"Hangin' Tough" is a song by American boy band

New Kids on the Block New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) 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 enjoy ...

, 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 Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, record producer, and film producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Outside music, he has had roles in the ''Saw' ...

. "Hangin' Tough" peaked at 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart on September 9, 1989, and topped the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, where it became the first new No. 1 single of the 1990s yet the lowest-selling No. 1 hit up to that point. It is their only No. 1 single in Ireland and reached the top 10 in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Background

There are two distinct renditions of the song: the original album version, which includes a

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

solo; and the remixed version, which is arguably more recognizable and is commonly included on ''Greatest Hits'' albums. The remixed version features a

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

solo and heavier instrumentation. "Hanging Tough" was used in the 1989 film ''

The Wizard Wizard, the wizard, or wizards may refer to: * Wizard (fantasy), a fictional practitioner of magic * Wizard (supernatural), a practitioner of magic Art, entertainment and media Fictional characters * Wizard (Archie Comics), a comic book supe ...

'' as well as on the '' Regular Show'' episode "High Score." In 1991 it was used as the entrance theme for the tag team of Tony Williams and Brian Lawler in the

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

-based

United States Wrestling Association The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrestlin ...

. Alvin and the Chipmunks released a cover version in 1991 for their album '' The Chipmunks Rock the House''. It appeared in '' It'' and '' SingStar Dance''.

Track listings

US, UK, and Dutch 7-inch vinyl :A. "Hangin' Tough" (7-inch remix) – 3:54 :B. " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" – 4:24 UK 12-inch vinyl :A1. "Hangin' Tough" (Tougher Mix) – 3:32 :B1. "Hangin' Tough" (LP version) – 4:16 :B2. "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" – 4:24 UK maxi-CD # "Hangin' Tough" (7-inch remix) – 3:54 # "Hangin' Tough" (Tougher Mix) – 3:32 # "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" – 4:24 UK 12-inch vinyl :A1. "Hangin' Tough" (Tougher Mix) – 3:32 :A2. "What'cha Gonna Do (About It)" – 3:54 :B1. "Hangin' Tough" (LP version) – 4:16 :B2. "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" – 4:24

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

References

External links

Joey McIntyre discusses "Hangin' Tough"
- RetroRewind interview
Official video
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hangin' Tough (Song) 1989 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Columbia Records singles New Kids on the Block songs Song recordings produced by Maurice Starr Songs written by Maurice Starr UK Singles Chart number-one singles