A must-have for every New Kids fan, this beautifully designed volume traces 40 years of the groundbreaking boy band through photos, interviews, and all the fascinating facts. Donnie, Danny, Jonathan, Jordan, and Joey: they are Boston’s own New Kids on the Block, an iconic boy band that sprang to the top of the charts (and into the hearts of millions of global fans) in the 1980s. Though each of the “kids” and the band itself has faced their ups and downs in the four decades since they came together, they continue to release new music and maintain a loyal fanbase lovingly known as “Blockheads.”
In
New Kids on the Block 40th Anniversary Celebration, music journalist and proud Blockhead Selena Fragassi delves into
the band’s origins—from their manager Maurice Starr bringing them together and their earliest influences—
to their biggest successes in the 1980s and ’90s,
to their continued achievements today and the
lasting legacy they’ve left in the boy-band canon. Along the way, readers will also explore:
- The creation of NKOTB’s biggest hits, such as “Please Don’t Go Girl” and “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”
- The fan culture that built up around the band, from the small gigs and mall tours of their earliest years to their inaugural fan convention in 2023
- NKOTB’s influences, from R&B to pop, and their place in a boy-band history that begins with the Jackson 5 and continues in the modern day with bands like One Direction and BTS
- The lasting legacy of a band proudly celebrating their fortieth anniversary
Step by step, through
interviews,
photos, and sidebars full of
fun facts and trivia, you’ll learn something new about the band on every page. This book is the perfect companion to your everlasting love for NKOTB!
Introduction
THE 80s: STEP BY STEP
1 Making the Band
2 Born in Boston
3 Hello My Name Is . . .
4 Teen Sensations
5 A Matter of Black and White
6 Who Are the Real New Kids?
7 The Strength of Hangin Tough
8 Hitting the Road
9 Seasons Greetings
THE 90s: NO MORE GAMES
10 The Awards Start Rolling In
1 1 Mad for Merch
12 Moving Forward with Step By Step
13 The Never-ending Tour
14 Block Nation and the Blockheads
15 Spreading the Good Vibrations
16 Hear it From Their Lips
17 New Kids Face The Music
THE 00s: HANGIN TOUGH
18 Going Solo
19 New Kids Become Family Men
20 Broadway Comes Calling
21 Heating Up Hollywood
22 Getting Real on Reality TV
23 Finally . . . the Band is Back Together
THE 10s and 20s: LETS TRY IT AGAIN
24 Cruising Along
25 Jonathans Coming Out
26 Two Boy Bands Team Up
27 The Big 10 and Feeling Thankful
28 An Encore of Solo Works
29 An "Anthem" and a "House Party"
30 Looking to the Future
31 An Ongoing Legacy
THE RIGHT STATS
Timeline
Discography
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Image Credits
Index
Selena Fragassi is a longtime music journalist who began her career covering women in music and culture with the beloved Venus Zine before starting her own publication, Boxx Magazine, with a mission to close the gender gap in music editorial coverage. Her very first published piece was on an unknown Adele, and she has continued to break emerging artists with early pieces on Grimes and Lizzo, among others. Selena is currently a featured contributor for the Chicago Sun-Times. Her bylines have also appeared in SPIN, Loudwire, The A.V. Club, Paste, Nylon, Popmatters, Blurt, Under the Radar, and Chicago Magazine, where she was previously on staff as Pop/Rock Critic. Artists shes interviewed include Rise Against, Gene Simmons, Jennifer Hudson, Andra Day, Chrissie Hynde, Demi Lovato, Debbie Harry, Slash, Deftones, Evanescence, Alice Cooper, Jack White, The Black Keys, Charlie Puth, Bon Jovi, and Bonnie Raitt, among many others. Selenas work has been anthologized in That Devil Music: Best Music Writing, and she has appeared on televised panels regarding music matters for WTTWs Chicago Tonight program. She is the author of the books New Kids on the Block 40th Anniversary Celebration; NSYNC 30th Anniversary Celebration; and The Work, Life, and Style of Greta Gerwig, with more to come. Selena is also a member of The Recording Academy.
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