New Kids on the Block is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and early 1990s and have sold more than 80 million records worldwide, and are often credited for paving the way for future boy bands such as Take That, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. They won two American Music Awards in 1990 for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album. In 1991, they performed the halftime show at Super Bowl XXV, a first for a popular music group.
Hangin' Tough is the second studio album by American boy band New Kids on the Block, released on August 12, 1988, by Columbia Records. It is widely regarded as the group's breakthrough album, gaining positive reviews for their musical transition from bubblegum pop to urban contemporary, blended with popular rock music. The group's label had planned to end their contract when their 1986 debut garnered little commercial and critical attention, which nearly led to their breakup. However, Maurice Starr, the group's producer, diligently persuaded the label to let them record a second album.
"Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" is a song co-written by record producer Thom Bell and William Hart, lead singer of the American R&B/Soul vocal group the Delfonics. It was released by the group in 1969 on the Philly Groove record label and is regarded as a classic, winning a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
"Please Don't Go Girl" is a 1988 song by American boyband New Kids on the Block. The lead vocals were sung by Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, and spoken by Danny Wood, but the majority of the lyrics were sung by Joey McIntyre. Written and produced by Maurice Starr, it was the first release from their second album, Hangin' Tough (1988), and also became the group's first commercial hit. "Please Don't Go Girl" first rose from #62 to #46, on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart during the week of July 30, 1988. The single was the first major commercial exposure of the group, resulting in somewhat of a slow, but steady climb. The single eventually peaked at #10 the week of October 8, 1988. In 1997, Aaron Carter covered this song and was featured on his international self-titled debut album.
"You Got It (The Right Stuff)" is a 1988 single from New Kids on the Block. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight and Donnie Wahlberg. The second single from the group's second album Hangin' Tough, it peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in early 1989, while topping the UK charts in November 1989. On the album, it was simply listed as "The Right Stuff"; the change to the single was probably to avoid confusion with Vanessa Williams' debut hit "The Right Stuff", which charted earlier that year. A Spanish version of the song was made ("Autentica") and peaked at number 11 in Spain.
"I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" is a 1989 ballad song from New Kids on the Block, released as the third single from the group's second album, Hangin' Tough. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight. It was the group's first single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, while peaking at number five in the UK.
"Hangin' Tough" is a song by American boy band New Kids on the Block, released as a single in 1989 through Columbia Records. It was the fourth single from the group's second album of the same name (1988). The lead vocals are sung by Donnie Wahlberg.
"What I Am" is a song written by Edie Brickell and Kenny Withrow and recorded by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians for their debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars (1988). The song is highlighted by a guitar solo that notably features an envelope filter. It peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, topped the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart, and became a top-20 hit in Australia and New Zealand. "What I Am" was ranked number 23 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s".
"This One's for the Children" is a 1989 single by New Kids on the Block. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight and Donnie Wahlberg. Taken from the group's holiday album, Merry, Merry Christmas, the single peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1989, and number 9 on the UK Singles Chart in December 1990.
Merry, Merry Christmas is the third studio and only Christmas album by pop band New Kids on the Block, released in the United States by Columbia Records on September 19, 1989. It features seasonal songs, both cover versions and original material. Released at a time when the band was peaking, it went double platinum and spawned the top-ten single, "This One's for the Children", which Maurice Starr produced and recorded at Tony Rose’s Hit City Recording Studio in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
No More Games: The Remix Album is a remix album from pop group New Kids on the Block. It peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard 200.
"Don't Make Me Over" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, originally recorded by Dionne Warwick in August 1962 and released in October 1962 as her lead solo single from her debut album Presenting Dionne Warwick issued under Sceptor Records. The song reached number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.
"Holding Back the Years" is a song by the British soul and pop band Simply Red, released as the third single from their debut studio album, Picture Book (1985). The ballad reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. "Holding Back the Years" had initially been released in the UK the year before, reaching number 51. The song was nominated in the category of Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards.
"The Woman in Me" is a song by American singer Donna Summer, released as the third and final single from her eponymous tenth studio album (1982). The song reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 30 on the Black Singles chart, and number 17 on the Adult Contemporary chart in early 1983. It was written by John Bettis of Carpenters fame.
"Rush Hour" is a song by American musician Jane Wiedlin, taken from her second album, Fur (1988). It was backed by the album track "End of Love". The UK 12-inch single of "Rush Hour" includes an extended remix by Rusty Garner and an instrumental version.
"Underneath the Radar" is a song by English electronic music group Underworld, released from their debut album, Underneath the Radar (1988), in 1988. It was featured prominently in the fifth-season premiere of Miami Vice, during the opening aerial shots of Miami and subsequent nightclub shootout. The Morse code in the first 30 seconds of the song reads "Think global, act local". Commercially, the song reached number two in South Africa, number five in Australia, number 14 in New Zealand, number 69 in Canada, and number 74 in the United States.
"The Lover in Me" is a song by Scottish singer Sheena Easton for her ninth studio album of the same name (1988). Released as the album's lead single on 11 October 1988, the song became Easton's first top-20 hit in the United Kingdom after a seven-year hiatus. The song was also Easton's final top-10 single on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Paradise" is a song by English band Sade from their third studio album, Stronger Than Pride (1988). It was released in May 1988 by Epic as the album's second single. It is Sade's most successful track on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number one for one week. The single also reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 21 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Its music video was directed by Alex McDowell. "Paradise" is often considered one of the band's signature songs, alongside "Smooth Operator" (1984), "The Sweetest Taboo" (1985), and "No Ordinary Love" (1992).
"Spanish Eddie" is a song by American singer Laura Branigan, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Hold Me (1985). The song was produced by Jack White and arranged by Harold Faltermeyer. Released in July 1985, the single became Branigan's sixth top-40 entry in the United States in two and a half years, peaking at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Cash Box singles chart. It also peaked at number 29 on the Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, while a 12″ dance version reached number 26 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
"French Kissin" is a song by American singer Debbie Harry from her second solo studio album, Rockbird (1986). It is a cover version of the 1985 song originally recorded by Carol Chapman, written by Chuck Lorre before he started creating sitcoms. Harry's version was released on November 3, 1986, as the lead single from Rockbird and became a top-10 hit in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
