Songfacts®:

• "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" was the first of three #1 hits for New Kids On The Block, the biggest boy band of the late '80s and early '90s. They had run of about three years (1989-1991) when they were immensely popular, selling not just album, but also dolls, posters, and anything else they could put their faces on.
  
  The group initially stiffed, with their 1986 debut album going nowhere. That changed with their next album, Hangin' Tough. The lead single, "Please Don't Go Girl," got some airplay and became a hit. "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" followed, and then "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)." The song hit #1 in June 1989 during the Summer Of New Kids. Their next single, "Hangin' Tough" went to #1 in October.
• The song was written and produced by Maurice Starr, who created the group. He also played all the instruments.
  
  Starr told the story behind it in the Billboard Book Of #1 Hits. "I was sitting down at the piano and not think of a song," he said. "When I'm writing, a lot of times I'll just press all the keys down - anything to start making noise. It came together unconsciously, and I said, 'This would be great for Smokey Robinson.'"
• New Kids On The Block shared the lead vocals more generously than the boy bands that followed. This one was sung by Jordan Knight.