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New Kids on the Block are hitting the road for the second leg of their reunion tour this spring and summer to support their first album in almost 15 years, featuring the hit single "Summertime."
NKOTB paved the way for future boy bands like Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC with their pop harmonies and synchronized dance moves. Over ten years on the scene, the group sold over 70 million albums worldwide and charted 13 singles.
Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight and Jonathan Knight were brought together by Maurice Starr, who discovered the quintet New Edition. The kids were ages 12 through 15, and practiced diligently after school and on weekends.
In 1986, the group released their self-titled debut. The collection was full of bubblegum pop material, and was not a success. Two years later the stinker paid off, though, with the success of "Hangin Tough" - the boys were able to convince Starr to give them more input on the album, leading away from the bubblegum pop sound.
The lead-off single from "Hangin Tough" was "Please Dont Go Girl," which was slow to sell initially but became a hit. The following singles were the title track, "You Got It (The Right Stuff)," "Cover Girl" and "Didnt I (Blow Your Mind)." With the album they became the first team group to score five top ten hits from one album. A holiday album followed and was also a massive hit.
The group followed up the success with "Step by Step" in 1991. Hits off the album included the title track and "Tonight." The group followed the album with a massive tour, "The Magic Summer Tour." Around this time the group became heavily merchandised, and each member of the group had their own unique persona.
The band released one more album, "Face the Music" in 1993 after breaking ties with Maurice Starr. They dissolved as a group shortly after, and Jordan Knight and Joe McIntyre continued to perform, while Donnie Wahlberg focused on his acting career.
There were a number of reunion attempts over the years, but in April of 2008 Wahlberg officially announced that they were back together and recording a new album. So far the band has released that downloadable single "Summertime," and they have been doing massive promotional touring behind the effort.
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