Most frequent collaboratorMaurice Starr · 41 tracks
GenresPopR&BDance-Pop
Co-Performer
38%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 36 of 95 tracks
Did New Kids on the Block write their own songs?
Not at first. Maurice Starr, who put the group together, wrote 36 of the 95 album tracks, including every song on Hangin' Tough. Across the first four albums the five members have two credits between them. From Face the Music in 1994 onward they write most of what they release.
By the Numbers
8
Studio Albums
95
Tracks Credited
38%
Self-Written
more than 80 million
Records Sold
42
Years Active
138
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 36 / 95 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 95 tracks: how many New Kids on the Block wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
New Kids on the Block has a writing credit38%
1%
37%
62%
Sole author1tracks1%
Co-written35tracks37%
Outside writers59tracks62%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
New Kids on the Block's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 95 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)38%
Composer (music)38%
Producer15%
Performer100%
Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on
Percentage of all 95 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.
Member
Period
Lyrics
Music
Production
Performance
Donnie Wahlberg
1984-1994, 2008-present
26%
26%
13%
0%
Danny Wood
1984-1994, 2008-present
3%
3%
1%
0%
Jordan Knight
1984-1994, 2008-present
8%
8%
1%
0%
Jonathan Knight
1984-1994, 2008-present
0%
0%
0%
0%
Joey McIntyre
1985-1994, 2008-present
9%
9%
1%
0%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
New Kids on the Block's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 38%
0%
10%
10%
17%
57%
69%
17%
93%
1986New Kids on the Block
1988Hangin' Tough
1989Merry, Merry Christmas
1990Step by Step
1994Face the Music
2008The Block
201310
2024Still Kids
Early · 7% written
Mid · 49% written
Late · 58% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
7%
1980s
New Kids on the Block, Hangin' Tough +1 more
38%
1990s
Step by Step, Face the Music
69%
2000s
The Block
17%
2010s
10
93%
2020s
Still Kids
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where New Kids on the Block sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
New Kids on the Block
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Written by Al Lancellotti, Maurice Starr, Larry Curtis Johnson
Outside writers
Dirty Dawg
Face the Music
Written by Donnie Wahlberg, Larry Thomas, J.R. Jackson, Jordan Knight, John Johnson, Nice & Smooth, Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr., Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight
Co-wrote
Summertime
The Block
Written by Donnie Wahlberg, Abdulsamad, Nasri, Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr., Nasri Atweh
Co-wrote
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Discography 8 albums
All eight studio albums, including the 1989 Christmas record Merry, Merry Christmas. The remix albums, live records and compilations sit outside this catalogue.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. MS Maurice Starr · D Deekay · LH Lars Halvor Jensen · S Spymob · GL Gabe Lopez · JJ Johannes Jørgensen
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
The split is a clean before and after. Maurice Starr wrote 36 tracks across the first four albums, including all ten on Hangin' Tough, and the five members are on two of those 42. From Face the Music in 1994 onward Starr disappears entirely and the band writes 32 of the next 53. Donnie Wahlberg, with 25 credits, is the only member who was writing on both sides of the line.
Quick Facts
The hired writerMaurice Starr wrote 36 of the 95 album tracks
Hangin' ToughAll ten tracks written by Starr
The band's turn32 of their 36 credits come after 1994
The one constantDonnie Wahlberg has 25 credits, the most of any member
Number onesThree singles reached number 1 on the Hot 100
SalesMore than 80 million records worldwide
Creative Fingerprint
A hired writer for the hits, then the band taking the pen once the hits stopped.
The Story
For four albums Maurice Starr wrote the songs and the five members sang them. Starr has 36 of the 95 album tracks and the band has 36, but almost none of theirs come before 1994.
Awards & Recognition
Two American Music Awards in 1990, for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album
Grammy Award nomination for Best Long Form Music Video
Frequently Asked Questions New Kids on the Block
Did New Kids on the Block write their own songs?
Not at first. Maurice Starr, who put the group together, wrote 36 of the 95 album tracks, including every song on Hangin' Tough. Across the first four albums the five members have two credits between them. From Face the Music in 1994 onward they write most of what they release.
Who wrote "Hangin' Tough"?
Maurice Starr, alone, like the other nine tracks on that album.
Who is Maurice Starr?
The producer and writer who formed the group in Boston in 1984, after doing the same thing with New Edition. He wrote and produced their first four albums and has no credit on anything after 1990.
Which member writes the most?
Donnie Wahlberg, with 25 credits. He is the only member with a writing credit before the band's 1994 album.
How many albums have they made?
Eight studio albums between 1986 and 2024, including a Christmas record in 1989. The remix albums, live records and compilations sit outside this catalogue.
Which singles reached number one?
"I'll Be Loving You (Forever)", "Hangin' Tough" and "Step by Step" all reached number 1 on the Hot 100. "Cover Girl" reached 2 and "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" 3.
What changed on Face the Music?
Starr is gone and the band write eight of the fourteen tracks themselves, working with producers including Teddy Riley.
How well did they sell?
More than 80 million records worldwide. Hangin' Tough alone sold close to 20 million copies.
Did they win anything?
They won two American Music Awards in 1990, and their Hangin' Tough home video earned a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video nomination.
Who writes on the recent albums?
The band themselves, on 13 of the 14 tracks on Still Kids in 2024, alongside outside writers including Lars Halvor Jensen.
New Kids on the Block95 tracks