The New Kids emerged last spring on NBC-TV's "Today" show to announce comeback plans and give their first performance together in 15 years. They followed that appearance with a couple of East Coast radio festivals and, eventually, a substantial world tour.

A new single, "Summertime," appeared later in spring, followed by "The Block," the group's first new studio album since 1994's "Face the Music." The set debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 last September.

"I think it's the perfect next chapter," the group's Donnie Wahlberg told LiveDaily in September. "I think our last album, 'Face the Music,' was a little too much of a departure at times from the traditional New Kids sound. I think we did a better job this time of balancing the different musical sensibilities in the group with the tried and true New Kids sound. There's a lot of great melodies and harmonies and simple pop melodies."

As teenagers, the New Kids--Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood--sold more than 70 million records and racked up back-to-back No. 1 albums with 1988's "Hangin' Tough" and 1990's "Step by Step." Following a slew of R&B/pop crossover hits and several world tours, the group quietly disbanded in 1994.