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Four albums in five years secured their place in history - The first of which was self-titled and came out in 1996. It featured songs like 'We've Got It Goin' On' and 'I'll Never Break Your Heart.'

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In 1997 they released 'Backstreet's Back' - One of their most famous songs, 'Everybody (Backstreet's Back)' is on this album, as well as 'As Long As You Love Me.'

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'Millenium' came out two years later - One of the best-selling albums of all time, 'Millenium' featured the singles 'I Want It That Way,' 'Larger than Life,' and 'Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely'—three of their most famous songs.

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Their fourth album in their five-year streak was 'Black & Blue' - 'Shape of My Heart,' 'The Call,' and 'More than That' were the gems on this 2000 album.

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They took a two year hiatus - Because how do you set records, win millions of hearts, and reach international fame without taking a well-deserved break?

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AJ McLean took a little detour - He embraced an alter ego called "Johnny No Name" who has supposedly been to jail (though McLean has not), and performed solo music in rock clubs.

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McLean also went to rehab - He suffered from drug and alcohol addiction, but his bandmates were there for him and he pulled through.

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Nick Carter also experimented going solo - He released 'Now or Never' in 2002 and achieved enough international success to tour the album worldwide.

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Carter was given a lot of attention, but he still loved his band - Even after ranking in the top 10 of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" and being Cosmogirl's "Sexiest Man in the World," Carter didn't pull a full Beyoncé and stick with a solo career.

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They made a (second) comeback - If 'Backstreet's Back' was their first comeback, their second was with the album 'Never Gone.' They certainly were never gone in the eyes of their fans.

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A new sound - The album was released in 2005, and marked a significant shift in their sound towards live instrumentation.

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'Never Gone' - 'Incomplete,' 'Just Want You to Know,' and 'I Still…' were the standout singles on this more mature album, which seemed to age with their fans.

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An emotional time - The album was partly inspired by the death of Kevin Richardson's father—who was also Brian Littrell's uncle, as the two members are cousins.

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Richardson left the group - After touring the album, Richardson departed in 2006 to pursue other interests, and left a note on the band's website that said, "It was a very tough decision for me but one that was necessary in order to move on with the next chapter of my life. Howard, Brian, Alex and Nick will always be my little brothers and have my utmost love and support."

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Carter had a reality TV show - 'House of Carters' premiered in 2006, and followed the lives of the Carter siblings as they navigated their careers and relationships to each other.

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Brian Littrell wanted to see what he was missing on the solo route - His album 'Welcome Home' was released in 2006 and was popular on Christian song charts.

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From a quintet to a quartet - The group released their next album in 2007, called 'Unbreakable,' which featured singles like 'Inconsolable' and 'Helpless When She Smiles.'

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Their second album without Richardson came out two years later - 'This Is Us' was released in 2009, and featured the singles like 'Straight Through My Heart' and 'Bigger.'

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Howie D. also ventured the solo route - He released his first solo album, 'Back to Me,' in 2011, and even joined Britney Spears on her Femme Fatale Tour. He also started managing the Canadian band Neverest in 2010.

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Howie D. the humanitarian - Dorough lost his sister to lupus in 1998, and later founded the Dorough Lupus Foundation.

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That ex-Backstreet Boy came back! - In 2012, Kevin Richardson missed the guys so much that he rejoined them permanently, and all was restored in the world of pop.

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Just in time for their 20th anniversary - They released their eighth studio album 'In a World Like This' in 2013, which featured the singles like 'Madeleine,' 'Show 'Em (What You're Made Of),' and the title track.

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Nick Carter wrote a movie! - 'Dead 7' (2016) is a post-apocalyptic zombie horror western film written by Carter and starring two BSB members, McLean and Dorough.

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They made several television appearances in 2016 - They had appearances on shows from NBC's 'Undateable,' to 'Lip Sync Battle,' and ABC's 'Greatest Hits.'

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And, of course, they made a documentary - 'Backstreet Boys: Show 'Em What You're Made Of' released in 2015, and chronicled their incredible rise to fame.

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Their third comeback - The media dragged out the time-honored "Backstreet's Back" when the band returned with a country collaboration with Florida Georgia Line, which led to their first Billboard Hot 100 entry since 2007.

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Las Vegas residency in 2017 - Littrell described the show to Rolling Stone, 'Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life,' by saying, "If you've ever been to a Backstreet Boys show, it's going to be that on steroids."

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The powerful "return" of the iconic '90s boy band - 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' is both nostalgic and fresh, imbuing BSB with new life while tugging at everyone's old fan girl heartstrings.

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DNA tour - The group followed up the single with the 'DNA' album, and began their world tour in 2019.

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But did they ever really leave? -

Through immense success, solo acts, tours, films, health issues, family drama, and a legacy of fandom, the Backstreet Boys, despite their many apparent "comebacks," don't seem to have ever really left.

See also: Classic, and crazy, celebrity comebacks.

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