#6 The Monkees

The Monkees were originally formed in 1965 for an American television series. It seems that they are the real pioneers of the ‘manufactured boy band’ brand. With their rising popularity, the actor-musicians embraced their talents and eventually became a real band. With their ongoing TV series, the group never had much time to rehearse for their performances as a band. With the show’s cancellation in 1968, the band pushed through and continued to record songs until 1971.

With a series of reunion albums and tours during the succeeding decades, The Monkees have sold over 65 million albums worldwide as of 2013.