Take yourself back to 2012 and you’re thrown into a whirlwind of boybands; from One Direction to The Wanted, there was no shortage of pop music to listen to once the radio was turned on.

Big Time Rush, a popular boyband affiliated with those mentioned above, were much more than a group of four attractive, talented teenage boys. I have yet to hear of another boyband who have starred in their own television series composed of four seasons, a movie that is still airing on Netflix, and three complete albums—with multiple singles and EPs to boot.

So how exactly did Big Time Rush—fondly known to fans as just BTR—stand out from the crowd of countless boybands? For starters, the television series and characters themselves follow complex plot lines and more importantly, feature incomparable character development.

The show follows four boys from Minnesota: Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan. Each one has their own distinct personality and comedic presence within the show. Since the show is catered towards young adults, it’s not hard to follow—but this doesn’t mean it doesn’t illustrate complex situations and growth within its four seasons.

For example, the boys prove the value of friendship as early as the pilot episode. When faced with the decision of leaving behind his friends or going “big time” and pursuing a career as a pop-star in Los Angeles, Kendall compromises and convinces the producer to form a boy-band so he won’t have to leave behind his friends or family. Furthermore, the boys emphasize the importance of staying true to oneself throughout the series as they are faced with drama involving their future; Not once do any of the foursome doubt their character or their upbringing and change within infamous LA.

You can’t say that about many other boybands like One Direction or The Wanted, can you?

Regarding the foursome outside one of Nickelodeon’s most famous series, the band’s music demands to be heard. Three full albums and popular hits like “Boyfriend” and “Worldwide” can still be heard and recognized by people today—even though they were released some six to seven years ago.

Arguably the most important reason as to why Big Time Rush should have been on top is the fact that they were not involved in any major scandals through- out their time together. One Direction and The Wanted, as they both rose to fame, were caught in the whirlwind of a twitter feud—with none other than each other. Petty tweets were exchanged between the bands, ranging from Zayn calling Tom a “wannabe”, dissing each other’s vocal capabilities, and even mentioning that Tom had chlamydia—certainly not an appropriate topic of discussion for influencers with such a young following. One Direction was also caught up within various racism, drug, and homophobia accusations and scandals. Big Time Rush was never involved in any scandal, small or large, during their entire time together.

Big Time Rush really was big time from the year 2009 onward. Although One Direction once opened for BTR on tour, other boybands soon surpassed them and they were seemingly forgotten sometime between 2012 and 2013. Caught in the midst of other attractive boys with talented voices, Big Time Rush was forgotten—but they shouldn’t have been.

— Nicole Golba, Sports & Opinion Editor