Well, 1989 aside, he also covered @ohnostalgia favourite song from her favourite act (I think). So no, me not touching him hehe.
The 90's Billboard #1s Rate: 1990-1994 - AND WE ARE DONE
- Thread starter Ironheade
- Start date
Bryan and Ryan share a birthday so that’s fun.
Robin Hood POT is shit and so is the song.
Robin Hood POT is shit and so is the song.
@Ironheade I'm pretty sure it's "there's nowhere unless you're there". A trite lyric still, though, yes.
Ah, so it is. My mistake!
D
Deleted member 26234
He guys, I loved that song with a passion. Don't do it down so much!
But from my 10s this is the one I can let go most easily. Listening again I think it was more the memory of liking it ...
But from my 10s this is the one I can let go most easily. Listening again I think it was more the memory of liking it ...
Well, I like it. Not 16-weeks-at-No.1 liking it, but it's decent enough. He does what he does, and I suppose you're either on board or not. That said, every ballad he did after this got progressively worse.
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
Five tens???? FIVE.??
D
Deleted member 26234
Is there an "I don't like"-button?
Just think with whom you are dealing, girl! :-)
londonrain
Staff member
Who knew I’d ever see an @ohnostalgia-@Filippa fight over a Bryan Adams song on Popjustice?
This rate is wild.
she/her
That's pretty much my commentary for that song. Hmm.
Time to make @berserkboi happy, I think.
OK guys, you were overdue to go for a while, step on out the door!
65. Step by Step - New Kids on the Block
Average: 5.926
Highest score: 3 x 10 (@MollieSwift21 , @ohnoitisnathan , @Jeffo )
Lowest score: 1 x 0 (@Spiral )
Weeks at #1: 3 consecutive Hot 100, 1 airplay
Year-End Hot 100: #33 (1990)
Well, I suppose every decade needs a group of five inoffensively chirpy and more-or-less attractive young men for teenage girls to swoon over. And to supply that need, in come the New Kids on the Block: Joey, Jordan, Jonathan, Danny and Donnie. Boyband pioneers they may have been, codifying most of the genre's tropes, but let's be honest and put our nostalgia aside, most of their material was at least mildly horrendous. Their voices were passable at best, the lyrics were dross banged out in five minutes, and the production of Maurice Starr often sounded astonishingly cheap and rudimentary. I won't even get into the pathetic attempts at “attitude” or the emetic qualities of their ballads. Basically, they had nothing going for 'em... but, well, “Step by Step” was a substantial step up, at least.
What's to say about “Step by Step”, really? It's another just-about-passable dance-pop number with first-thing-that-comes-to-mind lyrics, what else would you expect from NKOTB? For one thing, the production's actually quite a bit fuller than their previous hits. But it's more on the level of individual elements than on the level of a cohesive production. I actually do rather like the strings, the underlying beat and bassline get the job done, and while the keyboards do still smell a bit of Casio Geoffrey's handiwork, they don't bother me much. But then there's also parts where the beats are sparse and nearly completely unadorned, like Maurice Starr hadn't figured out what should go on top of them yet, and then there's parts where all of the instruments at once crash into each other in an ungainly mess. It may not sound that cheap, but it makes up for it by sounding cluttered. Vocally, they haven't taken much of a step forward either; Jordan Knight's lead vocal is competent, but no more than that, and they don't come up with any interesting moments of harmony, instead substituting in CONSTANT BACKGROUND YELLING. The chorus is certainly a maddening earworm, I'll give them that, but beyond that, the melody isn't very much, and the dopey lyrics don't help their case. I mean, THEY ACTUALLY RHYMED GIRL WITH WORLD, come on. Also, I defy you to tell me that the bridge is not the stupidest goddamn thing you've ever heard in your life. Not only is the shouting out of the “STEP!”s indescribably goofy, the vocal parts that the New Kids follow up with are pretty horrible: Jordan pulling out his ear-shattering falsetto (just when you thought he'd avoid it for the whole song!), Joey and Danny sounding immensely confused (can't blame 'em), and Donnie and Jonathan oversinging their lines far more than they deserve.
But it does constitute an improvement, it doesn't offend me or anything, so the time was right for the New Kids' imperial phase to continue, right? Nope: “Step by Step” was their last real smash. Follow-up single “Tonight” (probably their best song, for whatever that's worth) only made it to #7, and that was the last time NKOTB saw the inside of the top 10. Ouch. I don't get the American public sometimes, man.
ohnoitsnathan (10) - I hated this at the time, because I hated them by this point, but it's a really great pop song. Well, maybe minus the even-I-could-do-better "we can have lots of fun" line from Danny that isn't even really 'singing'. What was he in the group for? (Hey. Every boy band needs a member that nobody likes.)
Rooneyboy (9.5) - ‘Step 1 we could have lots of bum’ Summed up how I felt about them at the time ( I was 17, don’t judge me). (Too late!)
Sprockrooster (8) - A bit of a mindless bop. Nothing wrong with that. (No, there's not... but this ain't it.)
dancingwithmyself (9) - NKOTB have been responsible for a whole bunch of dross, however Step By Step ALMOST undoes all of the damage done.
Filippa (4) - The only song I really like from New Kids on the Block was Tonight. (Told you guys! - Ed.) But they were the first boyband and they really had charm.
soratami (2) - What the hell is this!? I mean how the hell does something like this become a #1 hit? It's not the worst entry in this rate, but definitely the one whose success is most baffling. (See second sentence of previous commentary.)
Hudweiser (2.5) - My sister was into this group. Thought they were crap then, this has done little to alter the memory. I always hated how any marginally tuneful and good looking boys could learn a dance routine, sing ‘ooh girrrrrl’ a lot and instantly find success. That middle eight proves that a couple of them had zero business having a singing career. (Don't hold back, say how you really feel!)
Ray (3) - My first crush ever was Donnie Wahlberg. This is all I am willing to say on the New Kids topic. Ever. (Well, THAT was emphatic!)
Empty Shoebox (4) - Not as bad as some of their others, but nah, it's just...nah. (By some of their others... do you mean "Hanging Tough". UGH. That song, man...)
londonrain (4) - That “step one”/“step two” bit has aged like milk, but it’s still a bop.
mung_bean (8) - I’d never heard this before, and I actually quite like it! That falsetto vocal was....brave (and hilarious), but for something so throwaway it holds up surprisingly well. (There's a fine line between bravery and foolishness, you know...)
japanbonustrack (4) - Step THREE - It's just you and me. (Step FOUR! I can give you more!)
berserkboi (3) - I am sorry, I tried with this and it was on par for a 6 until they did that ‘Step 1, Step 2, Step 3’ bit and you heard how awful those other members’ vocals were. The choreography towards the start was alright though… (At least they got something right!)
br0dy (8) - Fairly solid, but can't really compare to the Golden Age of boybands.
WowWowWowWow (6) - Last year I bought my parents tickets to the New Kids on the Block/Boyz II Men/Paula Abdul concert because they both love Boyz II Men, we listened to all their greatest hits one day. I was…. unimpressed with the NKOTB collection. Which is weird because I know for a fact I had a New Kids folder in school and may or may not have done a classroom talent show performance to this song. So it loses points for the humiliation it caused me!!! (Do you have video of that? Asking for a friend.)
iheartpoptarts (9) - I’m glad they have a #1, even if they've done better. The boyband world owes them so much and I’ll always get my life at their concerts.
Yep, they're still on tour, folks! I just can't get my head around the idea of a bunch of guys in their late forties still singing "Step by Step", really...
OK guys, you were overdue to go for a while, step on out the door!
65. Step by Step - New Kids on the Block
Average: 5.926
Highest score: 3 x 10 (@MollieSwift21 , @ohnoitisnathan , @Jeffo )
Lowest score: 1 x 0 (@Spiral )
Weeks at #1: 3 consecutive Hot 100, 1 airplay
Year-End Hot 100: #33 (1990)
Well, I suppose every decade needs a group of five inoffensively chirpy and more-or-less attractive young men for teenage girls to swoon over. And to supply that need, in come the New Kids on the Block: Joey, Jordan, Jonathan, Danny and Donnie. Boyband pioneers they may have been, codifying most of the genre's tropes, but let's be honest and put our nostalgia aside, most of their material was at least mildly horrendous. Their voices were passable at best, the lyrics were dross banged out in five minutes, and the production of Maurice Starr often sounded astonishingly cheap and rudimentary. I won't even get into the pathetic attempts at “attitude” or the emetic qualities of their ballads. Basically, they had nothing going for 'em... but, well, “Step by Step” was a substantial step up, at least.
What's to say about “Step by Step”, really? It's another just-about-passable dance-pop number with first-thing-that-comes-to-mind lyrics, what else would you expect from NKOTB? For one thing, the production's actually quite a bit fuller than their previous hits. But it's more on the level of individual elements than on the level of a cohesive production. I actually do rather like the strings, the underlying beat and bassline get the job done, and while the keyboards do still smell a bit of Casio Geoffrey's handiwork, they don't bother me much. But then there's also parts where the beats are sparse and nearly completely unadorned, like Maurice Starr hadn't figured out what should go on top of them yet, and then there's parts where all of the instruments at once crash into each other in an ungainly mess. It may not sound that cheap, but it makes up for it by sounding cluttered. Vocally, they haven't taken much of a step forward either; Jordan Knight's lead vocal is competent, but no more than that, and they don't come up with any interesting moments of harmony, instead substituting in CONSTANT BACKGROUND YELLING. The chorus is certainly a maddening earworm, I'll give them that, but beyond that, the melody isn't very much, and the dopey lyrics don't help their case. I mean, THEY ACTUALLY RHYMED GIRL WITH WORLD, come on. Also, I defy you to tell me that the bridge is not the stupidest goddamn thing you've ever heard in your life. Not only is the shouting out of the “STEP!”s indescribably goofy, the vocal parts that the New Kids follow up with are pretty horrible: Jordan pulling out his ear-shattering falsetto (just when you thought he'd avoid it for the whole song!), Joey and Danny sounding immensely confused (can't blame 'em), and Donnie and Jonathan oversinging their lines far more than they deserve.
But it does constitute an improvement, it doesn't offend me or anything, so the time was right for the New Kids' imperial phase to continue, right? Nope: “Step by Step” was their last real smash. Follow-up single “Tonight” (probably their best song, for whatever that's worth) only made it to #7, and that was the last time NKOTB saw the inside of the top 10. Ouch. I don't get the American public sometimes, man.
ohnoitsnathan (10) - I hated this at the time, because I hated them by this point, but it's a really great pop song. Well, maybe minus the even-I-could-do-better "we can have lots of fun" line from Danny that isn't even really 'singing'. What was he in the group for? (Hey. Every boy band needs a member that nobody likes.)
Rooneyboy (9.5) - ‘Step 1 we could have lots of bum’ Summed up how I felt about them at the time ( I was 17, don’t judge me). (Too late!)
Sprockrooster (8) - A bit of a mindless bop. Nothing wrong with that. (No, there's not... but this ain't it.)
dancingwithmyself (9) - NKOTB have been responsible for a whole bunch of dross, however Step By Step ALMOST undoes all of the damage done.
Filippa (4) - The only song I really like from New Kids on the Block was Tonight. (Told you guys! - Ed.) But they were the first boyband and they really had charm.
soratami (2) - What the hell is this!? I mean how the hell does something like this become a #1 hit? It's not the worst entry in this rate, but definitely the one whose success is most baffling. (See second sentence of previous commentary.)
Hudweiser (2.5) - My sister was into this group. Thought they were crap then, this has done little to alter the memory. I always hated how any marginally tuneful and good looking boys could learn a dance routine, sing ‘ooh girrrrrl’ a lot and instantly find success. That middle eight proves that a couple of them had zero business having a singing career. (Don't hold back, say how you really feel!)
Ray (3) - My first crush ever was Donnie Wahlberg. This is all I am willing to say on the New Kids topic. Ever. (Well, THAT was emphatic!)
Empty Shoebox (4) - Not as bad as some of their others, but nah, it's just...nah. (By some of their others... do you mean "Hanging Tough". UGH. That song, man...)
londonrain (4) - That “step one”/“step two” bit has aged like milk, but it’s still a bop.
mung_bean (8) - I’d never heard this before, and I actually quite like it! That falsetto vocal was....brave (and hilarious), but for something so throwaway it holds up surprisingly well. (There's a fine line between bravery and foolishness, you know...)
japanbonustrack (4) - Step THREE - It's just you and me. (Step FOUR! I can give you more!)
berserkboi (3) - I am sorry, I tried with this and it was on par for a 6 until they did that ‘Step 1, Step 2, Step 3’ bit and you heard how awful those other members’ vocals were. The choreography towards the start was alright though… (At least they got something right!)
br0dy (8) - Fairly solid, but can't really compare to the Golden Age of boybands.
WowWowWowWow (6) - Last year I bought my parents tickets to the New Kids on the Block/Boyz II Men/Paula Abdul concert because they both love Boyz II Men, we listened to all their greatest hits one day. I was…. unimpressed with the NKOTB collection. Which is weird because I know for a fact I had a New Kids folder in school and may or may not have done a classroom talent show performance to this song. So it loses points for the humiliation it caused me!!! (Do you have video of that? Asking for a friend.)
iheartpoptarts (9) - I’m glad they have a #1, even if they've done better. The boyband world owes them so much and I’ll always get my life at their concerts.
Yep, they're still on tour, folks! I just can't get my head around the idea of a bunch of guys in their late forties still singing "Step by Step", really...
The ITV Chart Show got notoriously tired of long running chart toppers and they would drop them down too early.
I remember despite the show obviously being big supporters of Shakespear's Sister, Stay dropped from number one way too early - in favour of Shanice, then Ce Ce Peniston, Def Leppard etc etc
One of Bryan Adams or Wet Wet Wet, I think the former, spent several weeks at number one but then slowly dropped and at one point near the end of its run at UK #1 was holding at #9 or something on the Chart Show. The biggest discrepancy they ever had with the official UK charts.
I remember despite the show obviously being big supporters of Shakespear's Sister, Stay dropped from number one way too early - in favour of Shanice, then Ce Ce Peniston, Def Leppard etc etc
One of Bryan Adams or Wet Wet Wet, I think the former, spent several weeks at number one but then slowly dropped and at one point near the end of its run at UK #1 was holding at #9 or something on the Chart Show. The biggest discrepancy they ever had with the official UK charts.
she/her
Step by step, day by day
Every second counts, I can't break away!
Every second counts, I can't break away!
2014
Staff member
zads!
I only gave Step By Step an 8/10!
One of their best songs, aside from Tonight, is Call It What You Want. The inspiration for Take That's Promises.
One of their best songs, aside from Tonight, is Call It What You Want. The inspiration for Take That's Promises.
she/her
Yeah. It's rotten, isn't it?
she/her
I love that album.