Teen Pop Takes Off in 2000

Selling all those records required more than a pretty face. "We showed everybody that we're musical," said 'NSync's Justin Timberlake, "that we're not just poster boys."

"The songs were übermelodic, with überhooks -- but production that was just edgy enough to make it hip," adds Weiss. "We sold our records to the people who live between New York and L.A. That's where the pop audience was."

The Backstreet Boys had gotten the first jump, kicking down the door in 1997 with their debut album, Backstreet Boys. 'NSync, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera followed close behind, all going multiplatinum several times over with each successive record. Even second-tier acts such as 98 Degrees and O-Town sold millions. "It was normal to sell that much," says Chasez. "Now, everything has been reset. Going just platinum is a big thing again."

Crucial to the success of these acts was the explosion of the Internet -- which allowed artists to build a community of fans they could reach directly -- and MTV's Total Request Live. The call-in show was hosted by Carson Daly, who became a de facto baby sitter for millions of preteens. "It was such a powerful thing to see young kids get so into music and reacting to it," Daly says. "The screams still ring in my ears. One week it'd be Britney, Christina, Backstreet, in the studio, one right after another. I felt like a used-car salesman. And I was moving a lot of cars."