From the release of their self-titled debut album in 1997 through their (so far) final album Celebrity in 2001, *NSYNC tore up our hearts and the Billboard charts with their hit songs, including “Bye, Bye, Bye,” “It’s Gonna Be Me” and more.
The blockbuster boy band — made up of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick — had a revolving door of hits on the Pop Airplay chart in the late 1990s and early 2000s, scoring two No. 1s on the chart in just over four years of activity. “Bye Bye Bye,” from 2000’s No Strings Attached, spent 10 weeks atop the chart in 2000, while “It’s Gonna Be Me” from the same project had five weeks at No. 1 later that year. Including their pair of No. 1s, *NSYNC scored nine top 10 hits on the Pop Airplay chart overall.
Over on the Billboard Hot 100, the quintet scored six top 10s and a lone No. 1 hit; “It’s Gonna Be Me” spent two weeks atop the list in spring 2000. Their longest-charting hit on the Hot 100 was “This I Promise You,” also from No Strings Attached, which spent 26 weeks on the chart in late 2000, peaking at No. 5.
No Strings Attached rewrote the record books when it was released in March 2000, selling a record-shattering 2.4 million copies in its first week — a feat that they held until Adele’s 25 album surpassed its week-one sales in 2015. The album also spent eight weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart. The group’s only other No. 1 on the albums chart is Celebrity, which spent a week atop the tally in August 2001.
Below, revisit the group’s 10 biggest hits on the Pop Airplay chart.
*NSYNC’s 10 Biggest Billboard Hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Pop Airplay chart, through the Sept. 9, 2023, ranking. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 40 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
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10. “I Drive Myself Crazy”
Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/GI Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 14
Peak Date: May 22, 1999
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9. “Pop”
Image Credit: Tim Roney/GI Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 5
Peak Date: June 30, 2001
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8. “Gone”
Image Credit: Tim Roney/GI Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 7
Peak Date: Nov. 17, 2001
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7. “Girlfriend,” feat. Nelly
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 5
Peak Date: April 13, 2002
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6. “I Want You Back”
Image Credit: GI/Bob Riha, Jr. Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 7
Peak Date: May 9, 1998
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5. “Tearin’ Up My Heart”
Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 6
Peak Date: Sept. 26, 1998
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4. “This I Promise You”
Image Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 4
Peak Date: Nov. 18, 2000
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3. “(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You”
Image Credit: Scott Harrison/Hulton Archive/GI Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 5
Peak Date: Feb. 20, 1999
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2. “It’s Gonna Be Me”
Image Credit: Bob Berg/GI Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 1 (five weeks)
Peak Date: July 1, 2000
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1. “Bye Bye Bye”
Image Credit: Vinnie Zuffante/GI Peak Position on Pop Airplay: No. 1 (10 weeks)
Peak Date: March 4, 2000