tearin' Up My Heart" (1998)

"Tearin' Up My Heart" from NSYNC's self-titled first studio album was one of the singles that broke the group into the US pop charts. VH1 has listed the song as one of the top songs of the 1990s. It broke into the top 10 at mainstream pop radio but was not able to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 due to rules that were in force that excluded album cuts from charting. Later the song peaked at a deceptively low #59. "Tearin' Up My Heart" was a top 10 pop hit single across much of Europe. The music video, directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, earned an MTV Video Music Awards nomination for Best Pop Video.

08
of 10

"This I Promise You" (2000)

Pop singer and songwriter Richard Marx wrote "This I Promise You," arguably NSYNC's most beloved pop ballad. It has become a favorite wedding song. Richard Marx later recorded the song in both ballad and rock version. NSYNC's "This I Promise You" single was released as the third from the album No Strings Attached. It climbed to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 while spending an impressive 13 weeks at the top of the adult contemporary chart. Surprisingly, NSYNC had less success internationally with the song climbing only to #21 in the UK.

Dave Meyers directed the music video for "This I Promise You." It shows the group singing in Redwood forests in northern California. The San Francisco skyline appears and later in the video the group is singing at an outdoor cafe along the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

09
of 10

"Pop" (2001)

"Pop" was released as the first single from NSYNC's third and final studio album Celebrity. It was co-written by group member Justin Timberlake and Wade Robson. Production was handled by electronic music artist BT. The song's lyrics took on criticism of boy bands and mainstream pop music assuring listeners that the songs are enduring and not a fad. Chart performance was somewhat disappointing with "Pop" only reaching #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Pop" hit the top 10 on the UK pop singles chart and went all the way to #1 in Canada.

The MTV Video Music Awards gave four awards to the accompanying music video including Best Pop Video. The clip begins with a girl played by actress Sandra McCoy holding a bowl of cereal while she watches a commercial of Justin Timberlake selling pop. The music video shifts to the group members performing in a colorful club. NSYNC performed "Pop" live at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards and Michael Jackson performed with them as a guest artist.

10
of 10

"Bye Bye Bye" (2000)

NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" was the first single released from the ten million selling second studio album No Strings Attached. it was co-written and co-produced by the Swedish pair of Kristian Lundin and Jake Schulze, part of the Cheiron Studios team that included Max Martin. The song was initially offered to the British boy band Five, but they rejected it. Reportedly the song is also a reference to NSYNC's parting from their manager Lou Pearlman and RCA Records. "Bye Bye Bye" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, spent twelve weeks inside the top 10, and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year. "Bye Bye Bye" was also an international pop smash peaking inside the top 10 on pop singles charts around the world.

The accompanying music video for "Bye Bye Bye" earned three honors at the MTV Video Music Awards including Best Pop Video. The clip features the group members as puppets controlled by strings in the hands of an evil puppetmaster played by Kim Smith who would later appear in the "It's Gonna Be Me" music video. Eventually she cuts all of the group members loose and they escape.