Girl group
Encyclopedia
A girl group is a popular music
act featuring several young female
singers who generally harmonise
together.
Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s
as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriter
s and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production values and backing by top studio musicians. In later eras the girl group template would be applied to disco, contemporary R&B
, and country-based formats as well as pop
.
A distinction is made here with all-female bands, in which members also play instruments, though this terminology is not universally followed.
era, all-girl singing groups were mainly novelty acts singing nonsense songs in silly voices. One of the first major exceptions was the Boswell Sisters
, who became one of the most popular singing groups from 1930 to 1936, with over twenty hits. The Andrews Sisters
started (1937) as a Boswell tribute band and continued recording and performing through the 1940s into the late-1960s, achieving more record sales, more Billboard hits, more million-sellers, and more movie appearances than any other girl group to date.
released the 1958 song "Maybe", while the The Teen Queens
had a one hit wonder with "Eddie My Love
". However, the group often considered to have started the girl group genre is The Shirelles
, who first reached the Top 40
with "Tonight's the Night
", later becoming the first girl group to reach number one in 1961 with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow
", written by Brill Building
songwriters Gerry Goffin
and Carole King
.
Other songwriters and producers quickly recognized the potential of this new approach, and recruited existing acts (or, in some cases, created them anew) to record their songs in a girl-group style. Phil Spector
recruited The Crystals
, The Blossoms
, and The Ronettes
, while Goffin and King handled much of the output of The Cookies
. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
would likewise foster The Dixie Cups
, The Shangri-Las
, and The Exciters
. Other important girl group songwriters included Ellie Greenwich
, Jeff Barry
, Cynthia Weil
and Barry Mann
. The Motown label also masterminded several major girl groups, beginning with The Marvelettes
and later with Martha and the Vandellas
, The Supremes
, and The Velvelettes
.
and The Bluebelles was a US 1960s girl group. In the early '70s manager Vicki Wickham
helped remake their image, renaming the group Labelle
and pushing them in the direction of Glam rock
. Labelle were the first girl group to eschew matching outfits and identical choreography, instead wearing extravagant spacesuits and feathered headdresses.
Later, during the Disco
craze, female acts included Sister Sledge
, Silver Convention
, Belle Epoque
, Frantique
, Luv'
and Baccara
. Then, other groups later took advantage of the disco backlash and brought girl bands into pop and pop rock from the mid eighties; among the most successful of these were Bananarama
, The Bangles
, Pointer Sisters
, Weather Girls
and Mary Jane Girls
.
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Wilson Phillips
were a trio of American vocalists who became the best-selling female group at the time with their hit 1990 self-titled debut album
. Around the same time, other American girl groups such as En Vogue
, Expose and Sweet Sensation
all had singles hit number one on the charts. Also in the early 1990s, a number of R&B-themed girl groups came onto the scene, including SWV
, TLC
, Xscape
and Zhane
. They were followed in the mid-1990s by Destiny's Child
.
In 1996, the American domination of the girl group scene was overtaken by the UK's Spice Girls
, who had nine number 1 singles in the UK and US, including "Wannabe
", "2 Become 1
" and "Spice Up Your Life
". With sold-out concerts, advertisements, merchandise and a film, Spice Girls became the most commercially successful British group since The Beatles
. They were one of the biggest selling pop groups of the 1990s, and the best-selling female group in modern music history. Their first album, Spice
is the best-selling album of the all time by a female group, with 23 million sales worldwide. In total, the Spice Girls sold in excess of 80 million records worldwide. According to The Times
, BBC News
and biographer David Sinclair, they are the most successful girl group of all time.. Other groups included the British-Canadian outfit All Saints
who were marketed as a rival and different style to Spice Girls
, Irish girl group B*Witched and Eternal
who all achieved worldwide success during the decade.
had a string of hits, including their breakthrough number one "Whole Again
" in 2000. Sugababes
and Girls Aloud
became popular during the early 2000s. Girls Aloud's "Sound of the Underground
" and Sugababes' "Round Round
" have been called "two huge groundbreaking hits", credited with reshaping British pop music for the 2000s. Sugababes have amassed six UK number one singles and fourteen additional top ten singles, as well as four platinum albums, making them the most successful female act of the 21st century according to British Hit Singles & Albums. Girls Aloud achieved a string of twenty consecutive top ten singles (including four number ones) and two number one albums in the United Kingdom. All five of their studio albums have been certified platinum, with their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud
selling over one million copies. Both groups have been nominated for multiple BRIT Awards
, with Sugababes winning Best Dance Act in 2003 and Girls Aloud winning Best Single for "The Promise
" in 2009. Later bands include The Saturdays
, who launched in 2008.
Since the late 1990s, as J-Pop
has become more popular outside of Japan, Japanese girl groups such as Speed
, Morning Musume
, and AKB48
have appeared. With 60 members, AKB48
is currently recognized by the Guinness World Record as the pop group with the most members. Morning Musume
currently holds the position as the best-selling female artists in Japan according to Oricon
statistics, while Speed
sold a total of 20 million copies alone in Japan in their three-year history. Perfume
are another successful girl group- their musical style is focused on electronic dance-pop
.
Hallyu (Korean wave) and K-pop
have become increasingly significant in the music industry, with its influence breaking the confinements of Asia and spreading to America and Europe. Idol groups are one of the leaders of the "Hallyu" wave and a few girl groups have made themselves known in spite of the fierce competition. Namely, girl groups Girls' Generation
, Kara
, 2NE1
, and Wonder Girls
are widely recognized as the top girl groups of South Korea. Other relatively well known South Korea
n girl groups also include Brown Eyed Girls
, Miss A
, Secret, Sistar
, f(x)
, T-ara
, 4minute
, After School
, and Rainbow
.
Meanwhile, girl groups have proved to be less popular in American music during the 21st Century, where solo acts and mixed groups such as The Black Eyed Peas
tend to be more successful. However, the Pussycat Dolls
(as fronted by Nicole Scherzinger
) are one of the few examples of successful American girl groups post-90's, with hits like "Don't Cha
" and "Stickwitu
". Their debut album PCD
went top-ten in a number of countries.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
act featuring several young female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
singers who generally harmonise
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
together.
Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s
1950s in music
For music from a year in the 1950s, go to 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 1950s....
as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production values and backing by top studio musicians. In later eras the girl group template would be applied to disco, contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, and country-based formats as well as pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
.
A distinction is made here with all-female bands, in which members also play instruments, though this terminology is not universally followed.
History
During the Music Hall/VaudevilleVaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
era, all-girl singing groups were mainly novelty acts singing nonsense songs in silly voices. One of the first major exceptions was the Boswell Sisters
Boswell Sisters
The Boswell Sisters were a close harmony singing group, consisting of sisters Martha Boswell , Connee Boswell , and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell , noted for intricate harmonies and rhythmic experimentation...
, who became one of the most popular singing groups from 1930 to 1936, with over twenty hits. The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
started (1937) as a Boswell tribute band and continued recording and performing through the 1940s into the late-1960s, achieving more record sales, more Billboard hits, more million-sellers, and more movie appearances than any other girl group to date.
1950s and 1960s
The ChantelsThe Chantels
The Chantels were the second African-American girl group to have nationwide success in the United States, preceded by The Bobbettes. The group was established in the early 1950s and attended St. Anthony of Padua school in The Bronx...
released the 1958 song "Maybe", while the The Teen Queens
The Teen Queens
The Teen Queens were an American musical group from the 1950s, most remembered for their hit single "Eddie My Love", which reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1956....
had a one hit wonder with "Eddie My Love
Eddie My Love
"Eddie My Love" is a 1956 doo wop song which was written by Aaron Collins.Collins wrote the song for his sisters, Betty and Rosie, members of the group The Teen Queens...
". However, the group often considered to have started the girl group genre is The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
, who first reached the Top 40
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
with "Tonight's the Night
Tonight's the Night (song)
"Tonight's the Night" is the title and lead track from The Shirelles' 1961 album Tonight's the Night. Written by Luther Dixon and Shirley Owens, the song dealt with a woman's feelings before losing her virginity and was released as the pre-album's second single in 1960...
", later becoming the first girl group to reach number one in 1961 with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", also known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and originally recorded by The Shirelles. It has been recorded by many artists and was ranked among Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #125...
", written by Brill Building
Brill Building
The Brill Building is an office building located at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood...
songwriters Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
and Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
.
Other songwriters and producers quickly recognized the potential of this new approach, and recruited existing acts (or, in some cases, created them anew) to record their songs in a girl-group style. Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
recruited The Crystals
The Crystals
The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron " and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead...
, The Blossoms
The Blossoms
The Blossoms were a backing group from California. They had a recording career in their own right and were to the American West Coast what The Sweet Inspirations were to the East Coast and The Andantes were for Motown.-Early years:...
, and The Ronettes
The Ronettes
The Ronettes were a 1960s girl group from New York City, best known for their work with producer Phil Spector. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett ; her older sister, Estelle Bennett; and their cousin Nedra Talley...
, while Goffin and King handled much of the output of The Cookies
The Cookies
The Cookies were an American R&B girl group in the 1950s to 1960s. Members of the original lineup would later become The Raelettes, the backing vocalists for Ray Charles.-History:...
. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Jerome "Jerry" Leiber and Mike Stoller were American songwriting and record producing partners. Stoller was the composer and Leiber the lyricist. Their most famous songs include "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", "Kansas City", "Stand By Me" Jerome "Jerry" Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011)...
would likewise foster The Dixie Cups
The Dixie Cups
The Dixie Cups are an American pop music girl group of the 1960s. They are best known for their 1964 million selling disc, "Chapel of Love".-Career:...
, The Shangri-Las
The Shangri-Las
The Shangri-Las were an American pop girl group of the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1966 they charted with often heartbreaking teen melodramas, and remain best known for "Leader of the Pack" and "Remember ".- Early career :...
, and The Exciters
The Exciters
The Exciters were an American pop music group of the 1960s. They were originally a girl group, although a male member was added later. The group consisted of lead singer Brenda Reid, her husband Herb Rooney, Carolyn Johnson and Lillian Walker....
. Other important girl group songwriters included Ellie Greenwich
Ellie Greenwich
Eleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others...
, Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
, Cynthia Weil
Cynthia Weil
Cynthia Weil is a prominent American songwriter. She is famous for having written many songs together with her husband Barry Mann....
and Barry Mann
Barry Mann
Barry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...
. The Motown label also masterminded several major girl groups, beginning with The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes
The Marvelettes were an American singing girl group on the Tamla label. Motown's first successful female vocal group, the Marvelettes are most notable for recording the company's first #1 Pop hit, "Please Mr...
and later with Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963–1967...
, The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, and The Velvelettes
The Velvelettes
The Velvelettes was an American singing girl group, signed to Motown in the 1960s.-Early years and establishment:The group was founded in 1961 by Bertha Barbee McNeal and Mildred Gill Arbor, students at Western Michigan University. Mildred recruited her younger sister Carolyn , who was in 9th...
.
1970s to mid 1980s
Patti LaBellePatti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
and The Bluebelles was a US 1960s girl group. In the early '70s manager Vicki Wickham
Vicki Wickham
Vicki Heather Wickham is an English talent manager, entertainment producer, and songwriter.-Career:She is most known for producing the 60s British television show Ready Steady Go!, and managing well known pop/soul acts Labelle and Dusty Springfield....
helped remake their image, renaming the group Labelle
Labelle
Labelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing...
and pushing them in the direction of Glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
. Labelle were the first girl group to eschew matching outfits and identical choreography, instead wearing extravagant spacesuits and feathered headdresses.
Later, during the Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
craze, female acts included Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
, Silver Convention
Silver Convention
Silver Convention was a German euro disco recording act of the 1970s. The group was originally named Silver Bird Convention, or Silver Bird.-Career:...
, Belle Epoque
Belle Epoque (band)
Belle Epoque was the name of a female vocal trio, based in Paris, France. The group first rose to popularity during the mid to late 1970s with a disco remake of the song, "Black Is Black", originally a hit in 1966 for the Spanish group Los Bravos.-History:Belle Epoque consisted of lead singer...
, Frantique
Frantique
Frantique was an American disco group signed to Philadelphia International Records. They released the albums titled Strut Your Funky Stuff in 1979. The title track from Strut Your Funky Stuff charted on the UK Singles Chart in 1979, peaking at #10 in August.Strut Your Funky Stuff was produced by...
, Luv'
Luv'
Luv is a Dutch pop girl group that scored a string of hit records in Continental Europe as well as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1979, Luv' was "Holland's best export act" and thus received the "Conamus Export Prize"...
and Baccara
Baccara
Baccara was a female vocal duo formed in 1977 by Spanish artists Mayte Mateos and María Mendiola . The pair rapidly achieved international success with their debut single "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie", which reached number one across much of Europe...
. Then, other groups later took advantage of the disco backlash and brought girl bands into pop and pop rock from the mid eighties; among the most successful of these were Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
, The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
, Pointer Sisters
Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
, Weather Girls
Weather Girls
The Weather Girls, also known as Two Tons o' Fun , are an American duo comprising two plus-size African-American women...
and Mary Jane Girls
Mary Jane Girls
The Mary Jane Girls were an American R&B, soul, funk and disco group in the 1980s. They were protégées of singer Rick James. They are known for their hit songs "All Night Long", "Candyman" and "In My House".-Formation:...
.
Late 1980s and 1990s
Wilson Phillips
-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Other charted songs:-Awards and nominations:...
were a trio of American vocalists who became the best-selling female group at the time with their hit 1990 self-titled debut album
Wilson Phillips (album)
Wilson Phillips is the 1990 debut album by Wilson Phillips. The singles, "Hold On", "Release Me" and "You're in Love", all hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, while "Impulsive" reached the top five...
. Around the same time, other American girl groups such as En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
, Expose and Sweet Sensation
Sweet Sensation
Sweet Sensation was a Puerto Rican female freestyle-dance music trio from The Bronx, New York.-History:Formed in 1986, In The Bronx . The original group members were Betty LeBron and sisters Margie and Mari Fernandez. Originally on Next Plateau Records, in 1988 they were picked up by Atco and...
all had singles hit number one on the charts. Also in the early 1990s, a number of R&B-themed girl groups came onto the scene, including SWV
SWV
Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
, TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
, Xscape
Xscape (band)
Xscape, was a female American R&B group that originally started out as a quintet and then became a quartet. The group had a string of hit songs during the 1990s...
and Zhane
Zhane
Zhané was an American R&B/hip hop soul duo, best known for their 1994 hit "Hey Mr. D.J.", which reached #6 in the U.S. Other popular hits include "Groove Thang" and minor hit "Sending My Love," both released in 1994...
. They were followed in the mid-1990s by Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
.
In 1996, the American domination of the girl group scene was overtaken by the UK's Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
, who had nine number 1 singles in the UK and US, including "Wannabe
Wannabe (song)
"Wannabe" is the debut song by British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996...
", "2 Become 1
2 Become 1
"2 Become 1" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996...
" and "Spice Up Your Life
Spice Up Your Life
"Spice Up Your Life" is a song by the British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members, with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, at the same time as the group was filming scenes for their movie Spice World...
". With sold-out concerts, advertisements, merchandise and a film, Spice Girls became the most commercially successful British group since The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. They were one of the biggest selling pop groups of the 1990s, and the best-selling female group in modern music history. Their first album, Spice
Spice (album)
Spice is the debut album by British pop group Spice Girls. Released on November 4, 1996 by Virgin Records, the album was recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London between 1995 and 1996, by producers Matt Rowe, Richard Stannard, Eliot Kennedy and the production duo Absolute...
is the best-selling album of the all time by a female group, with 23 million sales worldwide. In total, the Spice Girls sold in excess of 80 million records worldwide. According to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
and biographer David Sinclair, they are the most successful girl group of all time.. Other groups included the British-Canadian outfit All Saints
All Saints (group)
All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton...
who were marketed as a rival and different style to Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
, Irish girl group B*Witched and Eternal
Eternal (band)
Eternal were an English R&B girl group formed in 1992. The group featured two sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, alongside Kelle Bryan and Louise Nurding...
who all achieved worldwide success during the decade.
2000s
In the United Kingdom, girl groups remained popular during the 2000s. Atomic KittenAtomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten were an English girl group from Liverpool, first established in 1997. Created by Andy McCluskey, the final line-up, and most commercially successful, consisted of Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon, and Jenny Frost...
had a string of hits, including their breakthrough number one "Whole Again
Whole Again
"Whole Again" is the fifth single released from British popband Atomic Kitten's debut studio album, Right Now, and the first single released from the album in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The group persauded Virgin Records to release the track as a tribute to band member Kerry...
" in 2000. Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
and Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
became popular during the early 2000s. Girls Aloud's "Sound of the Underground
Sound of the Underground (song)
"Sound of the Underground" is the debut single by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, later featured on their debut album of the same name. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, and Niara Scarlett, and produced by Higgins and his production team Xenomania...
" and Sugababes' "Round Round
Round Round
"Round Round" is a song performed by British girl group Sugababes, released on 12 August 2002 through Island Records. It was written by band members Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range, as well as Miranda Cooper, Niara Scarlett, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Shawn Lee, and Lisa...
" have been called "two huge groundbreaking hits", credited with reshaping British pop music for the 2000s. Sugababes have amassed six UK number one singles and fourteen additional top ten singles, as well as four platinum albums, making them the most successful female act of the 21st century according to British Hit Singles & Albums. Girls Aloud achieved a string of twenty consecutive top ten singles (including four number ones) and two number one albums in the United Kingdom. All five of their studio albums have been certified platinum, with their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud
The Sound of Girls Aloud
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits anthology by British and Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2006 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, making it Girls Aloud's first number one album. As of...
selling over one million copies. Both groups have been nominated for multiple BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, with Sugababes winning Best Dance Act in 2003 and Girls Aloud winning Best Single for "The Promise
The Promise (Girls Aloud song)
"The Promise" is a pop song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania...
" in 2009. Later bands include The Saturdays
The Saturdays
The Saturdays are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London, United Kingdom. The group consists of five members Una Healy, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White and Rochelle Wiseman. In 2007 the band were formed through Fascination Records which gave them an instant record deal with...
, who launched in 2008.
Since the late 1990s, as J-Pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
has become more popular outside of Japan, Japanese girl groups such as Speed
Speed (band)
Speed is an Okinawan female vocal/dance group comprising Hiroko Shimabukuro, Eriko Imai, Takako Uehara and Hitoe Arakaki. All four members are former students of Okinawa Actors School which also trained popular artists Namie Amuro and MAX.Speed made their major label debut on August 5, 1996 and...
, Morning Musume
Morning Musume
, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
, and AKB48
AKB48
AKB48 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto.The group has achieved enormous popularity in Japan. Its ten latest consecutive singles topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart...
have appeared. With 60 members, AKB48
AKB48
AKB48 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto.The group has achieved enormous popularity in Japan. Its ten latest consecutive singles topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart...
is currently recognized by the Guinness World Record as the pop group with the most members. Morning Musume
Morning Musume
, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
currently holds the position as the best-selling female artists in Japan according to Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
statistics, while Speed
Speed (band)
Speed is an Okinawan female vocal/dance group comprising Hiroko Shimabukuro, Eriko Imai, Takako Uehara and Hitoe Arakaki. All four members are former students of Okinawa Actors School which also trained popular artists Namie Amuro and MAX.Speed made their major label debut on August 5, 1996 and...
sold a total of 20 million copies alone in Japan in their three-year history. Perfume
Perfume (group)
Perfume is a Japanese all-girl trio from Hiroshima, Japan, consisting of Ayano Ōmoto, Yuka Kashino, and Ayaka Nishiwaki. They debuted locally in 2001 and made their transition to a major label in 2005, focusing more on electropop...
are another successful girl group- their musical style is focused on electronic dance-pop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
.
Hallyu (Korean wave) and K-pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
have become increasingly significant in the music industry, with its influence breaking the confinements of Asia and spreading to America and Europe. Idol groups are one of the leaders of the "Hallyu" wave and a few girl groups have made themselves known in spite of the fierce competition. Namely, girl groups Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation is a nine-member South Korean electropop girl group formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2007. The nine members are: Taeyeon , Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun...
, Kara
Kara (band)
Kara is a popular South Korean girl group signed with DSP Media . The band name Kara comes from the Greek Word "chara" Kara (Hangul: 카라, Japanese: カラ, often stylized as KARA) is a popular South Korean girl group signed with DSP Media (DSP). The band name Kara comes from the Greek Word "chara" Kara...
, 2NE1
2NE1
Both the song and the group became popular online: Fire topped Mnet's online chart and 2NE1 became a popular search term. The group was awarded three Cyworld Digital Music Awards; "Lollipop" and "Fire" both won "Song of the Month" and the group won "Rookie of the Month" for May 2009...
, and Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls is a South Korean girl group. Its producer and manager is singer-songwriter Park Jin-Young and the Wonder Girls is signed to his talent agency, JYP Entertainment. Each of the five original members were selected through auditions...
are widely recognized as the top girl groups of South Korea. Other relatively well known South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n girl groups also include Brown Eyed Girls
Brown Eyed Girls
The Brown Eyed Girls , often abbreviated as B.E.G., is a South Korean girl group managed by Nega Network. The group consists of four members: Jea, Miryo, Narsha, and Ga-in. They've debuted as an R&B/ballad vocal group in 2006 and challenged themselves with different music genres. Rising to...
, Miss A
Miss A
Miss A , commonly stylized as miss A, is a four member South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment through their sub-label AQ Entertainment in 2010. The group consists of members from both China and South Korea...
, Secret, Sistar
Sistar
SISTAR is a four-member South Korean girl group under the management of Starship Entertainment. The members are: Hyorin, Bora, Soyu and Dasom. On June 3, they released their debut single "Push Push" and made their debut on Korean Broadcasting System Music Bank...
, f(x)
F(x) (band)
f is a five member South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2009. The name is a play on the mathematical notation for function, and when input with different 'x', there can be many different outcomes. f strives to be the kind of girl group that can change and adapt to many situations....
, T-ara
T-ara
T-ara is a South Korean girl group formed by Core Contents Media in 2009. Before their debut, there was a high level of interest in the group as they were called "Super Rookies" and had been training for three years prior to debut....
, 4minute
4minute
4Minute is a popular South Korean girl group founded by Cube Entertainment in 2009. The group consists of Nam Jihyun , Heo Gayoon, Jeon Jiyoon, Kim Hyuna and Kwon SoHyun. The girls released their first single on June 15, 2009 and made their debut stage last June 18, 2009 on Mnet M! Countdown...
, After School
After School (band)
After School is a South Korean girl group formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2009. They are the first group to debut with a unique admissions and graduation concept in Korea, where members are added or withdrawn in a “natural” manner...
, and Rainbow
Rainbow (Korean band)
RAINBOW is a 7-member South Korean girl group under DSP Media. The members are Jae Kyung Go Woo Ri Cho Hyun Young Kim Ji Sook No Eul Oh Seung Ah , Jung Yoon Hye...
.
Meanwhile, girl groups have proved to be less popular in American music during the 21st Century, where solo acts and mixed groups such as The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
tend to be more successful. However, the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
(as fronted by Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....
) are one of the few examples of successful American girl groups post-90's, with hits like "Don't Cha
Don't Cha
"Don't Cha" is the debut single by American R&B/pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls. The song was originally recorded by American recording artist Tori Alamaze, and was released as her debut single in March 2005, on Universal Records. After Universal Records dropped her from the label, Cee-Lo Green...
" and "Stickwitu
Stickwitu
"Stickwitu" is a R&B ballad by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their debut album, PCD. Produced by Jimmy Iovine, Robin Antin, Ron Fair and Tal Herzberg, it was released as the album's second single in late 2005. The song is an uptempo ballad being different to their previous single...
". Their debut album PCD
PCD (album)
PCD is the debut album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 13, 2005 in the United States, by A&M Records. After recruiting Melody Thornton and Nicole Scherzinger and releasing two singles, they released this album...
went top-ten in a number of countries.