nkotb haven
1990-1991: step by step
By early 1990, New Kids on the Block had become one of the most popular acts in the
world. The following May, they followed up Hangin' Tough with Step by Step, which
featured slightly more than half of the songs co-written and produced by the members
themselves. The first single, the title track, raced to number one on the Hot 100 Singles
Chart and became their biggest selling single. It was followed up with the top ten
"Tonight," which extended the consecutive top ten singles chart run to nine records.
The album was eventually certified triple platinum, selling close to twenty million copies
worldwide.
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. Their 1990 pay-per-view special broke cable-TV history at the time. During
this time, the group became heavily merchandised. NKOTB licensed merchandise
included lunch boxes, buttons, T-shirts, comic books, dolls, and even a Saturday
morning cartoon in their likeness. In 1991, sales for 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 members
and was one of the largest fan clubs in the world. Approximately one hundred
thousand calls per week were dialed to 1-900-909-5KIDs, the Official NKOTB Hotline, as
well. In 1991, the group topped Forbes list of highest paid entertainers, beating out the
likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, and Bill Cosby.
Further capitalizing on the fame, at year's end, Columbia Records released No More
Games/The Remix Album—a compilation of the group's biggest hits remixed, the album
also brought along two more released songs in "Call It What You Want" and "Games" in
which videos were released also.
The group released no new material in 1991, but went overseas and continued to tour
throughout Europe and Asia. That summer, Wood and Wahlberg co-wrote and
produced the debut album from Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch—headed by Mark
Wahlberg, Donnie's brother and former New Kid. Mark Wahlberg's album scored a
number one hit with "Good Vibrations," and a platinum album.
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