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New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American
boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Ma ...
from
Dorchester, Massachusetts Dorchester (colloquially referred to as Dot) is a Boston neighborhood comprising more than in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Originally, Dorchester was a separate town, founded by Puritans who emigrated in 1630 from Dorchester ...
. The band consists of brothers
Jonathan Jonathan may refer to: *Jonathan (name), a masculine given name Media * ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer * ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski * ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...
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, are considered the first modern boy band and are often credited for paving the way for future boy bands such as Take That, Backstreet Boys and *
NSYNC NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their 'N Sync (album), self-titled debut album was successfully rele ...
. They won two American Music Awards in 1990 for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album. Formed in 1984, New Kids on the Block achieved stardom in 1989, an achievement listed as number 16 on
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
's ''Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments''. The group disbanded in 1994. In 2007, the group reunited to record an album and mount a concert tour in 2008. From 2010 to 2012, they performed with the Backstreet Boys as
NKOTBSB NKOTBSB was an American pop supergroup consisting of the members of American boy bands New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys. Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys came up with the name, which is a combination of established initialisms of ea ...
. The group received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
in 2014.


History


1984–1985: Early career

In the early 1980s,
Maurice Starr Larry Curtis Johnson (born July 14, 1953), better known by his stage name Maurice Starr, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work creating songs and albums with boy bands New Edition and New Kids on ...
discovered
Pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...
/ R&B quintet
New Edition New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 19 ...
, and guided their early success. After breaking ties with them, Starr and his business partner, Mary Alford, sought to create a white counterpart act. Fifteen-year-old Donnie Wahlberg impressed Starr and Alford with his rapping skills, becoming the group's first member. He was initially joined by his younger brother
Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...
, who left the group after only a few months. Donnie then recruited his school friends Jamie Kelly, Jordan Knight and Danny Wood to join the group; Knight was followed into the group by his older brother Jonathan Knight , while Kelly left the group early on. When a search was made to find a
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
-esque singer to replace Kelly, Starr recruited 12-year-old Joey McIntyre, who initially struggled to fit in with the group. With the final line-up in place, Starr rehearsed the boys after school and on weekends, and eventually secured the group a recording contract at
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
. Originally, the group was called Nynuk (pronounced "na-nook"). Nikki Van Noy, author of the group's official biography, wrote in 2012 that the name Nynuk is "meaningless", although a 1989 article by ''Rolling Stone'' suggested a possible connection to '' Nanook of the North''. Columbia demanded Starr change the name of the group. Subsequently, they settled on New Kids on the Block, after a rap song that Donnie Wahlberg had written and arranged for their first album. The group was signed to Columbia's black music division and originally marketed to black audiences.


1986–1987: ''New Kids on the Block'' (debut album)

In April 1986, Columbia Records released the group's self-titled debut album. The album, almost exclusively written and produced by Maurice Starr, featured mid-1980s
bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States ...
material. The first single, " Be My Girl", received minor airplay around the group's native Boston but failed to capture nationwide attention. The album's second single, " Stop It Girl", fared even worse. The New Kids went on tour around the New England states, singing wherever Starr could book them: in bars, school dances, and clubs. Nevertheless, Starr remained diligent and persuaded the label to allow the group to record a second album.


1988–1989: ''Hangin' Tough''

After the failure of the first album, Starr had the group back in the studio for most of 1987 and 1988 recording their second album. Dissatisfied with the excessively bubblegum sound of their first album, the group wanted to have more input on their look, direction and song material. As a result, Wahlberg, Wood and Jordan Knight received
associate producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...
credit on the final product. The album, ''Hangin' Tough'', was released to modest fanfare in September. The album's first single was "
Please Don't Go Girl "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 ...
", a ballad released in the spring of 1988. Failure seemed destined a second time when the song became another that went unnoticed by the listening public, and Columbia Records made plans to drop the New Kids from the label. At the eleventh hour, however, a pop radio station in Florida began playing the song. Scoring listener approval, it soon became the most requested song on their play list. When Columbia caught wind of the positive response, they decided to keep the group on its roster and put more effort into promoting the single. Columbia decided to re-shoot a music video for "Please Don't Go Girl", hiring director
Doug Nichol Doug Nichol is an American filmmaker and commercials/music video director. Biography A graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, he started his career as a cinematographer working with David Bowie, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and U2 and w ...
, and sent the video to thousands of radio stations across the country to show the group's visual appeal. National attention soon followed and "Please Don't Go Girl" eventually climbed to No. 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart—becoming the group's first hit. In the meantime, the group began making national televised appearances on such music programs as ''
Showtime at the Apollo ''Showtime at the Apollo'' (formerly ''It's Showtime at the Apollo'' and ''Apollo Live'') is an American variety show that first aired in syndication from September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008. In 2018, the series returned on Fox with Steve Harvey ...
'' and ''
Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series ...
''. Producer Maurice Starr then held auditions to secure a band of musicians suitable for touring with the New Kids, approving musical director and keyboardist Greg McPherson, bassist David Dyson, keyboardist Yasko Kubota, guitarist Nerida Rojas, and drummer Derrick Antunes. The New Kids later landed a spot as an opening act for fellow teen-pop act Tiffany on the U.S. leg of her concert tour. Sales of ''Hangin' Tough'' steadily increased as the group's national attention slowly rose. At year's end, the album's second single, "
You Got It (The Right Stuff) "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 ''Billboa ...
", was released. The song was given a huge boost when
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
took notice of the group and began playing the video in regular rotation, including an appearance on
Club MTV ''Club MTV'' is a half hour television show modeled after ''American Bandstand'' that aired on MTV from August 31, 1987, to June 26, 1992. ''Club MTV'' was part of MTV's second generation of programming, as the channel was phasing out its origi ...
. By early 1989, it cracked the top five. The New Kids hit pay dirt with their next single, "
I'll Be Loving You (Forever) "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 nu ...
", which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart in June. The group had been scheduled to open for Tiffany once again on a second tour, but their sudden popularity caused a reversal, and she wound up opening for them (although the two acts were technically billed as "co-headliners"). More top five singles from ''Hangin' Tough'' followed into the summer and fall, including the title track and " Cover Girl". Columbia Records also released the single " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" (a cover of The Delfonics' classic hit), from the group's previously overlooked debut album. The song went No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles on the strength of the group's popularity and effectively jump-started the sales of that album as well. By the end of 1989, ''Hangin' Tough'' had climbed to number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 Albums Chart and had gone eight-times
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
. They subsequently became the first 'teen' act to garner five top ten hits from a single album. Meanwhile, a top ten charting
holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or t ...
album, '' Merry, Merry Christmas'', was released in the fall—spawning another top 10 hit, "
This One's for the Children "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 ''Bil ...
", and going double platinum in the U.S. The proceeds were donated to United Cerebral Palsy, the New Kids' favorite charitable cause. ''Hangin' Tough'' would go on to spend 132 weeks on the chart, and in January 1990, the album won two
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Pro ...
for "Best Pop/Rock Album" and "Best Pop/Rock Group". With the success of "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)", "Cover Girl", and "This One's For the Children", the group pulled off a rare feat of having three singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, but each from a different album. Columbia Music Video also released a home video, ''Hangin' Tough'', a documentary on the band directed by
Doug Nichol Doug Nichol is an American filmmaker and commercials/music video director. Biography A graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, he started his career as a cinematographer working with David Bowie, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and U2 and w ...
and produced by Bryan Johnson that included their four hit music videos and a live concert recorded during their 1989 tour. It achieved massive sales, earning a
Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Film is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality videos or musical programs. ...
nomination, and was one of the biggest selling music videos of all time. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts declared April 24, 1989, "New Kids on the Block Day".


1990–1993: ''Step by Step'' and lip syncing allegations

By early 1990, New Kids on the Block had become one of the most popular acts in the United States. That May, they followed up ''Hangin' Tough'' with ''Step by Step'', for which just over half of the songs were cowritten and produced by the members themselves. The first single, the title track, hit number one on the Hot 100 Singles Chart and became their biggest-selling single. It was followed up with their ninth consecutive top-ten single, "
Tonight Tonight may refer to: Television * ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC * ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...
". The group was achieving significant international success, as well: "Let's Try It Again" hit No. 8 on the UK singles chart, while "Baby I Believe in You" went to number one in Japan. The album was eventually certified triple platinum, selling close to 20 million copies worldwide. By late 1990, David Dyson assumed the role of musical director. The group performed an estimated two hundred concerts a year, with an extravagant worldwide concert tour that summer called '' The Magic Summer Tour'', sponsored by Coke. The tour ultimately grossed $74 million ($133 million adjusted for inflation), making them the top-grossing touring act in the country at the time and one of the highest-grossing concert tours of the decade, with overall attendance of 3.2 million people. Their 1990
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
special broke records at the time. During this time, NKOTB licensed merchandise flooded the market, including lunch boxes, buttons, t-shirts,
comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...
, and
dolls A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are found ...
. They inspired a
Saturday morning cartoon "Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre's popularity had a br ...
, developed by the Pangea Corporation and animated by
DIC Entertainment DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions), branded as The Incredible World of DIC, was an international film and television production com ...
. In 1991, sales of the group's merchandise was estimated at US$400 million. New Kids on the Block's official fan club had a membership of over 200,000 and was one of the largest in the United States. The official NKOTB hotline, 1-900-909-5KIDs, received approximately 100,000 calls per week. In 1991, the group topped ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' list of highest paid entertainers, ahead of Michael Jackson,
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
,
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
and Bill Cosby. At year's end, Columbia released '' No More Games/The Remix Album'', a compilation of remixes of the group's biggest hits. It produced two singles, " Call It What You Want (The C&C Pump-It Mix)" (UK #12) and " Games (The New Kids Get Hard Mix)" (UK #14), for which videos were also released. The group released no new material in 1991, and instead toured throughout Europe and Asia. That summer, Wood and Wahlberg cowrote and produced the debut album from
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch was an American hip-hop group formed in 1991 by Mark Wahlberg (alias Marky Mark), Scott Gee, Hector the Booty Inspector, DJ-T, and Ashey Ace. The group's best known song is "Good Vibrations", which made it to number ...
, headed by Mark Wahlberg, Donnie's brother and a former New Kid. Mark Wahlberg's album, which would end up going platinum, scored a number-one hit with " Good Vibrations". In early 1992, the group released the stand-alone single " If You Go Away", the only new track on the compilation '' H.I.T.S.''. The song peaked at No. 16 on the US charts and No. 9 in the UK. Meanwhile, as the music industry was still reeling from the Milli Vanilli lip-syncing scandal, NKOTB found themselves accused of lip-syncing by Gregory McPherson. Credited as an associate producer and string arranger on the ''Step by Step'' album and a music teacher at
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
, McPherson alleged that Maurice Starr sang the vocals while the group lip-synced to pre-recorded vocals during their live performances. McPherson also filed a
breach of contract Breach of contract is a legal cause of action and a type of civil wrong, in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other part ...
and creative infringement lawsuit against Starr. The group immediately responded to the allegations and interrupted the Australian leg of their tour to fly to Los Angeles to perform live on ''
The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...
.'' After performing a medley of their previous hits and their new single, the group (along with Starr) was interviewed by Hall. The group admitted to singing with a backing track during live performances and also admitted that Starr sang harmony on some background vocals. On February 10, 1992, the New Kids filed a
defamation Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
lawsuit against McPherson regarding his lip-syncing allegations. In April 1992, McPherson dropped his suit against Starr and released a statement recanting his previous allegations stating, " he New Kidsdid sing lead on their vocals". By the time the lip-syncing allegations surfaced, the group was starting to experience a backlash. Despite their success, the group was regularly dismissed by critics for their attempts to promote themselves as an urban act and their practice of using backing vocals for live performances. The group's record sales also began to decline due to a shift in musical tastes to
gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...
and grunge music.


1993–1995: ''Face the Music'' and split

In 1993, after having split from Maurice Starr, the group shortened their name to the
initialism An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
NKOTB. In January 1994, their fourth studio album, ''Face the Music'', was released. Their first studio album in close to four years, ''Face the Music'' was a musical departure from the group's previous efforts. Nearly all the songs were written and/or co-produced by the group. In spite of some positive critical reception, the album failed to live up to commercial expectation. The album's final single to chart was " Dirty Dawg" (which featured a rap cameo by Nice & Smooth), peaking at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up single, " Never Let You Go", failed to chart in the U.S., but did reach No. 42 in 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 ...
and No. 18 in the
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
charts. NKOTB went on tour to support the album, playing smaller venues such as clubs and theaters, as opposed to the arenas and stadiums they were once accustomed to. After experiencing increased panic attacks and anxiety, Jonathan Knight left the band. Shortly thereafter, the remaining four decided to officially disband the group. After the group's split, most of the group members started families and began to venture into other avenues. Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood maintained low profiles, while the other three continued their careers individually. Wahlberg, in particular, followed the lead of his younger brother,
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mark Wahlberg, multiple accolades, including a B ...
, and started an acting career. McIntyre and Jordan Knight recorded solo albums in 1999. In 1999, MTV attempted to reunite the group and get them to perform on that year's VMAs. All of the members were on board for the project, except Jonathan. Without him, the performance did not happen. In 2004,
Aamer Haleem Aamer or Amer is a name, used both as a surname and given name. Notable people with the name include: Aamer as surname * Ali Aamer (born 1977), Bahraini footballer * Mohamed Aamer (born 1986), Egyptian actor * Mohammad Aamer (born 1965), Pakistan ...
, host of VH1's ''
Bands Reunited Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary * Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania * Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, ...
'', also attempted to convince each of the members of New Kids on the Block to reunite for a one-night performance for the show. This time Jonathan agreed. However, McIntyre, Wahlberg, and Wood all declined. While Wood and Wahlberg declined on-camera interviews, McIntyre cited that the only way he would perform with the band was if the group would make the decision to reunite permanently.


2008–2012: Reunion, ''The Block'' and NKOTBSB

In April 2008, after months of speculation, Wahlberg confirmed to CNN that the group had reunited with plans to record new material and to stage a tour. The following month, the group released their first single since reuniting, " Summertime". The cover of the single featured the name "New Kids on the Block", re-lengthened from the initials NKOTB. On August 12, 2008, they released their second single, " Single", featuring R&B singer
Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...
, followed by the release of the group's first studio album in fourteen years, '' The Block''. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums Chart and No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in September 2008. It was certified Gold in October 2008, in Canada. The group's reunion tour, New Kids on the Block: Live, began at
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
's
Air Canada Centre Scotiabank Arena (French: ''Aréna Scotiabank)'', formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Ra ...
on September 18, 2008. They toured the US with
Natasha Bedingfield Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...
and
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
as supporting acts. There are 48 total concerts scheduled for Canada and the United States, nine in the United Kingdom, one in Ireland, one in France, one in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
, Netherlands and two in Germany. A NKOTB-sponsored "theme" concert cruise (for their fans) departed from Miami, Florida and traveled to
the Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the a ...
from May 15–18, 2009. The group also announced the Full Service Tour for 2009, featuring Jesse McCartney and Jabbawockeez. Group member Jordan Knight announced a new concert cruise for 2010. After the tour, each member took a break on doing other endeavors. McIntyre recorded a few songs written and produced by fellow musicians such as himself, Drew Ryan Scott from boy band After Romeo, Brent Paschke, and
Gabe Lopez Gabe Lopez is an American pop-rock singer/songwriter and producer. He is of Mexican and Irish descent. Signed to Universal Music Group as a songwriter and to Spectra Music Group as an artist, Lopez has produced and written for Belinda Carlisle, ...
. Wahlberg worked on his own music as well, releasing a single called "I Got It" featuring
Aubrey O'Day Aubrey Morgan O'Day (born February 11, 1984) is an American singer and reality television personality, best known for being a member of the girl group Danity Kane. Following discord among Danity Kane and with her mentor at the time, P. Diddy, O'D ...
(formerly from Danity Kane) and "Rise and Grind" featuring Roscoe Umali. On Friday, August 13, 2010, tickets went on sale for the third annual NKOTB cruise which would take place aboard the
Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival t ...
''Destiny'', leaving from Miami, FL on Thursday, May 12, 2011, to Nassau and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas and returning to Miami, FL on Monday, May 16, 2011. Once again, the cruise sold out the same day it went on sale, with thousands of fans on a 'waitlist' standing by for any openings on the boat due to cancellations. On August 18, 2010, an 'unofficial' announcement was made that NKOTB and the Backstreet Boys would be touring together in 2011 after the successful surprise collaboration performance at
Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and theater at 1260 Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplace of the Nation", it is the headquarters for ...
on June 19, 2010. On October 8, 2010, Brian Littrell, a member of the Backstreet Boys, gave the tour a 78% chance of happening. He also stated that he and Wahlberg had been working on songs together. On November 3, 2010, an official announcement was made that NKOTB and BSB would be touring together in the summer of 2011 along with
Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...
and Ashlyne Huff. In May 2011, Matthew Morrison confirmed during an interview on talk show ''Chelsea Lately'' that he would also be joining the tour. The NKOTBSB Tour began on May 25, 2011, and ended in June 2012. They also released a compilation album ''NKOTBSB (album), NKOTBSB'' which included 2 new songs. On June 22, 2012, NKOTB was among 24 celebrities selected by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for 2013. McIntyre stated during Summer Mixtape Festival that they were making a new album and unlike their previous album ''The Block'', there will be no collaboration on it.


2013–present: ''10'' and ''Thankful; Battle of Boston with New Edition''

On January 22, 2013, the group appeared on ''The View (U.S. TV series), The View'' and announced that they were going to release a new single titled "Remix (I Like The)" on January 28 and a new album titled ''10 (New Kids on the Block album), 10'' on April 2, 2013, via Kobalt Label Services. During the show, they also announced that they were going to The Package Tour, tour North America with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men as their opening acts in summer 2013. ''10'' was released on April 2, 2013, and received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. The group appeared on various television series to promote the album including ''The Today Show'', ''The View'', and an iHeartRadio concert release party. The album made its debut at number 6 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart marking their 5th top 10 studio album in the US. The group, along with Boyz II Men performed on the Boston Strong telethon on May 30, 2013. On February 3, 2014, the band announced their European Tour 2014. The official website described the tour: 'Kicking-off at the Annex in Stockholm on May 6 and culminating at Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow on June 1, the shows will take place at some of the most intimate venues across Europe, giving our fans a rare opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the band.' Following the tour the group met up in New York to embark on the 6th annual NKOTB Cruise. Also, in the Spring of 2014 they announced a limited engagement in Las Vegas. The show titled ''New Kids On The Block After Dark'' ran for 4 consecutive nights from July 10–13, 2014 at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood. On October 9, 2014, the group received their star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
. In January 2015, the group announced they would be embarking on a summer tour called The Main Event (tour), The Main Event, with TLC (group), TLC and Nelly. They also starred on Pop (U.S. TV network), Pop's ''Rock This Boat: New Kids on the Block'', a reality television series featuring the band on a cruise to Bermuda. The show was renewed for a second season the following year. The group played themselves on an episode of the second season of ''Fuller House (TV series), Fuller House'' titled, "New Kids in the House", where they performed multiple songs including "The Right Stuff" and "Please Don't Go Girl" as well as singing Happy Birthday to DJ Tanner in the show. The episode was released on December 9, 2016. In November 2016, the group announced a new tour called The Total Package Tour with Paula Abdul & Boyz II Men. The 44-city North American tour spans from May 12 to July 16 and marks Abdul's first tour in more than 20 years. In March 2017 during an appearance on ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' they performed the new single "One More Night" from the Extended play, EP ''Thankful (EP), Thankful'', which was released on May 12 to coincide with the start of the tour. In December 2017, they released an expanded version of the EP titled ''Thankful (Unwrapped)'', now including the Target-only track "We Were Here" (featuring DMX (rapper), DMX) as well as three newly-recorded holiday songs, their first new material of holiday music in 28 years. Additionally, they announced a short-film documentary filmed during their summer tour will be released on December 9. In October 2018, New Kids announced their MixTape Tour, which would include 1990s stars such as Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty by Nature, Debbie Gibson, and Tiffany. It was to run from May 2, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio, through July 14 in Hollywood, Florida. On December 13, 2018, New Kids announced they would perform at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2019 in Times Square. On March 2, 2019, New Kids released a new music video "Boys in the Band (Boy Band Anthem)", which included cameos from Lance Bass, Debbie Gibson, Naughty by Nature, Ricky Bell (singer), Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe of
New Edition New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 19 ...
. It also included shout outs and easter eggs to several boybands throughout the years: The Osmonds, Jackson 5, New Edition, Boyz II Men, Bell Biv DeVoe, Backstreet Boys, B2K, 98°, LFO (American band), LFO, Menudo (band), Menudo, JLS, O-Town, BTS, *NSYNC, One Direction, Take That, Westlife, as well as New Kids themselves. On May 2, 2019, the Mixtape Tour began in Cincinnati, Ohio, with New Kids as the headliners. Other performers on the tour include Salt-N-Pepa, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, and Naughty by Nature. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, NKOTB released the single "House Party" which peaked at number five on Billboard's Digital Songs chart. The song featured Naughty by Nature, Boyz II Men, Big Freedia and
Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...
. On August 6, 2021, New Kids on the Block played a concert at Fenway Park in Boston with special guest Bell Biv Devoe and surprise guest D-Nice, as well as Joey's son Griffin McIntyre. On March 3, 2022, NKOTB uploaded the music video "Bring Back the Time", which features Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley, and En Vogue. Directed by John Asher, the video parodies 1980s music videos such as Journey (band), Journey's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)", Devo's "Whip It (Devo song), Whip It", A Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran (So Far Away)", Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads song), Once in a Lifetime", Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister song), We're Not Gonna Take It", Robert Palmer (singer), Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love (song), Addicted to Love", Billy Idol's "Flesh for Fantasy",
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's "Vogue (Madonna song), Vogue", Duran Duran's "Rio (song), Rio", Toni Basil's "Mickey (Toni Basil song), Mickey", Art of Noise featuring Max Headroom (character), Max Headroom's "Paranoimia", and
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
's "Beat It".


Members

Current * Jordan Knight – primary lead vocals, background vocals 1984–present * Donnie Wahlberg – secondary lead vocals, rapping, background vocals 1984–present * Joey McIntyre – co-secondary lead vocals, background vocals 1985–present * Danny Wood – tertiary lead vocals, background vocals 1984–present * Jonathan Knight – occasional lead vocals, background vocals 1984–present Former *
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mark Wahlberg, multiple accolades, including a B ...
1984–1985 *Jamie Kelly – 1985


Discography


Studio albums

* ''New Kids on the Block (album), New Kids on the Block'' (1986) * ''Hangin' Tough'' (1988) * ''Step by Step (New Kids on the Block album), Step by Step'' (1990) * ''Face the Music (New Kids on the Block album), Face the Music'' (1994) * '' The Block'' (2008) * ''10 (New Kids on the Block album), 10'' (2013)


Holiday albums

* '' Merry, Merry Christmas'' (1989)


EPs

* ''Thankful (EP), Thankful'' (2017)


Tours


Headlining

*Hangin' Tough Tour (1988) *The Magic Summer Tour, Magic Summer Tour (1990–1992) *Face the Music Tour (1994) *New Kids on the Block Live (2008–2010) *South America and Mexico Tour (2012) *European Tour (2014)


Co-headlining

*NKOTBSB Tour (2011–12) *The Package Tour (2013) *The Main Event (2015 concert tour), The Main Event (2015) *Total Package Tour (2017) *Mixtape Tour (2019) *Mixtape Tour (2022)


Awards and nominations


References


External links


Official website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:New Kids On The Block New Kids on the Block, American pop music groups American contemporary R&B musical groups Boy bands American boy bands Teen pop groups Columbia Records artists Interscope Records artists Musical groups from Boston Musical groups established in 1984 Musical groups disestablished in 1994 Musical groups reestablished in 2008 Vocal quintets 1984 establishments in Massachusetts Sibling musical groups