New Edition: The blueprints. They brought the R&B foundation, the “Jackson 5” energy, and incredible choreography to the modern boy band era.
New Kids on the Block: The white pop-crossover version of the NE model. Managed by Maurice Starr (who also worked with NE), they took the “boy band” concept to a massive, global stadium level.
Comparison: New Edition had the better singers and the more “authentic” R&B soul. NKOTB had the bigger commercial “explosion” and set the template for the 90s boy band craze.