Step by Step (New Kids on the Block album)

Step by Step
Studio album by New Kids on the Block
Released June 5, 1990
Recorded September 1, 1989–April 30, 1990
Genre Pop
Length 47:44
Label Columbia
Producer Maurice Starr
New Kids on the Block chronology

Hangin' Tough
(1988)		 Step by Step
(1990)		 Face the Music
(1994)
Singles from Step by Step
  1. "Step By Step"
    Released: May 10, 1990[1]
  2. "Valentine Girl"
  3. "Tonight"
    Released: July 26, 1990[1]
  4. "Let's Try It Again"
    Released: September 20, 1990[1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [2]
Entertainment Weekly C+[3]
Rolling Stone [4]
Smash Hits (8/10)[5]

Step by Step is the third studio album, and fourth album overall, by American boy band New Kids on the Block, released in June 1990 via Columbia Records.

Background

At the time of release the group 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 went to number one on both the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart, with the lead-off 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, 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.

By the end of 1990, in spite of the album having gone multi-platinum, a public backlash against the group occurred, as is evident with the third and last single, "Let's Try It Again," failing to crack the Billboard Hot 100 top fifty and the album receiving much lower certifications than Hangin' Tough in the United States.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Maurice Starr, unless otherwise noted. 

No. TitleLead vocals Length
1. "Step by Step"  Jordan Knight 4:29
2. "Tonight" (Al Lancellotti/Starr)New Kids on the Block 3:28
3. "Baby, I Believe In You"  Jordan Knight 4:42
4. "Call It What You Want"  Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Joe McIntyre 4:12
5. "Let's Try It Again"  Danny Wood, Jordan Knight 3:53
6. "Happy Birthday" (Starr/Michael Jonzun)Jonathan Knight 2:48
7. "Games" (Donnie Wahlberg/Starr)Donnie Wahlberg 3:29
8. "Time Is on Our Side" (Lancellotti/Starr)Donnie Walhberg 3:49
9. "Where Do I Go from Here?"  Joe McIntyre 3:50
10. "Stay with Me Baby"  Donnie Wahlberg 4:21
11. "Funny Feeling"  Joe McIntyre, Jordan Knight 3:50
12. "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (Danny Wood/T. Ra/Taharqa Aleem/Starr)Danny Wood 5:07
Total length:
 47:44

Charts and certifications

Chart positions

Chart (1990)[6] Peak
position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart 4
Austrian Albums Chart 6
Belgian Albums Chart 4
Canadian Albums Chart 1
Dutch Albums Chart 11
European Albums Chart[7] 1
Finnish Albums Chart[8] 3
French Albums Chart[9] 6
German Albums Chart 1
Hungarian Albums Chart[10] 14
Irish Albums Chart[11] 6
Italian Albums Chart[12] 13
Japanese Albums Chart 10
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart 1
Norwegian Albums Chart 4
Spanish Albums Chart[13] 8
Swedish Albums Chart 12
Swiss Albums Chart 8
UK Albums Chart 1
U.S. Billboard 200 1

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[14] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[15] Platinum 50,000x
Brazil (ABPD)[16] Gold 100,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[17] 7× Platinum 700,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[18] Gold 50,100[18]
France (SNEP)[19] Platinum 456,900[20]*
Germany (BVMI)[21] Platinum 500,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[22] Platinum 210,480^
Netherlands (NVPI)[23] Gold 50,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[24] Platinum 100,000^
Sweden (GLF)[25] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[26] Platinum 50,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[28] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[29] Platinum 1,000,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Preceded by
Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em by M.C. Hammer		 Billboard 200 number-one album
June 30 - July 6, 1990 		Succeeded by
Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em by M.C. Hammer
Preceded by
The Essential Pavarotti by Luciano Pavarotti		 UK number one album
June 30, 1990 – July 6, 1990 		Succeeded by
The Essential Pavarotti by Luciano Pavarotti

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2
  2. ↑ Carpenter, Bil. "Review: New Kids on the Block - Step by Step". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  3. ↑ Sandow, Greg (June 22, 1990). "Review: Step by Step (1990) - New Kids on the Block". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  4. ↑ Berger, Arion (August 9, 1990). "Review: New Kids on the Block - Step by Step". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  5. ↑ Benson, Julie. "Review: New Kids on the Block - Step by Step". Smash Hits (EMAP Metro Ltd) (13–26 June 1990): 56.
  6. ↑ Steffen Hung. "New Kids On The Block - Step By Step". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  7. ↑ "Hits of the World - Eurochart". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 7 July 1990.
  8. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  9. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tout les Titres par Artiste". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  10. ↑ "Kereső - előadó/cím szerint - Archívum - MAHASZ - Magyar Hangfelvétel-kiadók Szövetsége". Zene.slagerlistak.hu. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  11. ↑ http://irish-charts.com/
  12. ↑ "Hit Parade Italia - ALBUM 1990". Hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  13. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  14. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1990 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  15. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved July 15, 2012. Enter New Kids on the Block in the field Interpret. Enter Step by Step in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  16. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step". Music Canada. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 The first web page presents the sales figures, the second presents the certification limits:
  19. ↑ "French album certifications – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  20. ↑ http://www.infodisc.fr/CDCertif_P.php?debut=600
  21. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (New Kids on the Block; 'Step by Step')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  23. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Spanish album certifications – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Select the "Chart", enter ' in the field "Year". Select ' in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts"
  25. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  26. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (New Kids on the Block; 'Step by Step')". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  27. ↑ "British album certifications – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 15, 2012. Enter Step by Step in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  28. ↑ "American album certifications – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 15, 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  29. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1991". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.