The other night, I was walking home from dinner, when 12-year-old Toby called me. “Mommy,” he said, “Have you ever heard of a band called The New Kids on the Block? Their songs are really good.”

I burst out laughing on the sidewalk. Have I heard of The New Kids on the Block?! I was only obsessed with them for three years of my life.

This was cool. You kind of had to be there.

My twin sister and I turned 10 at the peak of New Kids’ fame, and school lunchtime conversation centered around which band member you liked most: Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg or Danny Wood.

Our friends were unanimous: Joey. He was six years older than we were, but his babyfaced charm was ir-res-istible.

One afternoon, my mom was driving to the grocery store, and my sister and I were sitting in the backseat. New Kids was blasting from the tape deck, naturally, and my sister turned to face me. “I know other people talk about Joey McIntyre,” she said, earnestly. “They’ll sometimes even say, ‘I love him.’ But, Jo, I actually LOVE him.”

Those feelings are real! I’m so curious: Who was your preteen/teenage celebrity crush? Please share below…

P.S. My current celebrity crush, and what music do you play your kids?