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.
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" is a song written and composed by Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was first recorded in 1966 by American Motown group the Supremes, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Dangerous" is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. Written by Per Gessle, the song was released as the fourth and final single from their second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). Gessle penned it just before Roxette's first tour in 1987. Released in May 1989, it was the group's third top-10 single on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number two. It also entered the top 10 in Australia, Canada, and six European countries. The music video was recorded in the ruins of Borgholm Castle. In the UK and Ireland, "Dangerous" was released as a double A-side with "Listen to Your Heart".
"Kyrie" (kyːʁie) is a song by American pop rock band Mr. Mister, from their album Welcome to the Real World. Released around Christmas in 1985, it hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1986, where it was number 1 for two weeks. It also hit the top spot on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for one week. In the UK, the song peaked at number 11 in March 1986.
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 by American soul group the Delfonics, co-written by producer Thom Bell and lead singer William Hart. It was released as a single in 1969 on the Philly Groove record label and appeared on their self-titled third album the following year. The song reached number three on the Billboard R&B chart and number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. Overseas, the song peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart in and number 81 in Australia. The Delfonics won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1971.
"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.
"Cover Girl" is a 1989 single from New Kids on the Block. The lead vocals were sung by Donnie Wahlberg. The fifth and final single from their multi-platinum second studio album Hangin' Tough (1988), it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 on the week of November 4, being held off from the top spot by Roxette's "Listen to Your Heart". The song became the fifth consecutive top 10 single from the album on the Billboard Hot 100, making NKOTB the first teen act to gain such chart success.
The American boy band New Kids on the Block has released eight studio albums, seven compilation albums, one EP, thirty-two singles, and five video albums. As of 2005, they had sold more than 17.5 million albums in the United States alone and to date, over 80 million records worldwide.
New Kids on the Block is the debut studio album from American pop boy band New Kids on the Block released on April 1, 1986, by Columbia Records. The album failed to garner any attention at the time of its release. In August 1989, during the success of their second album, Hangin' Tough, Columbia released the New Kids on the Block track "Didn't I " as a single, in an attempt to bring this album to the attention of the group's growing fan-base. As a result, album sales spiked, causing it to be released outside the United States around the same time. Subsequently, the New Kids on the Block album would eventually be certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA, peaking at number 25 on the US Billboard 200.
"Step by Step" is a song by American boyband New Kids on the Block, released on May 10, 1990 as the first single from the album of the same name (1990). It is the group's biggest-selling hit single. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight. Danny Wood sang "Step 1", Donnie Wahlberg sang "Step 2", Jordan Knight sang "Step 3", Joey McIntyre sang "Step 4", and Jonathan Knight sang "Step 5".
"Girlfriend" is a song by American singer Pebbles from her 1987 self-titled debut studio album. Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, "Girlfriend" was released as the album's lead single on October 26, 1987, by record label MCA. The song charted in several countries, peaking at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 10 in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
"Alive and Kicking" is a song released by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds as the lead single from their seventh album, Once Upon a Time. The song reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four in Canada; it peaked within the top five of several European countries including Italy, where the song reached number one.
"Tonight" is a 1990 song recorded by the American pop band New Kids on the Block. It was their third single from their 1990 album Step by Step. It was a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It first reached #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and then went on to reach #3 on the UK Singles Chart soon after its American success, giving the band another hit, as, at this point, they were at their commercial peak.
"If You Go Away" is a song by American pop group New Kids on the Block Released as a stand-alone single on 1992, the only new song on the compilation H.I.T.S., it was later included on their 1994 album Face the Music. Written by John Bettis, Trey Lorenz and Walter Afanasieff, the latter of whom also served as the songs producer. Lead vocals are shared by Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre, with a spoken word by Danny Wood. It was, at that point, the first song the group put out after having split with longtime manager and producer Maurice Starr.
"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.
"Let's Try It Again" is a song performed by New Kids on the Block. Written and produced by Maurice Starr, it was the fourth and final single from the group's third album, Step by Step, released in the fall of 1990. It contains shared lead vocals by Danny Wood and Jordan Knight.
H.I.T.S. is the first greatest hits album of the New Kids on the Block (NKOTB). It includes one new song titled "If You Go Away" which peaked #16 in U.S. Billboard Hot 100. H.I.T.S. was certified Gold in Spain for the sales of 50,000 units.
