By Michael Osborn BBC News Online

Chart-topping teens Busted are adamant they are not a boy band

All-boy trio Busted have good reason to be boisterous, with their brand of upbeat rock-pop topping the charts, and fans watching their every move.

Charlie Simpson, Matt Jay and James Bourne are like your average posse of young lads, jostling for attention, raising their voices and swearing.

But mention the term "boy band", and the trio settle down to argue they're different from
the likes of Westlife and Blue.

"We're not a serious rock band, we're a pop band, but we're not a boy band," says spiky blond James, the group's least likely heartthrob and most eloquent spokesman.

"To call us a boy band is seriously underrating us," adds James, who boasts several songwriting credits for Busted's second album A Present For Everyone.

Watch Busted perform Crashed The Wedding on TOTP

Male pop acts have a notoriously short shelf-life, but Busted are not yet ready to give themselves a sell-by date.

"I think we've got a bit more longevity," explains James, drowning out the chorus of his bandmates. "Boy bands don't have a hand in what they do."

As for the end of Busted: "That's a bridge we'll cross when we come to," says James. "We just enjoy what we do day to day."

"At the moment people out there are loving it. I don't want to think of the time when they don't any more," adds Matt.

The past year has seen Busted become the best-selling British group apart from Coldplay, a band more likely to win the older music fan's vote.

To call us a boy band is seriously underrating us Busted's James Bourne

"We don't claim to write music that changes people's lives," says James.

"Music that shouldn't be messed around with is really serious, but that's not what Busted is about," chips in Charlie, the girls' favourite with the luxuriant eyebrows.

The young trio agree the pop scene is changing, and its future may lie elsewhere.

"Pop music seems to be frowned upon all of a sudden, which is a shame," says James. "Artists don't want to say they're a pop band any more," he adds.

"The singles market is dead. It's all about making albums these days," chimes in Charlie.

Rivals Blue

The threesome wind up with a mild dig at their chart rivals Blue, who have collaborated with Stevie Wonder on their bid for Christmas chart success.

"It should be Stevie Wonder featuring Blue," comments James. "It's a bit much," he adds.