Westlife

Irish boyband Westlife were initially more famous for their manager, Ronan Keating of Boyzone, than they were for their music. But over two record breaking years--April 1999 to December 2000--Westlife topped the U.K. singles charts with their first seven singles, a feat that even the Beatles did not manage. Founding member Bryan McFadden left in March 2004 to pursue a solo career, an event which usually spells the end for a boyband, but Westlife continued undaunted, going on to secure their fourth U.K. number one album with 2005's FACE TO FACE.

• pop