Do the New Kids Have the 'Right Stuff' For Reunion?

Jan. 27, 2008 — -- Seventies rock fans have recently seen a flurry of epic band reunions from the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Police and The Who. But is the music industry ready to add one '80s boy band to the comback trail? If so, then the New Kids on the Block are ready to reunite, according to People magazine.

"There's no comparison between the Police and the New Kids on the Block. The New Kids were not significant," said Anthony DeCurtis, of Rolling Stone magazine.

Though they were a merchandising powerhouse in the 1980s and very early 1990s, by the time NKOTB disbanded in 1994 the group was well past its peak years.

Legions of teens and 'tweens swooned over brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntire, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg. Their faces were on T-shirts, lunch boxes, posters and even bed sheets as the Boston boys marketed themselves and their music with great success.

Hit singles like, "Hangin' Tough," "Please Don't Go Girl," "Cover Girl" and "Step by Step" secured their multi-platinum status.

The band's current plans may have been inspired by the ultra-profitable reunion of the Spice Girls, who embarked on a sold-out concert tour late last year, even though some questioned if anyone wanted to see aging former teen idols headed toward their 40s singing saccharine, sweet love songs.

"The real question is, 'Does it matter if it's good?' I mean people scoffed at the Spice Girls, but they came back and had a good showing," DeCurtis said.

After years off the charts, getting NKOTB back in step may be difficult. Since their heyday, Jordan Night, Wood and McIntire had middling solo careers. McIntire also re-launched himself on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

Wahlberg had some success as an actor, trying to follow the path of his younger brother Mark Wahlberg, who morphed from rapper Marky Mark into an Oscar nominee.

Jonathan Knight was the only one to give up the spotlight permanently, opting instead for a career in real estate.

Critics said it's obvious what drives the reunion. It's not the art, but the money pulling the band back.