I think I made the best worst playlist and why you need to listen to it.
I think I made the best worst playlist of my year. Mind you, it still needs some refining, but it’s something that will just give me the best giggles when I need them most and brings me such joy.
Let me preface with this briefly before going into my playlist: I have grown up in and around all kinds of music. I have been playing piano for nearly 30 years and have been pretty musically inclined since then. These days, I’m basically always listening to something. As a Sound Designer, Podcast Editor and music lover, I’m always on the lookout for something new—or finding ways to make something new. From lo-fi to audiobooks, it’s never a dull day for the ears. And I’d say I have a fairly tolerant ear for music and can listen to just about anything except generic retail store music (retail ruined me) and some rap/hip-hop.
I have made a lot of playlists in my lifetime and will probably continue to do so. I mostly make them for myself, but I have attempted making “mixtapes” for other people and different types of projects. Some are successful. Some are super niche and built for a specific mood. I’ve been at this for a while—trying to build one playlist I can throw on day-to-day and only tweak a little here and there.
All of that to say, I’ve made one of the best worst playlists I could’ve thought to make. And I have dubbed it my ‘best worst playlist of the year’ because it is both great and cringey. I named it “The Boys” and yes, you can listen to it here (on Spotify):
This originally started as a playlist to listen to new bands I would potentially see in concert. Bands like Stray Kids, BTS, or some other kpop group that a friend was looking into getting tickets for. But once I started adding Spotify-made playlists for those artists, the whole thing became disorienting. The K-pop was way too juxtaposed against the rock/alternative music I already had in there. It helps me sometimes to mix songs like this if I’m trying to get into a new genre. This playlist did not work.
So, back to the drawing board. I removed the kpop bands which left me with my 3 favorite bands: Twenty One Pilots, NOT A TOY and Voila. I really wanted to listen to more of Voila and NOT A TOY after hearing them live early November and decided to isolate them in this playlist. I had become obsessed with them and their music. When I put these bands together, I made a connection that these were all boy bands in the sense that every member was a guy. And once that thought entered my brain, it was over. I started combing Spotify for more. Here is the full list of bands (in no particular order) on this playlist:
NOT A TOY, Voila, Twenty One Pilots, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, The Backseat Lovers, Glass Animals, Imagine Dragons, Five Finger Death Punch, Blue October, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, The Wrecks, Depeche Mode, Maroon 5, OneRepublic, U2, One Direction, Jonas Brothers, AJR, Coldplay, lovelytheband, half*alive, Switchfoot, dreamfone, The Cinema, MISSIO, Bastille, X Ambassadors, and Bleachers.
I know…a very eclectic collection of music. And it’s still growing as I find more bands that meet the requirements. Yes, I’m aware most of these aren’t what you’d normally call “boy bands,” but if it’s 2 or more people in a band and they all happen to be men (boys) then they get added to the playlist. They all have a part in the band and have all made at least one album cover together (this last part is optional, but most of the bands I verified for this playlist had at least one album cover with all the members on it).
I’m pretty proud of this playlist and I have to say, every time an *NSYNC song comes on or Backstreet Boys, I’m thrown back in time to little 7-year-old Meghan listening to these bands on repeat, belting out the lyrics like I’d written them myself, and I smile to myself. I still know all the lyrics, which is honestly kind of alarming. And if this playlist proves anything, it’s that I’ve always been quietly obsessed with boy bands seeing as I used to listen to so many.
This playlist is pretty timeless. From one genre to the next and back again. Not only did childhood favorites like *NSYNC make it on here, but so did Depeche Mode, U2, and Maroon 5—bands I grew up hearing thanks to my dad. Who would’ve thought all these bands would end up on the same playlist in 2026? Taking me back to the past and looking into the future as new bands emerge and gain momentum.
What do you think of this playlist? What’s the most cursed playlist concept you’ve ever made?
Any other boy bands you would recommend for this playlist? I would love to add more!
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