talk about irony of all Irony one group names themselves after a group they have been influenced by and they are way bigger than them. so how come lightening wasn't in a bottle for New Edition like Boyz11Men?

I wasn't THERE-there for New Edition, but I have "Word up" magazines with them on there, and a grip of cousins/older friends who tell me how huge they were. Boyz II Men didn't appeal to Black youth nearly as much as NE or Jodeci. But I figure Jodeci and NE never hit that Mainstream White market the same way.

Boyz II Men had more watery songs, and a lot that were more in that Diane Warren/Ballad lane along with the usual Babyface slow jams. But they owned that era and that sound. Also, the 80's had more competition to cross over, and NE never seemed to make a real attempt at doing that. I never heard them do a New Wave or Rock style of song.

were accessible songs and they did have cross over success after there first album and for crying out loud they did a cover album called "under the blue moon" covering "earth angel" and they were catchy for there time it ain't like New Edition was 4 by 4 or stuck in Troop's lane or un hit wonder like the Neutrons??

NE whole image was unapologetically "hood" and they reveled in it. they got raunchy, always in trouble with the law, internal beef, controversies abound, etc..

while B2M gravitated towards white audience with their sweaky clean, "well behaved" image. NE was the opposite of that, thus hurting their crossover appeal

Bivins and later on others learn what keep New Edition back and made sure they learn for Boyz II men. they was def more straight laced and safe then New Ediiton

Could be a product of New Edition blowing up while I was in grade school, but it sure seemed like they were absolutely everywhere whenever they dropped an album or a single. "Cool it Now" was a monster. "Mr. Telephone Man" was a monster. "Heartbreak" seemed to make them bigger than ever.

I don't know, maybe it was because I'd divorced myself from pop music by the time Boyz II Men got REALLY huge (post "Motownphilly" and "End of the Road"), but I at least always viewed them a step below New Edition.

>Could be a product of New Edition blowing up while I was in
>grade school, but it sure seemed like they were absolutely
>everywhere whenever they dropped an album or a single. "Cool
>it Now" was a monster. "Mr. Telephone Man" was a monster.
>"Heartbreak" seemed to make them bigger than ever.
>
>I don't know, maybe it was because I'd divorced myself from
>pop music by the time Boyz II Men got REALLY huge (post
>"Motownphilly" and "End of the Road"), but I at least always
>viewed them a step below New Edition.

and sold more. But I bet NE shows sold just as much, if not more, than Boyz' shows.

BIIM released 3 of the most successful Billboard Hot 100 entries ever - 'End of the Road', 'I'll Make Love To You' and 'One Sweet Day'.

If you were a R&b group in the early 90's you were winning. Shai,Jodeci,All 4 One...ect Folks were going multi platinum and those songs were all on the radio and mtv. I don't thinks we'll ever see a moment like that again.

i mean on every level NE had more personality, swagger and overall appeal than Boyz ii Men - but the later stuff did not cross over the way Boyz II Men stuff did.

Candy Girl was huge in UK when it dropped

Cool it now and telephone man were hits on pop radio (talked to a lot of white NE fans whose reference is always the first two albums), but the fellas had to grow up and their NJS era (Hearbreak)out put did not cross over the way Don't be Cruel of the "side" project Poison did.

whats interesting though is that now, NE seem to be a bigger concert draw than Boyz II Men - cause of the above qualities they have over Boyz II mEN

Boyz II mEN better singers, but bland on stage

i much prefer NE, but BIIM crossed over where NE didn't b/c of the songs and the better vocals, i think.

Boyz II Mean seemed to promote talent more.. Like they were a throw back to the barbershop quartet type shit... I feel like that punches through the generation gap moreso than the youth oriented NE.

They were never a "boy band".

They also really didnt have much time. I mean what was their run 2 years? before NKOTB

by the time the 90s roll around it changes a lil

and NE was emphatically more "black"

think about how all black families messed with Frankie Beverly and maze but they hardly register a blip on the pop map