Our countdown of the Top 20 girl bands of all time
They have had a massive influence on pop culture, giving us some of the best songs of all time. Here’s our countdown of the top 20 girl band songs and the chance to vote for your favourite group.
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Girl bands stretch back to the start of rock and roll and have given us some of the best pop songs of all time. Here's 20 of the finest girl band hits.
1. WANNABE, SPICE GIRLS, 1996
The beauty of Wannabe wasn’t just that it launched the Spice Girls perfectly, it was also their manifesto buried in Turducken pop song — soul inside Brit pop with rap on top. An incredible first impression, even if Posh didn’t get one line. No wonder Victoria is still bitter.
Other gems: Say You’ll Be There, Too Much, Holler, Who Do You Think You Are?
2. WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO? THE SUPREMES, 1964
The girl band blue print: built on a fault line (Diana Ross seizing lead vocals, shading her bandmates) it served regret, heartbreak, hormones and harmonies — singing through the pain. Other gems: You Can’t Hurry Love, Baby Love, Stop in the Name of Love, You Keep Me Hangin’ On
3. NO SCRUBS, TLC, 1999
There is a version of No Scrubs without Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes’ s rap. That version should be erased. Rhyming spectacular with vernacular, her skills elevate their sly groove that calls out leeches (or scrubs) in a break-up banger from arguably the baddest girl band.
Other gems: Creep, Waterfalls, Unpretty, Silly Ho
4. LADY MARMALADE, LABELLE, 1974
Fronted by Patti Labelle, this helped usher in the disco era detailing night shifters in New Orleans, cleverly hiding the racy chorus “would you like to sleep with me tonight” by singing it in French, and piling on the sass and soul.
Other gems: What Can I Do For You, Over the Rainbow, It Took a Long Time
5. OVERLOAD, SUGABABES, 2000
Just like Wannabe, Overload sounded like nothing else. Impeccably constructed, the momentum keeps building, there’s a wild guitar solo, then it unravels before your ears and goes full kitchen sink for the last minute.
Other gems: Push the Button, Freak Like Me, Round Round, Too Lost in You
6. SURVIVOR, DESTINY’S CHILD, 2001
How do you stop people joking about your revolving door line-up being like TV show Survivor? You write this triumphant anthem where you casually drop your record sales at the time (nine million) while taking the high road.
Other gems: Independent Women, Say My Name, Lose My Breath, Bills Bills Bills
7. LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE, BANANARAMA, 1987
Starting as a punky trio, Bananarama plugged into the Stock Aitken Waterman machine and rode the wave. Their Venus is arguably better than the original, but Love In The First Degree is synth-led mock Motown brilliance.
Other gems: I Heard a Rumour, Cruel Summer, Robert De Niro’s Waiting, I Want You Back
8. NEVER EVER, ALL SAINTS, 1997
If you’re going to borrow a melody, it may as well be Amazing Grace. The UK foursome freeze-frame that point of a break-up and lay on funk, gospel and harmonies. Their William Orbit electro-fantasy Pure Shores is a close second.
Other gems: Black Coffee, Lady Marmalade, Chick Fit, Booty Call
9. HE’S SO FINE, THE CHIFFONS, 1963
Straight outta The Bronx, this classic is two songs in one — the lead vocal and that consistent backing vocal “doo-lang doo-lang doo-lang”. George Harrison would subconsciously heist it for My Sweet Lord.
Other gems: One Fine Day, Sweet Talking Guy, Lucky Me
10. I’M SO EXCITED, POINTER SISTERS, 1982
The sisters had covered Bruce Springsteen (Fire) and had classy hits with Slow Hand and He’s So Shy. But in the MTV era they really hit the pop button. I’m So Excited is all you want from a pop song, put it on and within 10 seconds it starts the party. And that piano solo.
Other gems: Jump, Dare Me, Automatic, Fire
11. ALL NIGHT LONG, MARY JANE GIRLS, 1983
Prince had Vanity 6; Rick James had Mary Jane Girls. The baseline, hook and chorus has been endlessly sampled (“you got me shook up, shook down, shook out on your lovin’”) and where this simmered, In My House was an inferno.
Other gems: In My House, Candy Man, Wild and Crazy Man, Walk Like a Man
12. MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS, DANCING IN THE STREET, 1964
Written by Marvin Gaye, girl band songs are almost always about love. Dancing is another popular theme and this instant shot of energy mixes dance with another popular trick – geographical shout outs. Incredible production.
Other gems: Heat Wave, Jimmy Mack, Nowhere to Run, Quicksand
13. HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER, SISTER SLEDGE, 1979
Nile Rodgers sprinkled the Chic magic on these soulful siblings at the peak of his disco powers. They had a killer run of singles, but there’s something about this one — a bassline that won’t quit, soaring strings plus it’s a love song and dance song all in one.
Other gems: We Are Family, Lost in Music, Thinking of You, Got to Love Somebody
14. LOVE MACHINE, GIRLS ALOUD, 2004
The UK girl band formed on TV but went on to have 20 British Top 20 hits in a row. With pop factory Xenophonia (Phil Spector meets Stock Aitken Waterman) behind them, Love Machine is part rockabilly (Arctic Monkeys would cover it), part rollicking pop. Like all good girl bands, they had such strong personalities they came with an in-built implosion date. Other gems: The Promise, Biology, The Show, No Good Advice
15. NASTY GIRL, VANITY 6, 1982
Back when Prince was still filthy he created his own girl band, with girlfriend Apollonia in the Diana Ross role, and gave them this soft-porn carnal pop with his dirty fingerprints all over it. This makes Fifth Harmony’s 2016 girl band update Work From Home (which just missed this list) look frigid.
Other gems: Drive Me Wild, He’s So Dull, Make-Up
16. ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID, T.A.T.U, 2002
Never count out a musical genius. Trevor Horn’s bombastic pop worked for everyone from Frankie Goes to Hollywood to Seal, and for 3 ½ minutes he turned two Russian gay-for-play faux lesbians into chart toppers with this musical thunderclap.
Other gems: Not Gonna Get It, All About Us, How Soon Is Now?
17. DON’T CHA, PUSSYCAT DOLLS, 2005
Poor Tori Alamaze recorded this sultry track first, before it was reclaimed to launch Nicole Scherzinger in the classic Diana Ross role in the Dolls. Other gems: I Hate This Part, When I Grow Up, Buttons, Hush Hush Hush Hush
18. VENUS OR MARS, JACKSON MENDOZA (1999)
The great lost Australian girl duo – this song was a Betty Boo goes Manga Betty shot of pure joy. Other gems: Ordinary Girl
19. BLACK MAGIC, LITTLE MIX (2015)
The UK foursome can be hit and miss, but this gem channels Whitney, Britney and Cyndi with not so veiled metaphors about secret potions getting boyfriends on their knees. Other gems: Shout Out To My Ex, Wings, Love Me Like You
20. HOLD ON, WILSON PHILLIPS (1990)
The ultimate three-part karaoke song, despite high degree of difficulty. Other gems: Release Me
