With an eye toward reinventing the boy band sound, the Wanted formed in 2009, nearly 10 years after groups like N ‘Sync and the Backstreet Boys hit their commercial peak. Like those two groups, the Wanted was assembled through a series of auditions. Max George, a member of the short-lived British boy band Avenue, was the most famous singer to land a spot in the outfit’s lineup, while Siva Kaneswaran became the group’s only Irish member. Rounded out by British vocalists Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker, and Nathan Sykes, the group topped the U.K. charts less than 12 months after forming, when their debut single “All Time Low” debuted at number one in August 2010. The band's self-titled debut album followed with similar chart success, debuting at #4 at the UK album charts that same year. In 2011, The Wanted returned with their sophomore effort, Battleground featuring the single,"Gold Forever." By the time the album was released, the band had already signed a distribution deal with the American-based Def Jam Records. In 2012, The Wanted released a self-titled compilation EP as an introduction to the U.S. market which feaured hits off its first two albums, as well as two newly recorded songs. ~ Andrew Leahey