In the 1960s, it was Beatlemania. In the ‘80s and ‘90s it was New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys. Then in the early ‘00s came another popular group of guys, ‘N Sync, followed by three very popular brothers by the name of Jonas. Now the lucky number is five.

In case you’ve been living under a rock – or you have managed to avoid social media and music for the past four years – here’s a history lesson. The two hottest boy bands of today’s generation both hail from two other countries.

Five young lads from across the pond formed a band four years ago on X-Factor in Britain. They auditioned separately and didn’t make the cut solo. They were combined into one group on the show by Simon Cowell himself, and now they dominate the world as One Direction.

Since 2010, One Direction has had three number one albums, three tours — one of which is currently in progress — a movie and multiple awards. Their next album, Four, is due out this November. One Direction members Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Niall Horan are superstars. Their fans, dubbed as Directioners, have been screaming since day one; it is Beatlemania repeated.

“I have been a fan since 2010,” said junior Jenny Leon. “I heard ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ on the radio, but I didn’t know who they really were. My friend introduced me to the band members.”

The other mates come from the land down under and look like they just walked out of American Apparel (a reference to their hit song “She Looks So Perfect”). 5 Seconds of Summer, or 5SOS (pronounced: Five-Sauce) are chart-climbing as their debut album was released in the U.S. back in July.

5 Seconds of Summer began in 2011, when college classmates Michael Clifford, Calum Hood and Luke Hemmings began to post cover songs on Hemmings’ YouTube page. They were later joined by drummer Ashton Irwin.

The rise to international stardom continued for the four Australian boys in February 2013 when One Direction announced that 5 Seconds of Summer would join them on their Take Me Home Tour.

“5 Seconds of Summer has big support from One Direction,” said sophomore Sarvien Keighobad. “I think that’s what helped them appeal to teenage girls.”

“She Looks So Perfect” was released in February 2014 as their first single from their self-titled debut album. Their album was released in the USA on July 22, 2014. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

“There is this whole new genre,” said history teacher Bryn DuBois. “Every generation has a new boy band.”

So, the evolution continues with two internationally recognized bands. However, it all started with the most iconic and larger-than-life of them all back in the 1960s.

“You’ll never get the reaction like the Beatles,” DuBois said. “There is going to be negative backlash with how big bands get today. The Beatles didn’t have that.”

Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, the four members of the Beatles, set the foundation for boy bands back in the ‘60s.

“They wrote all their own material,” DuBois said. “They played their own instruments. They were performers.”

It feels like we’ve seen these boy bands all before. Girls love them, their music tops the charts and they either have the style or Harry Styles.

“One Direction, when they first became popular, were teenagers,” Keighobad said. “They could attract the teenage girl age group. If you can sing and are attractive, girls will attract to you and turn it into something big.”

Back in the ’60s, the Beatles didn’t have YouTube. They couldn’t release a song and announce a free download on social media, like One Direction just did on Sept. 8 with their new song “Fireproof”.

“Social media is huge,” Leon said. “You can find out so much on Twitter. When something is posted on social media, every fan catches on. It can be really useful.”

In an interview with Sky News, Paul McCartney compared One Direction, and boy bands in general, to the Beatles.

“I always think it’s a little bit unfortunate when you call [a band] the new Beatles,” McCartney said. “It can be the kiss of death because people expect you to live up to what we did. We did what we did in a particular period in time, which was very different to now.”

The times have changed. Fans no longer want the singer’s autograph on a ticket stub. They now can buy that online or bid for it. A picture is worth so much more now because of the experience one can have with the band members.

“When you get a picture, you can interact with them,” Keighobad said. “You can hug them, pose with them and talk to them. It is an experience.”

In the time of smartphones, a selfie with the band members is something every fan wants. After the encounter, fans tweet, “insta” and snapchat the picture on social media. With every like, favorite and story view, the fans are getting paid, because how many followers, likes and views you get these days are the new forms of currency.

“Pictures are better,” Leon said. “For me, they are a once in a lifetime opportunity because now it is so easy to get just an autograph.”

It might not be easy to like 1D or 5SOS due to their boy band stereotype songs, their styled hairdos and their pop vibe. But no one can deny how popular they are, no matter their opinion on the talent.

“My friend once told me that he doesn’t like One Direction because they don’t ‘play their own instruments’” Leon said. “But sometimes you don’t like how they are more successful, or it just isn’t your music style.”

One Direction are currently on their Where We Are Now Tour with 5 Seconds of Summer as their opening act. They stopped at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on September 11, 12 and 13 for three performances.

For a full concert review, head to the entertainment section of The Eagle Eye website.