The teen idol formula existed just about from the beginning of rock/pop. In the 50s and 60s Bobby Rydell, Fabian, etc. were young, pretty faces with passable voices (sometimes electronically enhanced) that could sell records. And television just made it easier: a couple of lip synced performances on American Bandstand and the record company was swimming in cash.

The packaging may have gotten slicker over time, but the idea has always been the same.