nkotb haven
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, Donnie, Danny and Jordan received associate producer
credit on the final product. The album's first single was "Please Don't Go Girl," 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
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. National attention soon followed and it eventually climbed
to #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart—becoming the group's first hit.
New Kids on the Block's second album, Hangin' Tough, was released to modest fanfare
in September. In the meantime, the group began making national televised appearances
on such music programs as Showtime at the Apollo, and Soul Train. They 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)" was released.
The song was given a huge boost when MTV took notice of the group and began
playing the video in regular rotation. By early 1989, it cracked the top five. The New Kids
hit pay dirt with their next single, "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)," which reached #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)", from the groups previously overlooked debut album. The
song went #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. They, subsequently, became the first 'teen' act to
garner five top ten hits from a single album.
Meanwhile, a top ten charting holiday album, Merry, Merry Christmas, was released in
the fall—spawning another top 10 hit, "This One's for the Children" 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 for "Best Pop/
Rock Album", and "Best Pop/Rock Group."
:: back to about nkotb