New Kids on the Block (also known as NKOTB) are an award-winning American pop group that enjoyed success in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a boy band, being widely regarded as the first true example of the genre. Assembled in Boston in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr, the members consist of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. The group went on to sell over 70 million albums worldwide,generated hundreds of millions of dollars in concert revenues, and paved the way for acts like Backstreet Boys, Take That and *NSYNC. They won two American Music Awards in 1990 for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album for Hangin' Tough. After having disbanded in 1994, several attempts were made to get the group back together, all of them unsuccessful. They reunited in 2008 and took on a new style, released a new album, and embarked on a concert tour in the fall. The album, entitled The Block was released on September 2,

In the early 1980s, Maurice Starr discovered R&B/Pop quintet (later sextet) New Edition and guided their early success. After breaking ties with them, Starr and his business partner, Mary Alford, sought to create a white counterpart act. Auditions were held around Boston, at which some five hundred teenaged boys auditioned. Among them was 15-year-old Donnie Wahlberg, who immediately impressed Starr and Alford with his dancing ability and showmanship, becoming the group's first member. Wahlberg assisted in helping to recruit other members. Among them were his younger brother Mark, and his best friend Danny Wood. He also coaxed one-time schoolmate Jordan Knight, who sang an exceptional falsetto, into auditioning as well. Upon Knight's passing the audition, his older brother Jonathan (also possessing a strong singing voice) was accepted into the group as well.

As the group began to take shape, Mark became disillusioned with its bubble gum direction, and opted to quit. Another one of Donnie's neighborhood friends, Jaime Kelley, took his place. Kelley, though, would eventually be dismissed for lack of concentration and discipline. Seeking a Michael Jackson-esque singer to sing the high solos, Starr replaced him with 12-year-old Joey McIntyre—whom the other guys initially resented for being the one to replace their friend. With the final line-up in place Starr rehearsed the boys diligently, after school and on weekends, and eventually secured the group (which was being called Nynuk) a recording contract at Columbia Records. The label, however, demanded Starr change the name of the group. Subsequently they settled on New Kids on the Block, after a rap song that Donnie had written and arranged for their first album.

In April 1986, Columbia Records released the group's self-titled debut album. The album, almost exclusively written and produced by Maurice Starr, featured mid 80s bubblegum pop material. The first single, "Be My Girl" received minor airplay around the group's native Boston, but failed to capture nationwide attention. The album's second single, "Stop It Girl," fared even worse. The New Kids went on tour around the New England states, singing wherever Starr could book them: in bars, school dances, and clubs. Nevertheless, Starr remained diligent and persuaded the label to allow the group to record a second album. The album, however, would later go on to be certified triple platinum by the RIAA, largely on the strength of the popularity the group attained with their next album.

After the group's split, most of the group members started families and began to venture into other avenues. Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood maintained low profiles, while the other three continued their careers individually.

In 1999, MTV attempted to reunite the group and get them to perform on that year's VMAs. All of the members were on board for the project, except Jonathan. Consequently, the performance didn't happen.

In April 2008, after months of speculation, Donnie Wahlberg confirmed to CNN that the group had reunited with plans to record new material and to stage a tour.The following month, the group released their first single, "Summertime".

On August 12, 2008, they released their second single, "Single", featuring R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo, followed by the release of the group's first studio album in fourteen years, The Block. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 in September 2008.

The group's reunion tour, New Kids on the Block: Live, was scheduled to begin at Toronto's Air Canada Centre on September 18, 2008. They will tour the US with Natasha Bedingfield and Lady Gaga as supporting acts. There are seven concerts scheduled for Canada and forty-one in the US and ten in the UK.