AMAs: Justin Bieber Wins Awards, Boy Bands Win Hearts

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Members of Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block arrive at the American Music Awards

Danny Moloshok/Reuters

Justin Bieber goes four-for-four at Sunday night’s American Music Awards, but the true takeaway was that New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys put on a combined performance to end the show and indeed show Bieber how to rock it, 90s style.

Starting with Bieber, he won entertainer of the year, breakthrough artist of the year, favorite pop/rock male and favorite pop/rock album for My World 2.0. “I come from the smallest town in the world, of like 30,000 people; I never thought this was possible,” he gushed, before paying tribute to the late King of Pop. “I want to thank Michael Jackson, because without Michael Jackson none of us would be here.”

(See pictures of Justin Bieber.)

But nothing was going to stop the joint juggernaut that we are hereby all obliged to acknowledge as NKOTBSB. The boybands, who have teamed up in more ways than one as they will be embarking on a joint tour next summer, performed a medley for the ages. Backstreet Boys chipped in with “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”, “I Want It That Way”, and “Larger Than Life” whereas New Kids offered up “Step By Step”, and “You Got It (The Right Stuff.)” (sadly, there was no room for NKOTB’s finest moment, “Games.”)

Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter said he’s honored to share a stage with his musical forefathers. “We appreciate and respect everything that these guys have done for the music industry, and now it’s just great to be together. I think that’s what’s awesome.”

(See the best tracks of 2009.)

You know what’s awesome, Nick? Your teaming up with NKOTB is the modern equivalent of Messrs. McCartney and Jagger deciding that there might be interest in The Beatles and Rolling Stones doing something similar. Except NKOTBSB can bring dance routines and way better hairlines into this particular equation. NewsFeed, along with the rest of the enraptured world (that includes you, Bieber) will hold onto its hat and declare that the boy band is well and truly dead, replaced by the man band. Resistance, as always, is futile.