Normally I’m not interested in reading any about the Backstreet Boys, but The New York Times had a fascinating look at the group’s rise and fall.
But the article is really about the shady business dealings in the recording industry. Even though their CD “Backstreet Boys” sold millions of copies in Europe and 10 million copies in the United States, between 1993 and 1998 the band members only received $300,000 total in royalties due to the slippery accounting methods used by record companies (the movie and record industry accounting practices make WorldCom and Enron look honest in comparison).
Their original manager, for example, cleverly booked his expenses against the band’s royalties, so while he was making millions, they were earning peanuts. He also crafted their original contract in such a way that he was a member of the group, so he paid himself as the manager and then paid himself again by taking a share of the royalties as a member of the group.
They get out of that contract thank to a small management company called the Firm which then uses the Backstreet Boys to build its own business, including entering into deals which clearly benefit the management company but also help kill the band’s career. (They sold the “Black and Blue” tour to Clear Channel which was great for the Firm but pissed off a lot of the group’s fans because it meant huge ticket prices and, in many cases, poor ticket sales as a result).
Backstreet Boys music sucks as far as I’m concerned, but the behind the scenes story is fascinating.