98 Degrees' first break came when they drew attention trying to crash the backstage area of a Boys II Men show. Soon they found their way into a recording contract with Motown. The group's first single "Invisible Man" rose to #12 on the pop singles chart in 1997. Following the single's success, the group's first self-titled album was released.
The second album 98 Degrees and Rising was a major pop breakthrough. It reached #14 on the album chart in 1998 and included the top 10 hit singles "Because of You" and "The Hardest Part." 98 Degrees were suddenly a top boy band mentioned in the same breath with Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.