New Kids on the Block: Early Years
Auditions were held in Boston, Massachusetts by music producer Maurice Starr, famous for his involvement in the success of boy band New Edition, to find the five teenage singers who would comprise the newly created quintet, New Kids on the Block. Over 500 teenage boys auditioned, with Donnie Wahlberg becoming the first member of New Kids on the Block thanks to his natural showmanship.
Donnie Wahlberg helped form the lineup for New Kids on the Block, persuading his brother Mark Wahlberg, his best friend Danny Wood and classmate Jordan Knight to join the burgeoning band. Mark Wahlberg did not stay in New Kids on the Block for long as he leaned towards a rap career. The versatile Joey McIntyre would eventually be his replacement and brought a much smoother influence to the band.
New Kids on the Block: Development
In April 1986, New Kids on the Block released their debut album New Kids on the Block. The album garnered little attention at first, with two singles “Be My Girl” and “Stop It Girl” gaining minor airtime on New England Top 40 radio stations. The radio stations of the 1980s were already saturated with Pop, and the New Kids on the Block needed an edge on the competition if they wanted to make their mark.
New Kids on the Block tickets did not sell well at first due to this lack of promotion. The band was loaded with talent and charisma, but the hard New England scene proved difficult to break into thanks to other musical preferences of the day. Even while facing many factors against them, New Kids on the Block still toured their New England area and built a cult following in smaller venues. The time together may not have moved much New Kids on the Block CDs, but it did give the quintet time to build chemistry as a real band on the road.
New Kids on the Block: Hangin Tough
New Kids on the Block soon realized that they needed to separate themselves from the Bubblegum Pop herd of the 1980s and embraced a style that was all their own. Single “Please Don’t Go Girl” was released in an effort to get more listeners. It took some time but “Please Don’t Go Girl” became a cult hit and soon spread through the country. The band was eventually booked on late-night talk shows and performance shows. This fame may have been small, but it pushed New Kids on the Block tickets to start selling at a good pace and opened up better venues.
1988 album Hangin’ Tough capitalized on the increasing sales of New Kids on the Block tickets and would make New Kids on the Block stars. With a ton of radio and music-video play backing, it the Hangin’ Tough album eventually produced five Top 10 singles. Two singles “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” and “Hangin’ Tough” became No. 1 hits, and the New Kids on the Block had arrived as a Pop and pop-culture sensation. The popularity pushed Hangin’ Tough to go eight-times platinum. New Kids on the Block also had a platinum Christmas album Merry, Merry Christmas.
New Kids on the Block: Step by Step
New Kids on the Block was a household name when they released their highest selling album to date Step by Step. Released in June 1990, the album rushed to No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Album chart amid New Kids on the Block’s unwavering commercial popularity. “Step by Step,” the title single from the album quickly became New Kids on the Block’s highest selling single, staying at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks.
“Step by Step” was followed by Step by Step’s second single “Tonight,” which witnessed similar success as a Top 10 single. The Band had gained unparalleled fame with heavily sold merchandise and made millions on the road as New Kids on the Block tickets were sold out in over 200 performances a year. At the end of 1990, Forbes magazine named New Kids on the Block as the highest paid entertainers of the year.
New Kids on the Block: Going Solo
In 1994, New Kids on the Block, then officially referred to as “NKOTB,” released Face the Music, the final album released by New Kids on the Block in its original form. After a short tour to support the album, the members of New Kids on the Block decided to go their separate ways. Donnie Wahlberg followed his brother into movies like Saw II, while Joey McIntyre became a hit solo artist and Broadway actor on plays like Wicked. Even with this success, fans were still clamoring for a New Kids on the Block reunion.
New Kids on the Block: Summertime
After 14 years apart, Donnie Wahlberg announced in April 2008 that the band had reunited. The first single from the newly reformed New Kids on the Block “Summertime” was released in May 2008. “Summertime” is the leadoff single from the newly released New Kids on the Block album simply called The Block. In support of this album the New Kids on the Block have scheduled tour dates all over the world and are rewarding their longtime fans with critically acclaimed concerts.
New Kids on the Block tickets have become a hot seller as fans return to the band from their youth. A whole new set of fans is also learning New Kids on the Block lyrics as the band is discovered by the MP3 Generation. As “Summertime” by New Kids on the Block continues to climb its way up playlists around the country, the future looks bright for the five friends from Boston.
New Kids on the Block: Greatest Hits
- “Be My Girl” from the album New Kids on the Block
- “Stop It Girl” from the album New Kids on the Block
- “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind)” from the album New Kids on the Block
- “Please Don’t Go Girl” from the album Hangin’ Tough
- “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” from the album Hangin’ Tough
- “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” from the album Hangin’ Tough
- “Hangin’ Tough” from the album Hangin’ Tough
- “Cover Girl” from the album Hangin’ Tough
- “My Favorite Girl” from the album Hangin’ Tough
- “This One’s for the Children” from the album Merry, Merry Christmas
- “Step by Step” from the album Step by Step
- “Tonight” from the album Step by Step
- “Let’s Try It Again” from the album Step by Step
- “Valentine Girl” from the album Step by Step
- “Games” from the album No More Games: The Remix Album
- “Dirty Dawg” from the album Face the Music
- “If You Go Away” from the album Face the Music
- “Never Let You Go” from the album Face the Music
- “Summertime” from the album The Block
- “Single” from the album The Block
