Step by Step (New Kids on the Block song)

"Step by Step"
Single by New Kids on the Block
from the album Step by Step
Released	May 10, 1990
Format	CD
Recorded	1990
Genre	Pop
Length	4:29
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Maurice Starr
Producer(s)	Maurice Starr
New Kids on the Block singles chronology
"My Favorite Girl" (1990) "Step by Step" (1990) "Valentine Girl" (1990)

"Step by Step" is the biggest-selling hit single from New Kids on the Block. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight. Danny Wood sang "Step 1", Donnie Wahlberg sang "Step 2", Jordan Knight sang "Step 3", Joey McIntyre sang "Step 4", and Jonathan Knight sang "Step 5."

Written by Maurice Starr, it was a huge worldwide hit, selling over 10 million copies worldwide, making it one of the biggest selling singles of 1990. It was the first single from the album of the same name, released on May 10, 1990. The song spent three weeks at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was eventually certified platinum; it also spent two weeks at #1 in the Canadian Singles Chart, in total "Step by Step" spent five weeks at #1 in the North American charts. It also peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart and was also a top 10 hit in the Australian, French, German, Irish and Norwegian charts. "Step by Step" was initially recorded by one of Maurice Starr's other groups, The Superiors and was released as a single in 1987.

Donnie Wahlberg's brother Mark Wahlberg appears in the video for this song.

Track listings

CD single

1. "Step by Step" - 4:27
2. "Valentine Girl" - 3:57

Maxi-CD

1. "Step by Step" (Radio Edit) - 3:59
2. "Step by Step" (LP Version) - 4:27
3. "Step by Step" (12" Club Remix) - 5:25

Popular success

"Step by Step" was voted #4 in a Smash Hits poll of "Best Boyband songs...Ever" and also made the list of the top 30 Guilty Pleasures on About.com's music site. about.com's

The song was voted #7 in a viewer poll of the greatest Boy band/Girl band songs on New Zealand show UChoose40.^[1] It was also voted #1 in a viewer poll of the greatest Guilty Pleasures on the same show UChoose40. It beat such songs as the classic hit from Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" which finished fourth in the poll.^[1]

In August 2007, it was confirmed that "Step by Step" would be part of a 30 song track-list in the new edition of the "Singstar" series titled SingStar 90s, a karaoke style game on classic 90s songs.

Furthermore, it was chosen as part of a 32-track dance game in November 2009 for the Wii, called Just Dance.

In January 2015, Heat magazine's TV Channel, placed it at #17 in their "Greatest Boyband Anthems" countdown.

Covers

"Step by Step" was covered by The Lemonheads on their 1991 EP Favourite Spanish Dishes. It has also been covered by boyband 2Be3 and Lyte Funky Ones.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990) Peak Position[2] Australia (ARIA)[3] 8 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 6 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[6] 1 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[7] 19 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 13 Finnish Singles Chart[9] 7 French Singles Chart 10 Germany (Official German Charts)[10] 8 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 5 Italian Singles Chart[12] 22 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 3 Norway (VG-lista)[14] 3 Spain Top 40 Radio[15] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] 17 Swedish Singles Chart[17] 13 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[18] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] 48 Year-end charts End of year chart (1990) Position U.S. Billboard Hot 100[21] 33

Certifications Region Certification Certified units/Sales Australia (ARIA)[22] Gold 35,000^^ Canada (Music Canada)[23] Platinum 100,000^^ France (SNEP)[24] Silver 200,000^* Japan (RIAJ)[25] Gold 50,000^^ United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Silver 200,000^^ United States (RIAA)[27] Platinum 1,000,000^^ ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. "Home - TV - FOUR". C4tv.co.nz. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
2. "New Kids On The Block - Step By Step". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
3. "Australian-charts.com – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
4. "Austriancharts.at – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
5. "Ultratop.be – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
6. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1276." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
7. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7955." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 30, 1990. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
8. "Dutchcharts.nl – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
9. 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.
10. "Offiziellecharts.de – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Step by Step". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
12. "Hit Parade Italia - Indice per Interprete: N". Hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
13. "Charts.org.nz – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
14. "Norwegiancharts.com – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step". VG-lista. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
15. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
16. "Swisscharts.com – New Kids on the Block – Step by Step". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
17. "Step by Step" on Swedish Charts
18. "Archive Chart: 1990-06-16" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
19. "New Kids on the Block – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for New Kids on the Block. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
20. "New Kids on the Block – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for New Kids on the Block. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
21. "Billboard Top 100 - 1990". Retrieved 2009-09-15.
22. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
23. "Canadian single certifications – New Kids On The Block – Step by Step". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
24. "French single certifications – New Kids On The Block – Step by Step" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
25. "Japanese single certifications – ニュー・キッズ・オン・ザ・ブロック – Step by Step" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 13 March 2016. Select 1990年月 on the drop-down menu
26. "British single certifications – New Kids On The Block – Step by Step". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 March 2016. Enter Step by Step in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
27. "American single certifications – New Kids On The Block – Step by Step". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 13 March 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links

• Joey McIntyre discusses "Step By Step" - RetroRewind interview
• Music video for "Step by Step" on YouTube