Formed by Lou Pearlman, McLean and Dorough were the first of the current members to audition in August 1992. Two months later, Carter auditioned and joined the group. Following the departure of two members, Richardson came aboard in March 1993. The group took its final shape on April 19, 1993, when Brian Littrell joined the group after a phone audition. He was urged to audition by his cousin, Richardson. Almost immediately, they performed their first concert on May 8 in front of 3,000 teenagers. However, American recognition would not come easily.

After a possible Mercury Record deal failed, the band was spotted in Cleveland, Ohio by Zomba/Jive in February 1994. By June, they were recording their first single "We've Got It Goin' On". The following year, the boys had a setback when their single only reached #69 on the Billboard charts. They were considerably more successful in Europe, earning their first Gold disc in Germany.

1996 marked a big change for the boys as European popularity grew. The group earned their first Platinum record in Germany (500,000 CDs sold) and toured Asia and Canada.

By 1997 after 8.5 million discs sold worldwide, the Backstreet Boys had their eyes set on American success. They began to record a new album for the American market and released "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" as their new single. The single quickly climbed to #2. By the middle of the year, the boys released their first American album which peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts and sold a total of nine million copies in 1997. By December 1997, the boys embarked on a 60-city, 20-country tour.

In 1998, Littrell underwent surgery to correct a congenital heart disorder. Dorough's sister died of Lupus and the boys struggled with their manager filing a law suit, and rumors of a breakup. At the end of 1998, the boys had sold an additional 8 million copies of their self titled album and were working on a followup.

By February 1999, the boys received their first Diamond award by the RIAA for shipment of 10 milion copies of their album. After a strong first single, "I Want It That Way", the group's sophomore album, Millennium, sold over 1.1 million units in its first week setting a record for most albums sold in its debut week. In August, they sold out a 39-city tour in less than a day. By the end of 1999, the Backstreet Boys met new problems declaring their Jive contract null and void, soon striking the largest record deal ever valued at $60 million with Jive.

In 2000, Littrell and Richardson confirmed their engagements to their fiancées. At the end of the year, the group released their new album Black & Blue. The title of the album acting was a metaphor for how the boys felt they were beat up by the media and others. The album debuted with 1.6 million units sold in the first week in America, setting a record as the first artist to have two albums sell a million or more in its first week. They also set the record for the first week worldwide record selling 5 million.

In 2001, A.J. McLean checked himself into rehab to battle drinking, drug addiction, and depression. Another tragedy struck as the terror attack of September 11 occurred, killing a Backstreet Boys crew mate, Daniel Lee, and sparking the cancellation of all overseas tours. In October 2001, the boys released Chapter One and disc of their greatest hits as well as their last single, "Drowning", until their return in 2005. By the end of 2001 and into 2002, it was clear the Backstreet Boys were on an extended break.

After a five-year hiatus, the Backstreet Boys are currently staging a comeback to the music world. Their brand new single, "Incomplete", was released to radio stations on March 28, 2005 with some success.

On June 14, 2005, the Backstreet Boys made their critically acclaimed return to the pop landscape with the release of their fifth studio release, "Never Gone". It debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts with a total of 291,000 copies sold in its first week.