Hangin' Tough

33⅓ Main Series #113

by Rebecca Wallwork

Hangin' Tough, the second album by the New Kids on the Block, has sold more than seventeen million copies worldwide since it was released in 1988. But the album and the band have also been dismissed, derided and deemed uncool by the music establishment. Almost thirty years later, the New Kids still perform the songs from Hangin' Tough.Hundreds of thousands of grown women still flock to their concerts to hear-and go bat-shit crazy for-the songs they first heard when they were teenagers. Is this mere nostalgia or can the science of music help explain the enduring success of Hangin' Tough? What is it about this album that made it so special? Is the music any good or are there other factors at play too?Journalist and New Kids fan Rebecca Wallwork sets out to analyze the quality of Hangin' Tough with the help of music cognition experts, critics, producers and music industry pros. This is not a story about crazy fans, boy bands and truckloads of cheesy merchandise; it is an exploration of a watershed album and moment in pop culture history. It is a glimpse into the brain of not just New Kids fans, but into the minds and hearts of anyone who loves music.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

140 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2016

About the author

I write about what I'm reading over at Substack:

https://rebeccawallwork.substack.com/

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arsenio Hall [at the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in October 2014]: You know why I love them? They make us happy. You can’t listen to a song or watch a video and not smile. I dare you. Right now— everybody look at me and say, “Oh-ohoh-oh-oh.” Look at you! Look how happy you are! Look how you’re smilin’!

I must have been solely responsible for the New Kids on the Block staying in the top charts for a few extra weeks longer than they actually would have. I remember dialing the radio station every morning and requested "You Got It (The Right Stuff)". Then dialed again. And again. I needed to make sure I could listen to the song before leaving for school. (Am I revealing my age here???)

"They have this weird, crazy, borderline faux-telepathic way of making you feel that every word they’re saying is directed at you."

Rebecca Wallwork questions why the NKOTB was, and apparently still is, so populair with the female side of the world population. In other words, why do (young) women go batshit crazy over these guys.

"But the story of New Kids is also one of chemistry. "

Part of the book deals with the development of the group and their founder Maurice Starr. Songs are analyzed, what was it that made them so special, how did they perform in the music charts, were the songs really that good or was it "... more to do with the budding hormones of teenage girls.". She did her research by interviewing key players in the music industry, the experts and critics, people who were involved in this whole circus.
Science is also included, the psychological, nostalgic effects come into play, with dopamine as main ingredient.

"They seem to give just enough of themselves to keep the fans hooked and wanting more."

For me it was quite a nostalgic read. This is highly interesting too, especially for NKOTB fans and music fanatics. While I was never an actual Blockhead (which is what fans are called), and never attended a concert, I was a true fan. Mice might have used parts of it for their nests, I still have this scrapbook of them, compiled of torn out articles and pictures from friends' magazines. They were part of me as a teen, but I kind of forgot about them. Until this book I hadn't listened to their songs in years, hadn't followed the news when they got back together a few years ago. But I got curious, looked them up at YouTube and got the surprise of my life. They still know how to sing. And dance. And how to rock a concert. And they still look oh so good. (Hellooo Jordan!!)

Shameful confession: I have subscribed to NKOTB's YouTube channel, liked their Facebook page, followed them on Instagram and Twitter, and added some of their various personal accounts too. Fangirling much?


Review copy supplied by publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a rating and/or review.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put your hands together for the 5 hardest working kids in the business….Jordan, Joey, Jonathan, Donnie, and Danny!!! :)

The New Kids on the Block’s second album, Hangin’ Tough, was released in 1988. I’m NOT going to do the math because I’m in age denial right now, so let's just say that was a long time ago. Yet the music still makes me smile from ear to ear, clap, twirl, and tap my feet. So I couldn’t wait to read this in-depth look at the album.

I am over-the-moon happy I found this series. Each book in the 33 1/3 series breaks down an album. From what was going on at the time of release to the lyrics to motivations. I love the idea! Unfortunately this installment wasn’t as much fun as I hoped. I mean it’s Hangin’ Tough! I expected pure joy! Instead I found psychology, soft jabs at Starr, dopamine, and hormones. I don’t need all that to explain why I still love these songs. The music is good! Some of the ideas were interesting, but I never felt like the different elements came together or made a connection to the music.

Ms. Wallwork, an obvious fan, did eventually get to the heart of the matter for me. The performances and charisma!

“They have this weird, crazy, borderline faux-telepathic way of making you feel that every word they’re saying is directed at you.” -- (p.90)

The New Kids know how to put on a show. So combine that with catchy, fun songs and BOOM! You get a 30 plus year career filled with music and fans and love.

This book did inspire me to put the album in my day to day rotation again. A smile slides across my face at word one and keeps shining all the way to the last song. I love these guys and always will.

I’m off to explore more of the series…..

Btw…I have been encased in a music bubble ever since closing this book. I spent last weekend just listening and experiencing some of my all-time favorite gems. It felt good to be dancing and humming and singing again.

Check this series out. A must for music fans. Go find your favorites!

[Eva • All Books Considered · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted at All Books Considered: 3.5 STARS

Three and a half nostalgic stars for 33 1/3's take on my first favorite album. I believe I was in third grade when I was obsessed with this album and actually went to my first concert which was on the tour to support this album! So this was a fun take that not only attempted to analyze the psychology behind why we hold onto the music we loved in our youth but also an attempt to recapture the behind the scenes making of this album and its legacy. It was a quick read but I loved it -- remembering the songs, the videos and actually trying to understand why I still remember it all so vividly! The author did an awesome job!

If you're unfamiliar with the 33 1/3 series, it is self-described as "a series of short books about a wide variety of albums, by artists ranging from James Brown to the Beastie Boys. Launched in September 2003, the series now contains 100 titles and is acclaimed and loved by fans, musicians and scholars alike." This wasn't my first 33 1/3 and it certainly won't be my last -- you should take a look at the list of albums and see if your favorite is on it!

Quick. Imagine you are fourteen again. You're in your bedroom or you're at school hanging out with friends, or you're on summer vacation with endless days stretching before you. What are you listening to? Recently, I asked my husband this, and he answered without skipping a beat: "Punk rock. And a bit of metal."

"Do you still like that music today?" I asked.

"Yeah. And when I hear something from that time, it feels . . . "

He trailed off, but I knew what he meant. There was an emotional connection between that time a couple decades ago and now. The music, and his reaction to it, was special. There is something indelible about what we grow up on, something inescapable. I feel it, too, only my answer isn't half as cool as my husband's.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of NKOTB in 1989, when I was 11 years old. The group had released The Right Stuff and loads of the girls in my class were always playing their music and decorating their books and desks with pictures of the band. I then became a bit more conscious of them when the Saturday morning cartoon aired a year later. However other than The Right Stuff and Hangin' Tough, I never paid much attention to the group. When I hit my teens,Take That, East 17 and Boyzone were more of a presence and then came The Spice Girls, the nadir of the pop phenomenon but that's another story.

To be honest I've never heard one of their albums so before reading this book, I went to YouTube and listened to Hangin' Tough and other than the two singles i mentioned and Cover Girl, the record bored me with its drippy ballads.

Since I don't really like pop music, I look forward to the pop orientated 33 1/3 volumes because they make fun reading and the NKOTB one is no exception.

Wallwork focus is more on the group's backgrounds, their influences, their ascent to fame and whether they are 'for real' Also on the way she interviews fans , a brief chat with their manager and a chat with Joey. Despite the fact that the group had songwriters, they weren't robots and actually did have different tastes in music, which visualised itself when the group split and started to release solo albums. Plus they practically killed themselves working in order to achieve some recognition, which is a bit different now with boybands .

What also comes out of this book is that NKOTB set the blueprint for loads of famous boybands and the people who worked with them found success in managing other groups in the pop sphere which goes to show how the band did influence pop music.

Whether you like manufactured pop or not is irrelevant, this is an entertaining read.

[Fr. Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd, perhaps, to see a review from a 45-year-old man for a book such as this, but I'll offer my defense, should it seem necessary: at age 19, during the same year that the New Kids on the Block became famous with Hangin' Tough, I was beginning my journey out of the closet. I was the same age as Jordan Knight, on whom I was seriously crushing. I fell in love with these guys, knowing full well how cheesy their act was, and reveling in the shock people felt when I told them that I, a college-radio DJ into everything from Black Flag to Sonic Youth to Public Enemy to...well, hey, my tastes were quite broad.

Therefore, I figure, given how I wasn't able to explore my relationship stuff back in my early adolescence, there must have been some of that energy still going on for me. I also learned that my very broad taste in music is tied to my complicated personality, but no need to get into that here.

I call it a defense jokingly, of course. I'm not really shamed by it or embarrassed. I wouldn't have stooped to calling myself a "Blockhead," because I've always (perhaps to my detriment) resisted tribalism, especially silliness such as that. I was even a more devoted Iron Maiden fan (kind of still am) but I never wanted to be called an "Iron." Or whatever.

I bring all of this up because the most interesting part of this book is the cognitive science aspect of it, how music can have a dopamine-release effect on us humans, and how emotional things which happen when we are young teens are amplified for various reasons, and hence when we hear the songs we loved at that age we react more strongly than we might as an adult to a new song we hear and like.

We also get a bit of history of the band's development and of Maurice Starr, the band's genius founder and director, plus some quick fan-type reactions to the songs on the album and some discussion of fan/band relational reactions.

I'm not sure we get a proper analysis of the music on the album, but that's okay. It was an enjoyable enough read, if not entirely well-focused. My three-star rating could be 3.5 just because I still have a bit of that fanboy in me, and no, I'm not embarrassed about it.

(With gratitude to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC for this review.)

http://darkmagnet.blogspot.com

[Christopher Renberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, what am I doing reading this? I was hugely dismissive and derisive of these guys when they emerged back when I was in college. However, these 33 1/3 books usually take a unique slant and this was certainly one of those. The author dives into the science of why we like nostalgic music, zeroing in particular to the age of 14. That is why this old man read this. Yes, I learned a bit about the New Kids. More power to them for singing and dancing through haters like me.

But the power of 14 is what spoke to me. That was fall of my freshman year in high school. Metal ruled the day amongst my friends. I would go to my first concert that year: Def Leppard supporting HIGH AND DRY and opening for Blackfoot. I would see MTV at my grandparents' house for the first time and was hooked. The tunes from those days stop me in my tracks to this day. Much like the author experiences with NKotB. Sadly, many of the folks I listened to back then are dying but for three or so minutes when I hear their songs, I am feeling young and starting down life's road.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I'll acknowledge that the book was read with great ease...not always something you can say with this series. But, other than that, it left little else to be appreciated. I think Wallwork struggled in that she attempted to posit a hypothesis, yet then completely disappeared from the work to get there. It ended up mostly reading like a super fan trying to figure out why they super fan so hard.

[Patrick Book · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favourite 33 1/3, but still okay. Seemed a little scattered, and I have no real connection to the band or music (this one is probably more fan-centric than most in the series)...so I probably shouldn't have bothered. That's on me!

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read about the best New Kids album. Some interesting insights on what happens in the mind to make the songs of our youth keep their special place in your heart.

[Made._.Moiselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book took me right back to my teenage years. Sigh.

[Jonny Brick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir disguised as a love letter to the first big white boyband of the Internet Era.

[Melissa Maley · Rating 4 out of 5]

🤗🤗🤗

[Valmor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty amazing story on these dudes. Not what one would expect.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

When i finished reading this book, i didn’t know what to say about it besides i liked it AND that during reading it was revealed to me that my partner is a Blockhead (a fan of the New Kids) and had a massive crush on Jordan. Despite that competition, I still liked it… sometimes my favorites are the books where i really know nothing about the band, and learn something good.

[Diana Faltermaier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written!

I enjoyed the premise of the book. Why and how were NKOTB so influential in the mid 1980's through today? Was it the sound, people, timeframe, hormones, marketing, or a perfect storm?

Rebecca Wallwork combines all of the elements mentioned above to explain why after all this time the album "Hangin' Tough" made a bigger mark then we could have imagined at the time. The author breaks down the musical influences for each member of NKOTB and Maurice Starr that ultimately helped to shape the future of music itself, the boy band industry, and marketing of music via mediums such as video, teen magazines, social media, and miscellaneous items (such as dolls, trading cards, clothes, and their own Saturday morning cartoon show).

After having read the book, the title of NKOTB's second release couldn't have been a better description of how fans - commonly referred to as Blockheads - endured many critics (both professional and those we interacted with on a daily basis) without the social media we use today. Each single released from the album "Hangin' Tough" reached heights on the music charts that rival some of the best music icons since the 1950's. Yet each Blockhead endured ribbing of critics that said NKOTB weren't legitimate based on the common elements such as the lack of playing instruments on stage, questions of lip synching, and a bubblegum sound.

Rebecca chronicles how Blockheads have grown with NKOTB from the technology utilized to interact via music videos on VHS to YouTube, teen magazines to Twitter, and common merchandising to yearly cruises with the band.

The author gives great insight into how Maurice Starr put the pieces together that ultimately shaped how NKOTB would impact not only music but millions of sisters (aka Blockheads)! The "Hangin' Tough" album charted for 132 weeks - quite impressive! Another element most critics don't mention - but is very important to consider - is the work ethic of each band member. Over 10,000 hours spent on being a band in the early years rivals that of other famous artists of the 1960's.

Of course timing is crucial! The album was released when I was the right age to make a life altering impact. Rebecca explains how music affects the brain creating an emotional response and that nostalgia that carries on for the rest of a person's life.

Rebecca Wallwork did a great job of pulling many elements together to showcase why NKOTB have made a bigger impact than any critic can counter. As a Blockhead, I am proud to be part of something so influential that crosses so many areas of life.

I purchased a copy of the book straight from the author's web page - http://hangintoughbook.com/about

Diana F

[Matt Lohr · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 33 1/3 team made a smart choice by trusting their volume on New Kids on the Block's "Hangin' Tough" to a genuine fan of the band; it prevents the snarky superiority that mars the series' inexplicably popular volume on Celine Dion's "Let's Talk About Love." And I do appreciate Wallwork's desire to cut through the hype, dig free of the pile of merchandising tie-ins, and evaluate the band solely on their musical merits. But she unfortunately never really delivers on this promise. She digs into some interesting notions about the psychological effects of music on its listeners, but never honestly discusses how those effects are achieved by the music itself (her breakdown of the album's ten tracks almost reduces the songs to sound bites). The book is snappily written, and I was fascinated by Wallwork's charting of the odd career of NKOTB impresario Maurice Starr. But ultimately, this book does something I think it was really hoping to avoid: It winds up as a book that's best appreciated by those who are already fans of the New Kids.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgia made me pick up this title, which I received an Advanced Readers Copy of via Edelweiss. I never had the same passion for the New Kids that the author does, and think if I had I may have had more enthusiasm for the book. As it is, I found it interesting to read about the brain's responses to hearing certain pieces of music, and about New Kids early days. I'm not sure their enduring popularity has been or can be explained; I think it's something the true fans feel. Those are the people who will enjoy this book most.

[Laura DeNardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. As an adult fan of a group I loved in grade school, it's nice to get some perspective on the New Kids fame, especially today. Hangin Tough is a great album. I only wish they still sold it as it was originally done, and Hangin Tough Live!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Customarily I don't care for non-fiction books. This is an exception. The author did a great job researching the science behind the feelings that most 14 year olds felt in the late 1980s. And she has the facts to back up why NKOTB still sells out arenas. Great, informative read!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as Let's Talk about Love, but certainly fonder. Really more 3.5 stars than three. Interesting to have it be from a fan perspective and get into the actual fandom of music as well, which many of these have completely glossed over.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. Witty. Well-researched. Balanced. Thoughtful. Written by an obvious fan, but never hagiographic.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing too deep. A nice, fun evaluation of the album and it's meaning.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad - a good entry to the series for its point of view/point of difference (focusing on dopamine discussion and qualities of nostalgia) but hard to also take seriously in a way...

[Jamison Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excited to read about a less typical album for this series, but it seemed largely surface level and didn't get deep enough into any part of the subject for my taste.