One Direction
One Direction announced a hiatus. Getty Images

Being in a boy band seems like it's too much hassle for all the fame, fortune and admiration that comes with being a chart-topping act. One Direction, after losing Zayn Malik, soldiered on as a four-member group, but it looks like their time together may be coming to an end. 1D, as they are known, announced they'll take a hiatus after the release of their fifth album in March 2016. Closing in on six years, 1D was approaching that point of a boy band's life where they say "bye, bye, bye."

Few boy bands make it to the 10-year mark as a continuous act. A hiatus, a period of inactivity and a comeback album usually gives these acts a new lease on life. Looking at two of the biggest boy bands of the 1990s -- NSYNC and Backstreet Boys -- the former went on hiatus at the seven-year mark while the latter started having trouble around the eighth year. NSYNC formed in 1995 and went on hiatus in 2002 after releasing three albums.

Backstreet Boys formed in 1993 and released their American debut in 1996. "Millennium," their third international album and second U.S. release, was released in 1999 and was BSB's breakout album. "Black and Blue" followed in 2000, but A.J. McLean's battle with alcohol addiction lead to a break for the group after a 2001 tour. Their comeback album, "Never Gone" was released in 2005, but Kevin Richardson departed the group after the end of a 2006 tour.

New Kids on the Block formed in 1984, but it took awhile for the group to find their big break with "Hangin' Tough," which topped the Billboard charts a year after it was released in 1988. "Step by Step" was a hit in 1990, but the group began to fade by 1992 and broke up after a poor-selling fourth album in 1994.

The Jonas Brothers were another group that lasted around eight years. The brothers released their debut in 2006 and a very successful career that spanned reality shows and movies ended in 2003.

For British boy bands such as Take That, Westlife and Boyzone, their careers followed paths similar to that of 1D. Take That lasted around five years while Boyzone lasted seven years before its members attempted a comeback. Westlife, another Simon Cowell-managed group, had a successful six years before Brian McFadden departed. The group split up after 14 years in 2011.

After six years, it seems like One Direction's time was just about up. If history's any indication, a reunion can't be ruled out in the near future.