The Netflix miniseries Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam explores the dark side of the rise of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, but what songs are included on the show’s soundtrack?
The three-episode series delves into the story of band manager Lou Pearlman’s mogul status in the American boy band market in the 1990s, spearheading the chart success of some of the biggest groups of the era, but also charting his dramatic fall.
Dirty Pop, named after an *NSYNC lyric, is ultimately the story of a con man, who in 2006 stood accused of running one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in US history.
The show uses interviews with many of Pearlman’s former colleagues as well as a number of the stars he helped to create to illustrate the dramatic arc of the businessman’s life.
It is suggested that Pearlman’s involvement in the entertainment industry began when he watched a New Kids On The Block appearance on TV and hatched a plan to create another group in their image.
That group went on to become Backstreet Boys, the members of whom Pearlman recruited with a talent search. In the wake of their success, similar acts followed, including *NSYNC, O-Town, LFO and Take 5.
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Pearlman was indicted by Florida authorities in 2006 on charges of conspiracy, money laundering and filing false bankruptcy, going on the run before finally being arrested in Indonesia in 2007.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2008 and passed away in 2016 after a cardiac arrest at the age of 62.
A previous documentary about Pearlman was made in 2019, titled The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story, produced by *NSYNC’s Lance Bass.
Here’s every song in Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam
Given the subject matter of the series, the three episodes are packed full of ‘90s boy band classics. The songs that are included are:
EPISODE ONE
Backstreet Boys – ‘I Want It That Way’
*NSYNC – ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’
New Kids On The Block – ‘Step By Step’
Backstreet Boys – ‘We’ve Got It Goin’ On’
Backstreet Boys – ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)’
EPISODE TWO
*NSYNC – ‘Bye Bye Bye’
O-Town – ‘Liquid Dreams’
Lime – ‘Babe, We’re Gonna Love Tonight’
Aaron Carter – ‘Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)’
Natural – ‘Paradise’
Natural – ‘Put Your Arms Around Me’
EPISODE THREE
Backstreet Boys – ‘Larger Than Life’