Step by Step (album)

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Step by Step
Step by Step cover
Studio album by New Kids on the Block
Released June 5, 1990
Recorded 1990
Genre Pop
Length 47:44
Label Columbia
Producer Maurice Starr
Professional reviews
New Kids on the Block chronology
Merry, Merry Christmas
(1989)
Step by Step
(1990)
No More Games: The Remix Album
(1991)

Step by Step is the fourth studio album from pop group New Kids on the Block. Released in June 1990, the group at this time was very popular and was being heavily merchandised, with everything from pillowcases, to marbles, to dolls, to a Saturday morning cartoon with their name and likeness. Step by Step was released to a frantic commercial response, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and at #1 on the UK Albums Chart, with the leadoff title track single topping the charts simultaneously and selling nearly three million copies, making it their highest selling single. Another top ten single, "Tonight", followed with just over a million copies sold, as the group embarked on their most ambitious world tour to date.

After having earned success with Hangin' Tough, the group took a more active role creatively on this album, co-writing and producing several of its tracks. They even started playing instruments on most of their songs. Danny wrote, produced with Starr, and sang lead on "Never Fall In Love Again," and Jonathan sings lead on "Happy Birthday." By the end of 1990, in spite of the album having gone multi-platinum, a public backlash against the group occurred, as evident with Step by Step's third and last single, "Let's Try It Again," which failed to crack the top 50.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Step by Step" (Maurice Starr) - Lead vocals by all group members
  2. "Tonight" (Al Lancellotti/Starr) - Lead vocals by all group members
  3. "Baby, I Believe In You" (Starr)- Lead Vocals by Jordan Knight
  4. "Call It What You Want" (Starr) -Lead Vocals by Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg
  5. "Let's Try It Again" (Starr) - Lead Vocals by Danny Wood and Jordan Knight
  6. "Happy Birthday" (Starr/Michael Jonzun) - Lead Vocals by Jonathan (rare lead performance)
  7. "Games" (Donnie Wahlberg/Starr) - Lead Vocals by Donnie Wahlberg
  8. "Time Is On Our Side" (Lancellotti/Starr) - Lead vocals by Donnie Wahlberg
  9. "Where Do I Go from Here?" (Starr) - Lead vocals by Joey McIntyre
  10. "Stay With Me Baby" (Starr) - Lead Vocals by Donnie Wahlberg
  11. "Funny Feeling" (Starr)- Lead Vocals by Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight
  12. "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" (Danny Wood/T. Ra/Taharqa Aleem/Starr) - Lead Vocals by Danny Wood, rap by Donnie Wahlberg

[edit] Singles

  • "Step By Step" - released May 1990
  • "Tonight" - released June 1990
  • "Let's Try It Again"
  • "Valentine Girl"

[edit] Chart positions

Year Chart Position
1990 The Billboard 200 1
1990 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 62
Preceded by
Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em by M.C. Hammer
Billboard 200 number-one album
June 30 - July 6, 1990
Succeeded by
To the Extreme by Vanilla Ice
New Kids on the Block
Jonathan Knight | Jordan Knight | Joey McIntyre | Donnie Wahlberg | Danny Wood
Production Crew
Producer: Maurice Starr
Discography
Studio albums: New Kids on the Block | Hangin' Tough | Merry, Merry Christmas | Step by Step | No More Games/The Remix Album | Face the Music | Greatest Hits | Super Hits
Singles: 1986: Be My Girl, Stop It Girl | 1988: Please Don't Go Girl, You Got It (The Right Stuff) | 1989: I'll Be Loving You (Forever), Hangin' Tough, Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time), Cover Girl, This One's for the Children, Funky Funky Xmas | 1990: My Favorite Girl, Step by Step, Valentine Girl, Tonight, Let's Try It Again, Games | 1991: Call It What You Want | 1992: If You Go Away | 1993: Dirty Dawg | 1994: Never Let You Go | 2008: Summertime
Other Pages:
Related articles
Categories: New Kids on the Block Songs
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