Blue

Hailing from London, all-boy four-piece Blue successfully stormed the U.K. charts by combining smooth vocals with R&B and dance music. Singers Duncan James and Antony Costa enlisted housemates Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe in early 2000 and a deal with Virgin's Innocent label soon followed. Combining R&B and soul, their debut single, "All Rise," was a hit in Australia, New Zealand, and in the U.K., where it peaked at number four on May 27, 2001. Their second single, a cover of Next's "Too Close," also debuted at number one (September 2001) in the U.K. as did their third single, "If You Come Back" (November 2001). Their debut self-titled album was released in November 2001.