(Todd A. Smith)
Congratulations to the new inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The 2026 inductees include artists like Phil Collins, Luther Vandross, Wu-Tang Clan and more.
But New Edition (N.E.) was Wu-Tang before Wu-Tang, and their impact on R&B is just as monumental as Wu-Tang Clan’s impact on hip-hop because of all the successful spinoffs that came from the N.E. tree.
Furthermore, New Edition inspired an entire generation of boy bands, including New Kids on the Block, NSYNC, and Boyz II Men, whose members Michael Bivins discovered at one of their concerts in Philadelphia.
While many in Black America are aware of New Edition’s cultural and musical impacts, does mainstream America know how influential the boys from Boston and Washington, D.C, really are?
Yes, “The New Edition Story” and “The Bobby Brown Story” gave them mainstream recognition, as did their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
But no other group has truly done what New Edition has done as solo artists, probably outside of The Beatles.
New Edition was a multi-platinum-selling boy band throughout the 1980s.
And despite the success of the group, the individual members sold even more records outside of New Edition with platinum records by Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill and Bell Biv DeVoe (BBD).
While many in mainstream America know Brown because of his marriage to the late pop queen Whitney Houston and tabloid headlines throughout the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, there was a time when the “King of R&B” truly lived up to the title.
Brown, along with artists like Guy and Keith Sweat, pioneered the New Jack Swing style that took over R&B in the late 1980s.
He even co-wrote his biggest solo hit, “My Prerogative.”
But Brown and the boys were not new to songwriting and producing.
While most young boy bands were not allowed to write and produce for themselves at a young age (i.e., The Jackson Five), New Edition wrote and produced some of their early hits as teenagers, like “I’m Leaving You Again” and “Kinda Girls We Like.,” the former being sampled for Bow Wow and Ciara’s hit “Like You.”
But even before New Edition began writing hit songs, their story of resilience and perseverance had become legendary in the music industry and in pop culture.
With number one songs and sold-out tours, New Edition’s original lineup still returned to life in the projects because all their early efforts did not immediately turn into riches.
Many young urban groups find themselves on the wrong end of bad record contracts because their parents often do not understand the business.
But how many groups overcame that to still sell out arenas over 40 years later?
Many groups have established lead singers, and those singers often go on to solo success.
Justin Timberlake became an icon as a solo star.
But the rest of NSYNC have not.
Michael Jackson became the biggest star on the planet, and Jermaine Jackson had a few hits.
But the rest of The Jacksons did not achieve mega success as solo artists, despite all hitting the Billboard charts with some of their solo singles.
However, the three background singers/rappers from New Edition (Bivins, Ricky Bell and Ronnie DeVoe) had more success than Ralph Tresvant, New Edition’s main lead singer.
Like Brown two years earlier, BBD changed the musical landscape when they combined R&B and hip-hop in a way that had never been done before.
While rappers had appeared on tracks with R&B stars like Rakim performing with Jody Watley, hip-hop had never equally shared the spotlight as it did when BBD released “Poison” in 1990.
The “Poison” album contained hit after hit and was the most successful New Edition project after Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel” from 1988.
Additionally, what other group added a known solo artist like Johnny Gill to their lineup as New Edition did in 1987?
And what other male singer, regardless of genre, can sing like Gill other than Teddy Pendergrass, Gerald LeVert or Chris Stapleton?
While Tresvant did not have as much solo success as his groupmates, what solo artist is respected so much that they can get Michael Jackson to write a song for them on their debut album?
And what other R&B group can come back together as a supergroup like New Edition did when all six members participated in the “Home Again” era in 1996-1997?
Through a few more breakups and makeups, New Edition has soldiered on well into their 50s.
Gill, the oldest member, will turn 60 years old in May.
And all six members continue to inspire younger generations of stars.
When Chris Brown arrived in Houston for the 2006 Essence Music Festival, he was upset that his tardiness forced him to perform in a super lounge and not the mainstage.
Performing in a super lounge meant that he could not see the mainstage headliner that night at Reliant Stadium, New Edition.
Twenty-two years after the release of their last album “One Love,” N.E. for Lifers (as their lifelong fans are known), still clamor for another album, especially as a sextet.
As many artists come and go, remaining at the top of the game for over 40 years is darn near impossible.
But the best boy band of all time has made it look effortless.
And it should not take much effort for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to realize that their lineup is incomplete without Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph and Johnny too.
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