The Twinning Hairstyles of our Favorite Man Bands: From One Direction to the Jackson 5

Yesterday it was announced that Zayn Malik will be parting ways with One Direction, turning the five-member band into a foursome that is now only Four-Fifths Direction. As fans cope with the adjustment and the band reworks its musical arrangements (who will hit those high notes now?), we have to wonder: Where were the signs? Of course, there was 2014’s curious album title, Four. But maybe the real death knell came earlier, when Malik communicated his independence visually, by ditching the band’s original uniform look of side-swept man bangs for a sleeker, more gravity-defying crop. After all, nothing signals your commitment to your band, your musical teammates, like matching hair.

In fact, looking back at some of history’s most beloved all-male musical groups proved that no matter the genre or country of origin, twinning hairstyles are something of a universal man-band phenomenon, from the Jackson 5’s perfectly round Afros to the Beatles’ swingy mop tops to Menudo’s wispy fringe. After all, didn’t Led Zeppelin’s flowing, airborne curls bring another level of harmony to their stage presence and their synchronized motorcycle rides? Speaking of being in sync, the early aughts found Justin Timberlake, J.C. Chasez, Lance Bass & Co inexplicably all hankering for a heavily gelled, spiked style—a look that Timberlake took as far as his frosted curls would allow. You could chalk it up to the convenience of having the same on-tour hairdresser, or to simply spending so much time together that they start to adopt one another’s looks—but matching cuts, textures, and highlights seem to be part of the very fabric of what keeps a group of male musicians together. Here, a look at the styles that made our favorite boy bands beautiful.

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