10 Songs That Scream Total Request Live
6. “Bye, Bye, Bye” — *NSYNC
Keeping in theme with the title of their second studio album No Strings Attached, *NSYNC’s videos often portrayed the band as puppets. “Bye, Bye, Bye” featured a hot chick who kept the boys on marionette strings. The boys escaped by climbing on top of a train, where the girl proceeded to chase them. Eventually, they all found really nice convertibles (how convenient) and chased each other on a deserted highway until the girl was left next to a cliff. Luckily, no one died. Oh yeah, and there was an epic “Bye, Bye, Bye” dance that I and everyone else knew and practiced on the daily. In fact, I still know it.
7. “Larger Than Life” — Backstreet Boys
Talk about Y2K. This video was all about how awesome the future was going to be. But 13 years later (ugh), it’s not all that cool. At all. There are no robots. Girls and guys do not wear weird space gear when going to space. Actually, normal people do not go to space, ever. This whole space theme was apparent in Britney’s “Oops I Did It Again,” too. Why? I don’t get it. This video spent the longest time at number 1 on TRL out of ALL the videos, so space must have been pretty chic back then.
8. “Unpretty” — TLC
Holy breast implants. This video brought me out of the sheltered shell I lived in and taught me about plastic surgery. Oh, you feel ugly? Just go to a doctor and have him make your boobs bigger. Oh, you feel fat? Start throwing up. I know you were trying to make a point, TLC, but thanks for the ideas!
9. “Bawitdaba” — Kid Rock
This video featured Kid Rock strolling around in some trailer park dressed like a pimp — colored top hats and velvet suits and all. I still have absolutely no idea what the meaning of this video and song actually was… but there were kids, pimps, guidos before guidos existed, and what I think were prostitutes. In other words, it was awesome. I think? I guess? Either way, this video sticks out in my mind as a TRL fan favorite.
10. “I Want It That Way” — Backstreet Boys
No countdown of ’90s and early 2000s music videos is complete without the mention of “I Want It That Way.” This video was set inside and outside an airport. Inside, the boys had on white suits and outside the suits were dark. I have no idea what the point of this video was except to relay the message that the boys wanted lots of fans around at all time with signs and they wanted to be able to leave said fans without being attacked by getting on their own private jet. Wouldn’t we all?