Finding young talent within the Boston area and turning them into stars was nothing new for songwriter and producer Maurice Starr. In 1982, he discovered New Edition on his talent show and ended up writing and producing their 1983 debut and hits “Is This the End,” “Popcorn Love,” and “Candy Girl.” Just two years later, Starr grouped together five more adolescents, featuring brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, and Joey McIntyre. New Kids On the Block (NKOTB) debuted in 1986 with their self-titled album and their sweetly sung cover of the Delfonics’ 1969 hit, “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind).”
A mastermind of songs, Starr crafted the New Kids’ songbook from the beginning through the breakthrough second album, Hangin’ Tough, with another peak for the pop idols on Step By Step in 1990.
After parting ways with Starr in the early 1990s, the group disbanded shortly after their fourth album, Face the Music, in 1994, which featured more of their own credits as songwriters. Later reuniting in 2007, NKOTB released two more albums, including the 2008 release, The Block—featuring collaborations with Ne-Yo 9 (“Single”), Lady Gaga (“Big Girl Now”), Akon (“Put It On My Tab”) and New Edition (“Full Service’)—and 10 in 2013
Nearly 40 years after their formation, NKOTB continues to tour—including their 2019 Mixtape Tour with Salt-N-Pepa, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, and Naughty by Nature—and have released a number of singles over the years. In 2022, the group released the throwback single “Bring Back The Time,” featuring Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley, and En Vogue, along with a video parodying some of the biggest artists and videos from the 1980s.
Here’s a look at 10 top NKOTB songs throughout the decades.
1. “Please Don’t Go Girl”
Sung by the youngest member of NKOTB, Joey McIntyre, who was only 14 when it was released, “Please Don’t Go Girl.” The first single off the group’s second album, Hangin Tough, “Please Don’t Go Girl” put them on the musical map. Though, it didn’t peak high on the charts at first, by 1988, “Please Don’t Go Girl” hit No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.