If you are a drummer, there are certain songs that serve as universal milestones. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the aggressor. "Billie Jean" for the ghost note. And for the pop-precisionist? "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys.
You searched for the "i want it that way drum sheet link" , and you want it that way (pun intended)—right now, no filler, just the beat.
Here is the direct link to the highest-rated, easiest-to-read drum sheet music for "I Want It That Way," followed by a deep dive into why this simple groove is a masterclass in pop drumming.
You have clicked the link. You have downloaded the PDF. Now what? Do not just sight-read the whole song at full tempo. Use this three-step routine: i want it that way drum sheet link
Min 0-5: Isolate the Verse Groove Set a metronome to 90 BPM. Play only the right hand (hi-hat/cross-stick) and bass drum. Do not play the snare yet. Feel the space.
Min 5-10: Add Backbeats on Chorus Only Skip to the chorus section on your sheet. Loop the 8-bar chorus pattern. Focus on crashing the cymbal with the kick drum on the downbeat (beat 1).
Min 10-15: The Bridge Fill (1:58) Most drum sheets show a simple 2-bar fill leading out of the bridge. Practice this fill slowly—it is a descending pattern on the toms. Speed it up gradually to hit the crash precisely on the key change. The Ultimate Guide to the “I Want It
Search the post history for "Backstreet Boys." User u/drumtranscriber posted a perfect PDF of this in 2021. Search query: site:reddit.com/r/drumming "I Want It That Way" filetype:pdf
Without the sheet music, drummers make three catastrophic errors on this song:
"I Want It That Way" – they often have a clean one-page transcription with verse/chorus patterns (kick on 1 & 3, snare on 2 & 4, eighth notes on hi‑hat).The fill going into the chorus ("...I want it that way") is a 16th-note triplet lick on the toms. It is fast, it is clean, and if you don't have the transcription, you will likely play a generic rock fill and ruin the vibe. Mistake #1: Playing the snare on 2 and 4
Before we dive into the link, let’s address the elephant in the room: Can’t I just learn this by ear?
Yes, you can. I Want It That Way is not a Mike Portnoy or Buddy Rich exercise in complexity. However, the devil is in the details. The original drummer (widely credited as session great Greg Bissonette on many Millennium album tracks, though some sources note John “JR” Robinson’s influence) plays with a specific feel. The ghost notes on the snare, the openness of the hi-hat in the pre-chorus, and the precise crash placements during the key change—these are what separate a "correct" cover from a "close enough" one.
A proper drum sheet link gives you: