New Kids on the Block is the debut studio album from American pop boy band New Kids on the Block released in 1986. The album failed to garner any attention at the time of its release. In August 1989, during the success of their second album, Hangin' Tough, Columbia Records released the New Kids on the Block track "Didn't I " as a single, in an attempt to bring this album to the attention of the group's growing fan-base. As a result, album sales spiked, causing it to be released outside the United States around the same time. Subsequently, the New Kids on the Block album would eventually be certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA, peaking at number 25 on the US Billboard 200.

Hangin' Tough is the second studio album by American boy band New Kids on the Block, released on August 12, 1988, by Columbia Records. It is widely regarded as the group's breakthrough album, gaining positive reviews for their musical transition from bubblegum pop to urban contemporary, blended with popular rock music. The group's label had planned to end their contract when their 1986 debut garnered little commercial and critical attention, which nearly led to their breakup. However, Maurice Starr, the group's producer, diligently persuaded the label to let them record a second album.