New Kids On The Block
From WikiMusicGuide, the free music guide. Your music wiki.
New Kids On The Block (NKOTB) - The 80's sensational and successful boy band who's as hip as the Jackson 5 and as wholesome as the Osmond Brothers. A young group of five from Boston, Massachusetts who was the first teen boy band to hit the music industry with a blast and has made tons of followers all over the world. New Kids On The Block will always be remembered through their funky, sexy street sound that made them more than musical success, they became a pop phenomenon.
Contents |
About
New Kids On The Block was formed by producer Maurice Starr (who engineered the success of another teenage band, New Edition) in 1984. Auditions were held in Boston and there were 500 teenaged boys tried for the group. One of them was 15year-old Donnie Wahlberg. Donnie helped in recruiting for other members. Among them were his best friend Danny Wood, former classmates Jonathan and Jordan Knight and his neighborhood friend, Jaime Kelly. But, Kelly was eventually dismissed for lack of discipline and concentration so Maurice Starr replaced him with Joey McIntyre. Comprising Boston-area singers, brothers Jordan Knight and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg, they were enthusiastic and at the same time awkward on their debut which wasn't surprising since the oldest members were only 16 years old. The group scored a record deal with Columbia Records where they used the name Nynuk but the label demanded to change the name of the group and subsequently settled on New Kids On The Block.
New Kids On The Block
In 1986, Columbia released their self-titled debut album with the singles Be My Girl and Stop It Girl but was disappointed, failing to capture nationwide attention. Maurice Starr persuaded the label to record a second album. Though their debut album failed upon its release, they would eventually go triple platinum in response to their popularity later on. The boys were back in the studio recording their sophomore effort in 1987 and 1988. Please Don't Go Girl, a ballad sung by Joey McIntyre, became their first single off their sophomore album which was released in spring of 1988. The song went unnoticed and Columbia Records made plans of dropping the group from the label. Later that day, it scored listeners approval then soon became, not only the most requested song on a Florida radio station but also it became the first group's hit. It went straight to number 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart.
Hangin' Tough
Their second album Hangin' Tough was released in September of 1988, where the sales steadily increased as the group's popularity slowly rose. Their single, You Got It (The Right Stuff), was released at the year's end and by early 1989, it went straight up to number 5. The New Kids hit it big when the released their next single, I'll Be Loving You (Forever) which reached number 1 spot in the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.
More top five singles followed from the same album, including: Hangin' Tough and Cover Girl. Columbia Records thought this is the time to re-release their overlooked album. The label released Didn't I (Blow Your Mind) where the single went to top ten and effectively jump-started the sales of the album. Before the year ends, their second album Hangin' Tough climbed to number 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and went 8 times platinum where they became the first teen act to garner 5 top ten hits from a single album.
Merry, Merry Christmas
Merry, Merry Christmas was released in fall with another top 10 hit single, This One's For The Children. The proceeds of the album were donated to the New Kids favorite charitable cause, United Cerebral Palsy. In January 1990, their album Hangin' Tough won two American Music Awards for Best Pop/Rock Album and Best Pop/Rock Group.
Step By Step
In June 1990, they released another album which is a follow up of Hangin' Tough, Step By Step. They co-write some of the songs themselves. The first single Step By Step raced to number 1 then followed up by another top 10 Tonight. Their album was eventually a certified triple platinum.
No More Games: The Remix Album
New Kids On The Block became very famous that they became heavily merchandised with more that 140 products licensed with New Kids On The Block trademark. Their official fan club had a membership of a hundred thousand names, receiving 30,000 letters per day and calls of over a hundred thousand a week. Further capitalizing on the fame, a compilation of the group's biggest hits remixed was released at the end of the year entitled, No More Games: The Remix Album.
The group were very successful that they even topped Forbes magazine's list of highest paid American entertainers over Michael Jackson and Madonna. They scored number 1 for both singles and albums in Billboard for the year and became the first group to have 2 songs in the top 10 simultaneously in five years.
Face The Music
As the audience soon matured and the fact that they are no longer teenagers, they split from their producer Maurice Starr and shortened their name to NKOTB where they attempted to make a comeback in 1994 releasing their sixth album, Face The Music. The album showed a remarkable musical maturity, a credible urban R&B outfit -- but the album hardly sold anything.
NKOTB still continued to tour to support the album but they are faced with the reality that their time as an icon came to an end. Shortly, they cancelled the rest of the tour after Jonathan left then the group subsequently disbanded altogether the same year and now, all of the members were pursuing a solo career.
Members
| New Kids On The Block | Basic Information |
|---|---|
 |
Real Name: Daniel William Wood |
 |
Real Name: Donald Edmund Wahlberg |
 |
Real Name: Jonathan Rashleigh Knight |
 |
Real Name: Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight |
 |
Real Name: Joseph Mulrey McIntyre |
Awards & Certifications
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | American Music Awards | Best Pop/Rock Album for Hangin' Tough |
| 1990 | American Music Awards | Best Pop/Rock Group |
| Album | Certification |
|---|---|
| New Kids On The Block | 3x Platinum |
| Hangin' Tough | 8x Platinum |
| Merry, Merry Christmas | 2x Platinum |
| Step By Step | 3x Platinum |
Chart Toppers
| Year | Single | US | UK | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Please Don't Go Girl | 10 | ~ | Hangin' Tough |
| 1988 | You Got It (The Right Stuff) | 3 | 1 | Hangin' Tough |
| 1989 | I'll Be Loving You (Forever) | 1 | 5 | Hangin' Tough |
| 1989 | Hangin' Tough | 1 | 1 | Hangin' Tough |
| 1989 | Didn't I (Blow Your Mind) | 8 | 8 | New Kids On The Block |
| 1989 | Cover Girl | 2 | 4 | Hangin' Tough |
| 1989 | This One's for the Children | 7 | 9 | Merry, Merry Christmas |
| 1990 | Step by Step | 1 | 2 | Step By Step |
| 1990 | Tonight | 7 | 3 | Step By Step |
| 1990 | Let’s Try It Again | 53 | 8 | Step By Step |
| 1990 | Games | 62 | ~ | Step By Step |
| 1991 | Call It What You Want (As NKOTB) | 12 | ~ | No More Games: The Remix Album |
| 1992 | If You Go Away | 16 | 9 | Face The Music |
| 1993 | Dirty Dawg | 63 | 29 | Face The Music |
News
- After his lead role in the box office hit movie Saw II, Donnie Wahlberg returns in a supporting role for the sequel, Saw III released on the 27th of October, 2006 and now he's in the primetime drama Runaway airing on The CW.
Tours & Concerts
There are no concerts to date
Announcements
Discography
Comprehensive list of the recordings made.
Albums
 Released: April 1, 1986 Label: Columbia Records |
 Released: September 6, 1988 Label: Columbia Records |
 Released: Label: Columbia Records |
 Released: June 5, 1990 Label: Columbia Records |
 Released: February 12, 1991 Label: Columbia Records |
 Released: January 24, 1994 Label: Columbia Records |
Singles
| Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Be My Girl | Columbia Records |
| 1986 | Stop It Girl | Columbia Records |
| 1988 | Please Don't Go Girl | Columbia Records |
| 1988 | You Got It (The Right Stuff) | Columbia Records |
| 1989 | I'll Be Loving You (Forever) | Columbia Records |
| 1989 | Hangin' Tough | Columbia Records |
| 1989 | Didn't I (Blow Your Mind) | Columbia Records |
| 1989 | Cover Girl | Columbia Records |
| 1989 | Be My Girl | Columbia Records |
| 1989 | This One's for the Children | Columbia Records |
| 1989 | Funky, Funky Xmas | Columbia Records |
| 1990 | My Favorite Girl | Columbia Records |
| 1990 | Step by Step | Columbia Records |
| 1990 | Valentine Girl | Columbia Records |
| 1990 | Tonight | Columbia Records |
| 1990 | Let's Try It Again | Columbia Records |
| 1990 | Games | Columbia Records |
| 1991 | Call It What You Want | Columbia Records |
| 1992 | If You Go Away | Columbia Records |
| 1993 | Dirty Dawg | Columbia Records |
| 1994 | Never Let You Go | Columbia Records |
Compilations & Live Releases
 Released: February 16, 1999 Label: Columbia Records |
 Released: April 17, 2001 Label: Columbia Records |
Other artists
Similar artists
Influences
Contemporaries
Trivia
- Jonathan Knight hates messes; it's he who keep the tour bus neat.
- Jonathan Knight's biggest indulgence is buying clothes
- Donnie Wahlberg's favorite expression: "Peace Out"
- Donnie Wahlberg idolizes Cookie Monster from Sesame Street.
- Danny Wood considers "The Shining" the scariest movie he's ever seen.
