"Step by Step" was initially recorded by one ofMaurice Starr's other groups, The Superiors. It was released as a single in 1987 onMotown Records but it was not successful. The New Kids cover of the song on the other hand was a huge worldwide hit, becoming one of the biggest selling singles of 1990. The New Kids on the Block's cover spent three weeks at No. 1 on the USBillboard Hot 100 and was eventuallycertified platinum; it also spent two weeks at No. 1 on theCanadian Singles Chart, in total "Step by Step" spent five weeks at No. 1 in theNorth American charts. It also peaked at No. 2 on theUK Singles Chart and was also a top 10 hit in the Australian, French, West German, Irish and Norwegian charts.
Bill Coleman fromBillboard wrote, "Unstoppable teen idols preview upcomingalbum of the same name with a perkypop/dance confection rife withdisco-era string fills. The phenomenon continues."[2]Greg Sandow fromEntertainment Weekly praised "Step by Step" as "a wonderfully ingratiating morsel of pop. It’s nourished by a chugging beat and (for dessert, so to speak) offers perky disco strings and a brief flash of silverfalsetto from New KidJordan Knight."[3] Ben Thompson fromNME commented, "The New Kids can be forgiven a certain caution as to where they are putting their feet, given their recent run-in with a malevolent cuddly toy. Excepting some niceSaturday Night Fever fake strings, all potential points of interest have been relentlessly expunged from this record."[4] In their review of the album,People Magazine found that the music "is in fact better in spots than on their previous effort", noting that the song is "funkier".[5]Rolling Stone described it as "a peppy reintroduction to the group that breaks up its generalized pledges of devotion with quick spots from each member, one-liners coyly called "ad libs" on the lyric sheet, although they're faithfully printed. (Nothing but nothing on this record happens by chance.)"[6]
"Step by Step" was voted #4 in a Smash Hits poll of "Best Boyband songs...Ever" and also made the list of the top 30 Guilty Pleasures on About.com's music site.[8]
The song was voted #7 in a viewer poll of the greatestboy band/girl band songs on New Zealand showUChoose40.[9] It was also voted #1 in a viewer poll of the greatest Guilty Pleasures on the same show.
In August 2007, it was confirmed that "Step by Step" would be part of a 30-song track list in the new edition of theSingStar series titledSingStar 90s, a karaoke style game on classic '90s songs.[10]
Furthermore, it was chosen as part of a 32-track dance game in November 2009 for theWii, calledJust Dance.
In January 2015,Heat magazine's TV Channel placed it at #17 in their "Greatest Boyband Anthems" countdown.
^Pennanen, Timo (2006).Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263.ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.
^"Eurochart Hit Radio 1990"(PDF).Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 51. December 22, 1990. p. 64.Archived(PDF) from the original on October 22, 2023. RetrievedNovember 21, 2023 – via World Radio History.
