
It’s easy to forget that TRL was more than a show where tweens would make their parents drag them to Times Square on a pilgrimage to run their vocals ragged, screaming for their favorite stars. TRL was a defining show for MTV, popular music and kids of a certain generation. It’s also easy to forget the caliber of celebrities that appeared on the show, which ran from 1998-2008. Madonna, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, hell, even Angelina Jolie, they all appeared on the show often. In honor of the new VH1 Rock Doc The TRL Decade, which airs January 29, we’d like to take a look back at the VJ’s who made the show what it was, and the celebrities that came down to 1515 Broadway to hang with them. (We invite you to take a closer look at the photo on the upper left in our gallery — yes, that is indeed Destiny’s Child, Eve, 3LW, and Dream hanging with Carson Daly.) And of course, check out the documentary when it airs on Sunday January 29 at 9:30 pm ET/PT.
Tags: Photos, Television, The TRL Decade, TRL, Rock Docs, 3LW, Dream, Puff Daddy, NSYNC, *NSYNC, Destiny's Child, Busta Rhymes, Marilyn Manson, Madonna, Kid Rock, Kanye West, Enrique Iglesias, Hilarie Burton, Damien Fahey, Carson Daly, Britney Spears, Danny Masterson, Wilmer Valderrama, Molly Sims, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Brittany Murphy, Amanda Bynes, Ben Stiller, Vanessa Minnillo, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Bosworth, Hilary Duff, Ben Affleck, Angelina Jolie

Each Friday here on the VH1 Blog, our VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown host Jim Shearer (@jimshearer on Twitter) will be sharing his Shearer’s Spotlight with us. Be sure to tune into the Top 20 Countdown tomorrow morning when it airs on VH1 at 9 a.m. ET/PT.
Next Wednesday, Sept. 14, the Big 4 Festival will descend upon Yankee Stadium in New York City. The participants will include the “big four” bands (i.e., pillars, staples, torch bearers, etc.) of thrash metal music: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Here are some other acts that could pull off a Big 4 Festival of their own:
1) Big 4 of Millennial Pop: Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys
This past summer, the Backstreet Boys created some buzz when they toured with their boy-band predecessors, New Kids On The Block, as NKOTBSB; but could you imagine the pandemonium they could create by teaming up with late ‘90s peer/rival, *NSYNC? The reunions alone would sell tickets on this tour: Justin and *NSYNC, Justin and Britney, Britney and Christina, and three old Mouseketeers back together again.
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Tags: Festivals, Jim Shearer, Music, Shearer's Spotlight, Television, The Big 4, Megadeth, Slayer, White Stripes, Anthrax, The Strokes, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Metallica, Kings of Leon, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, TOP 20 VIDEO COUNTDOWN
This photo of Lou Pearlman seemed to be begging for a caption, something like “It was awesome!” Or simply, “Boys!” But both of these felt really wrong. In case you aren’t sure who that big old fat dude is, he’s the puppet master behind such boy band phenomenons as The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC (and their insignificant copycats Take 5 and LFO). The problem is, he not only made these guys, he also maybe molested them. According to a new Vanity Fair article, Pearlman allegedly preyed on his young future stars, and traded sexual favors with promises of boy band stardom. His former assistant said, “I would absolutely say the guy was a sexual predator. All the talent knew what Lou’s game was. Some guys joked about it. I remember [one singer] asking me, ‘Have you let Lou [fellate] you yet?’ ”
Apparently Nick Carter, the youngest Backstreeter, was the main target of Pearlman’s, er…affection. One former BSB member said that Lou was “definitely inappropriate” with the star, and Nick’s own mom revealed, “Certain things happened and it almost destroyed our family. I tried to warn everyone. I tried to warn all the mothers . . . I tried to expose him for what he was years ago.”
Damn. Maybe this explains all of Nick’s sh*tastic life choices thus far. Paris Hilton, the House of Carters TV show, that hair-do – there’s a reason the guy’s so messed up! Pearlman’s currently in jail for bank fraud, so boy bands across the country should feel safe to continue ruining radio with their crappy make out jams. As for Pearlman – Nick Carter’s got big muscles and one crazy brother. We hope one day he can put them to good use. [NY Post]
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