8 Beloved Music Groups Formed Through Reality TV Shows

With the advent of reality television shows like "American Idol" and "The Voice," pop stars cultivated and tested through national audiences on TV became an established phenomenon and a surefire route to success for aspiring musicians. While these shows cemented this avenue to superstardom, some of the biggest pop bands of the early 21st century got their start on television.

People decry "industry plants" as inorganic and manufactured, but some of the most beloved pop groups started as 'plants'. It turns out that testing musical star power in front of millions of viewers week after week can produce incredible results. Let's explore 8 beloved music groups formed through reality TV shows.

While other groups on this list were created with real purpose and strategy in mind, One Direction was formed after each of its members auditioned solo for the "X Factor UK" in 2010. Sensing serious potential, host and judge Simon Cowell put them together as a boy band. His intuition proved correct, as One Direction went on to sell 70 million records worldwide, win 200 awards, and become the first British band to have an album debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

Although P. Diddy is persona non grata these days, the third iteration of his reality show "Making the Band" produced celebrated pop group Danity Kane. Originally composed of five members, the group consolidated to three with Aubrey O'Day, Shannon Bex, and Dawn Richard. Danity Kane's self-titled debut album sold a million copies domestically and produced two Top 10 singles. Upon the release of a second album, Danity Kane became the first female group to debut its first two albums in the Top 10 of the Billboard Charts.

Before Danity Kane, MTV's "Making the Band's" first season produced beloved boy band and pop group O-Town. The group's self-titled debut album sold over three million copies worldwide and produced the single "Liquid Dreams," which reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

With the success of "The X Factor" and "American Idol," host and producer Simon Cowell became something of a musical tastemaker. Though they were the last contestants eliminated during "The X Factor's" second season, Fifth Harmony found real success. Over the following years, Fifth Harmony sold 33 million records worldwide. Furthermore, it still holds the record for the most top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 for any girl group in the 21st century.

As evidenced by this list, "The X Factor" has produced several successful pop acts. One such act is Little Mix. After becoming the first and only girl group to win the reality show contest, Little Mix scored serious airplay. The single "Black Magic" spent several weeks at number one on the charts. Ultimately, Little Mix has sold 60 million records worldwide and remains one of the most streamed girl groups on Spotify.

After winning the first season of the reality show "La Banda," boy group CNCO scored a five-year recording contract with Sony Music Latin. They put it to good use, racking up several chart-topping hits and selling nearly half a million records worldwide. CNCO even toured with Latin pop icon Ricky Martin before disbanding in 2023.

Since being introduced to the world as Team B on the South Korean reality show "WIN: Who is Next," K-pop group iKon has found unparalleled success. Its debut album "Welcome Back" featured multiple number-one singles and sold 4.8 million copies worldwide. Furthermore, iKon's fourth record "Flashback" set a personal record for the highest one-day sales.

Though reality shows didn't exist when The Monkees hit the scene in the mid-1960s, they practically invented reality TV with their show "The Monkees." The group ended up as one of the most successful 60s pop acts, selling over 21 million records and scoring three number-one hits.