Legacy Recordings - Backstreet Boys - Twenty-five years ago today, Backstreet Boys released their self-titled debut U.S. album … and they’re still performing most of the songs from it every night on tour.

This 1997 album was actually a compilation of two international albums: a 1996 release also called Backstreet Boys and a 1997 release called Backstreet’s Back. It initially debuted at #29, but thanks to the success of the group’s first big U.S. hit, “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart),” its popularity continued to grow.

In five months, the album had climbed to its peak — #4 — and sold 2 million copies. By the end of 1998, it was the third best-selling album of the year, with more than 5.7 million copies sold. To date, it’s sold more than 14 million copies.

BACKSTREET BOYS