Love

10 Wedding-Worthy Songs By The Backstreet Boys

Backstreet Boys

They're arguably the most accomplished boy band on Earth and now one of their most sought-after members is hitched.

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, who had kept legions of fans' hopes high by announcing he would never get married, finally went back on his word. This year, he wed his girlfriend of four years, fitness instructor Lauren Kitt, in a sunset ceremony at a seaside resort in Santa Barbara, California.

We're happy for him, but needless to say, his marriage broke a lot of hearts. After all, millions of girls imagined that every line he sang was dedicated just to them. Like all boy bands, the Backstreet Boys rocked the '90s by making songs especially for the ladies. But the Backstreet Boys songs particularly are, at their core, love songs with infectious melodies.

So sit back as we "get down and move it all around" to their most wedding-worthy numbers:

1. "Yes, I Will"

If you're proposing to a Backstreet-Boys-crazed girl, this song would go well with your popping the question. "I'm down on my knees, I'm asking you / Say these three words I wanna hear from you..." Then let your girl take the chorus from there.

In fact, this song works as well in the wedding as the proposal stage. "Yes I will, give you everything you need / And someday start a family with you / I stand beside you / In everything you do / Wherever you go, whatever you do / Baby I'll be there / As God as my witness / I will carry this through / Til death to us part / Promised to you." Ring the wedding bells, already!

2. "I Promise You (With Everything I Am)"

Almost all of their tunes sound like the boys would drop everything to walk you down the aisle right now. But this song — off their 2000 album Black & Blue — just screams matrimony.

At one point, the song goes: "It seems like everyone we know is breakin' up ... does anybody ever stay in love anymore?" Could this line be the reason for Nick Carter's initial real-life aversion to marriage? Whatever the case, the song quickly reassures the listener, in no uncertain terms: "I promise you from the bottom of my heart / I will love you til' death do us part / I promise you as a lover and a friend / I will love you like I never love again with everything I am." Altogether now: Awwwwww.

3. "The One"

Many of us spend our lives searching for 'The One' to smooch at the altar. This song sets that search to dance music: "You need me like I need you / We can share our dreams coming true / I can show you what true love means / Just take my hand, baby please / I'll be the one, I'll be the light."

It would be nice if you could tell your wedding band to render a stripped-down, acoustic version of this upbeat number. You'd be surprised at the results.

4. "Anywhere For You"


When you're in love, you're not above using cheesy hyperboles to express your romantic intentions. This is the musical equivalent of those cheesy hyperboles. In one of their earliest hits, the boys talk about walking halfway around the world for just one kiss. And the line, "Couldn't live my life without you in it, and now I want the whole wide world to know" is as good a wedding promise as any. Like many '90s songs, this one has a requisite Spanish version, titled "Donde Quieras Yo Iré."

5. "I'll Never Break Your Heart"


This is Backstreet Boys doing their best Boyz II Men impression. If you have been burned by love before, the boys urge you to give it another go  — with any of them. They will never break your heart. They'd rather die than live without you. Honey, that's no lie. "From the first day that I saw your smiling face, honey, I knew that we would be together forever," they croon. This track also has a Spanish version, "Nunca Te Haré Llorar."

6. "As Long As You Love Me"


However dark and humiliating your secret is, Nick Carter says it all: "Don't care what is written in your history." How you got them blind is still a mystery though. Did you ply them with a love potion then? It doesn't matter — you've still got the love from Nick, Howie, Brian, AJ and Kevin. This was a monster hit back in the day, when it topped the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for weeks on end.

7. "All I Have To Give"


Listening to this song begs for a little suspension of disbelief as the Backstreet Boys are filthy rich. They can buy you nice things and they most definitely have "fancy cars." But it's a pretty relevant song to play if you're planning on throwing a wedding on a tight budget.

8. "No One Else Comes Close"


Your vows don't end at the altar. Each day is an opportunity to renew them. It's just nice to be able to say at random, in the bed or at the dinner table: "Girl, you know I'll always treasure / Every kiss / Every day I love you, girl, in every way / And I always will 'coz in my eyes / No one else comes close to you / No one makes me feel the way you do / You're so special, girl, to me / And you'll always be eternally." Amen.

9. "How Did I Fall In Love With You?"


No predicament could be greater in life than taking a platonic relationship to the next level. Have you seen My Best Friend's Wedding? Well, this must be its long-lost soundtrack. In this song, the boys make it clear they don't want to stay "best of friends like sister and brother." They want to spend the rest of their lives with you.

10. "I Want It That Way"


"You are my fire / The one desire / Believe when I say / I want it that way..." Who doesn't know the opening to this massive pop classic? Prepare for a mass sing-along among '90s kids during the wedding party.

And A Bonus Track! "Love Can't Wait"


Nick Carter may not have the same name recall like Justin Timberlake among the under-18 set today, but he can more than hold his own. "Love Can't Wait" is the highest-charting song of Nick's solo career, peaking at number 2 on Canada's Singles Chart. If you still have doubts about Nick being the marrying type, the song's lyrics will put those doubts to rest. And hey, doesn't this song just get you excited for love?

What's your favorite Backstreet Boys throwback hit? Tell us in the comments below!