The boys from Boston at back at the American Music Awards. But this time, they're no longer the same boys who soared to music stardom in the late eighties to the early nineties as the New Kids on the Block (NKOTB). Armed with with a new style and a new album, thirty-somethings Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood performed a medley of their songs at the 2008 American Music Awards.

The New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) enjoyed immense success during the eighties and early nineties as a boy band, widely regarded as the first true example of the genre. The boys from Boston went on to sell seventy million albums and records (they were still known as records at the time), generated hundreds of millions of dollars in concert revenues, and paved the way for acts like Backstreet Boys, Take That and NSYNC. They won two American Music Awards in
1990 for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album for Hangin' Tough. In 1994, after a lip-syncing scandal lawsuit (which was later dropped), a split with founder Maurice Starr and subsequent dismal record sales, the group disbanded to pursue different paths - most of the group members started families and began to venture into other avenues. Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood maintained low profiles, while the other three continued their careers individually.

After months of speculation and rumors, Donnie Wahlberg confirmed to CNN in an April 2008 interview that the group was reuniting. He also revealed plans to record new material and a concert tour with the boysr. In May 2008, the group released their first single, "Summertime". Their second single, "Single", was released thereafter followed by the release of the group's first studio album in fourteen years, The Block. Earlier fears that their comeback wouldn't be welcomed by the public were erased as the album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums Chart and number 2 on the Billboard 200 in September 2008. Moreover, it was certified Gold in October 2008, in Canada. In this record, the New Kids teamed up with Lady GaGa on single "Big Girl Now", Akon on "Put It on My Tab", New Edition on "Full Service", Ne-Yo on "Single", as well as The Pussycat Dolls and Teddy Riley on "Grown Man". Meanwhile, for the production process, the boy band also worked with Pollow Da Don.

It was great to the the New Kids on the Block again, though I must admit that I was surprised to see them looking older than I expected. Maybe, in my mind, I was still expecting so see a much younger looking group. He he. But as they sang a medley of their past and current hits - Single, Right Stuff, Please Don’t Go Girl, I’ll Be Loving You Forever and Dirty Dancing - age was forgotten as they still sounded as young as they used to. Watch a video of their performance below, plus the video of 'Dirty Dancing'.

Video: New Kids on the Block at the 2008 American Music Awards (AMA)

'Dirty Dancing' Video by the New Kids on the Block (NKOTB)

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