Boy bands draw grown-up paydays

The heady pinnacle of the teen-pop explosion five years ago casts a long shadow in the pop world. ‘N Sync, though long gone from the charts and arena stages, still holds the record for combined concert and album sales revenue since Calendar began compiling the list in 1997.

‘N Sync racked up a whopping $212.9 million in 2000 and finished in the Ultimate Top 10 for four consecutive years, taking No. 1 honors twice. So it’s no surprise that the youth-pop sensation has generated the most money on that list over its nine-year existence: $529.6 million.

Additionally, ‘N Sync’s peers landed two more spots on the overall Top 10 list.

At No. 2: Backstreet Boys, with $520.5 million. Neither the group’s 2005 reunion tour nor its album (“Never Gone”) made a big impression on year-end rankings, but they added enough to the group’s 1998-2001 take to push it ahead of Celine Dion for runner-up honors.

Dion’s $517.3 million makes her the only other act to crack $500 million. The rest of the Ultimate Top 10 finishers through the years: Dave Matthews Band ($408.5 million), U2 ($376.4 million), the Rolling Stones ($375.4 million), Britney Spears ($346.7 million), Eminem ($333.2 million), the Dixie Chicks ($283.6 million) and Shania Twain ($282.8 million).