A crush of youthful soul and R&B groups rose in the late '80s and early '90s, just as hip-hop was starting to take off, and New Edition was undoubtedly near the top of the heap. Beginning as a trio and eventually growing to be a quintet, New Edition played an influential role in popularizing the genre of "new jack soul" that arose as hip-hop was breaking into the mainstream.

Forming in the Roxbury region of Boston in 1982, the group was initially made up of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Bobby Brown. They had been performing together since they were in elementary school together, first joining in 1978. In time, they would add members Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe to the lineup, and comparisons to the Jackson 5 were hard to evade. If anything, they welcomed the comparisons, even performing a number of the 5's best known hits.

They mostly played talent shows at first, eventually attracting the notice of producer Maurice Starr (who would soon after create New Kids on the Block), and releasing a single, "Candy Girl," which proved to be a hit. When a record deal came knocking, Starr tried to prevent the group from taking it. They fired him and took it anyways, leading to their debut, 1983's Candy Girl.

In 1984, the group scored it's first number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Billboard Singles and Tracks chart with "Cool it Down." "Mr. Telephone Man" would become their second number one the following year.

Brown decided to leave to pursue a polo career, and was replaced by Johnny Gill. After their first three albums, the group produced a Christmas record, a doo-wop and vintage covers record, and their more mature 1988 album Heart Break. Afterwards they broke up, only to reassemble periodically throughout the '90s.