D
Deleted member 29256
Please let's not lose my 11 today. I already lost Belgium in Eurovision tonight.
#soon! Part Un - The 60s-00s Girl Band Debut Breakthrough Rate
- Thread starter berserkboi
- Start date
He/Him
After the mess that's been this rate, I'm happy our Top 5 turned out so well. Cannot believe some people don't immediately feel things when listening to "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"
D
Deleted member 29256
He/Him
Please let's not lose my 11 today. I already lost Belgium in Eurovision tonight.
Wish.........................................................................
Granted!!!
#4
90s Gold Medalist
Spice Girls – Wannabe
Average Score: 8.763
Highest Score: 11 x 4 (@Conan, @iheartpoptarts, @ufint, @saviodxl) 10 x 11 (@Riiiiiiiii, @SuperNerd, @ohnostalgia, @DJHazey, @MollieSwift21, @DominoDancing, @tylerc904, @soratami, @Sprockrooster, @Remorque, @berserkboi)
Lowest Score: 3 x 1 (@kermit_the_frog) <--- Hide, now!
Granted!!!
#4
90s Gold Medalist
Spice Girls – Wannabe
Average Score: 8.763
Highest Score: 11 x 4 (@Conan, @iheartpoptarts, @ufint, @saviodxl) 10 x 11 (@Riiiiiiiii, @SuperNerd, @ohnostalgia, @DJHazey, @MollieSwift21, @DominoDancing, @tylerc904, @soratami, @Sprockrooster, @Remorque, @berserkboi)
Lowest Score: 3 x 1 (@kermit_the_frog) <--- Hide, now!
Talk about an unexpected twist! The Spice Girls out *BEFORE* the top 3 of a girl band versus rate on PopJustice?? Out of this world shocking! Wannabe and the Spice Girls were what I was expecting to see at the top when I came up with the song list. Can you blame me? - considering these girls were my first foray into girl bands (and I am sure they were for many of you too), and taking into account their influence on pop culture and their legacy - they should have breezed through, no?
Let me take you back a bit - I remember having my gorgeous Geri Halliwell come up on my screen asking me what I wanted, what I really really wanted and was instantly mesmerised and enchanted! This caused me to be obsessed with girls for much of their career, until Geri left and it became too painful for me to bear being confronted with that missing piece every time I saw a new music video by them. Viva Forever (which featured the last at the time ‘Ginger Spice’ moment of the five-some) was still a stunning piece of pop music, however.
Fast forward to today and more familiarity with the inner workings of the music industry through the ongoing Sugababes experience/drama and what I went through with Ginger feels like a breeze! Wannabe was a childhood favourite of mine, I was instantly taken by the experience and not just Geri as I initially thought. The way all the girls had this very well defined personality through the way they sang, acted, dressed really appealed to my little gay heart. Wannabe is such a spectacle of a début that whether you love it on first listen or not – it forces you to pay attention – which I would call the best kind of breakthrough.
What I was surprised by though is that PopJustice was not here for Wannabe at all when voting opened – in fact the first few votes placed it at a shocking #46! It took quite a while for them to crack the top 30, but once they did, they were well and truly a Top 5 mainstay! However, despite the late 11s bestowed on it by the @ufint and @iheartpoptarts combo, it was a little too late for them to catch up to the top 3 (although the song that comes third isn’t *too* far ahead #soon!).
No matter what the outcome of this rate was ever going to be, Wannabe is still one of the most successful songs, not just of this list, or for girl groups but of all time across any sector! It made the top spot of every country that would qualify it for the rate here (the only one to do so on this song list) and is one of the best selling songs of all time. It sold 7 million copies by 1997 (after only about a year and a bit of release) and topped the chart in 37 countries! Wannabe was also rated the most easily recognisable pop song of the last 60 years. How is that for impact!!
No one really needs an introduction to the Spice Girls here (nor do I feel qualified to do them the same justice their more intense stans can) but to be consistent, they were formed in 1994 by Bob and Chris Herbert to compete with the popular boy bands of the time such as Take That and East 17. They placed a (want ad) in The Stage and approximately 400 women attended the audition where they were placed in groups of 10 and dance to a routine of Stay by Eternal (we rated this one too!!). Eventually a few were selected and formed the group Touch. Through the continuing process (an original member was let go and replaced by Emma Bunton), the name became Spice Girls and the girls in the group were Melanie Brown (Scary), Melanie Chisholm (Sporty), Victoria Adams (Posh), Geri Halliwell (Ginger) and Emma Bunton (Baby). During their imperial phase (first two albums era, Spice [23 million copies worldwide] & SpiceWorld [13 million copies worldwide]), they dominated the charts and pop culture. Geri’s eventual departure was one of the biggest news stories in the world at the time. More on this in Part 2.
The Spice Girls are synonymous with the Girl Power movement, reflected even in their debut Wannabe’s subject matter, it promotes friendship as female empowerment over a romantic relationship, a message that is still powerful and important today!
PopJustice has the floor!
Zar-Unity (9) recognises the impact, although the lack of Posh Spice still prevents a full score - A one of a kind, energetic pop song and fun video. One of the songs that best showcased the individual talent of each Spice, except for poor Posh spice. Kermit_The_Frog (3) is aware his reputation won’t be the same after this one - Sorry. I will be dragged for this. It may even be my score that stops them winning the whole thing. However. I simply cannot stand 95% of all Spice Girls output. I appreciate that they had a positive social effect on young girls and gay-boys but cannot condone terrible shitty music as a by-product of that. I’ll get my coat…
Riiiiiiiii (10) feels like a betrayer but really, this is fine - My 11 should have been for this one because Spice Girls is like family, but Wannabe just isn’t one of my favorites. I admit It’s iconic and the foundation for their amazing career, but when it comes to breakthrough single, the Sugababes one is just more legendary to me. When it comes to the Spice Girls themselves: they are everything. I was so extremely obsessed with them it was unhealthy. I remember taking my Spice Girls bedsheet to a school trip and didn’t take shit when the other boys made fun of it. That and hysterically crying in front of the television when Geri left…
ComeOnGloria (8) has only this to say - I was never that big a fan but it was obviously a phenomenon. Spillett (7.5) also prefers another - (always preferred Say You'll Be There). Filippa (8) doesn’t think this one was worth a revisit per se - Yes, it was fun. But it’s not a song I often listen today. Well apart from Viva Forever and some solo stuff from Geri, Mel C and Emma I actually don’t listen to any song of them today.
Trouble In Paradise (9.5) may be lucid with drunkenness - This song still knocks and maybe I’m delusional but the lyrics make a lot more sense to me know than they ever have before. Empty Shoebox (5) has no connection to this! What! So! Ever! - I have never been a fan of this song. Maybe it's the nonsensical lyrics, maybe it's the overplaying. I don't know. I just don't like it. Untouchable Ace (5) is another ambivalent one - The Spice Girls and sport make the news far too often
Sprockrooster (10) finds a lot of power in this one - This song gives me so much confidence. All my insecurities washed away with this pure gem. Londonrain (8) gives us a tale of two cities - This was never my favourite Spice Girls song - they seemed to have better second singles than lead singles. I can still do the whole bridge by heart, though. Baby Clyde (7) tells us of a far away world, completely disconnected from current reality - (Find it really hard to score this. It's properly iconic and a fabulous pop record but compared to all of their other singles kinda cheesy. If they had been one hit wonders this would be seen as a novelty record).
DominoDancing (10) is losing a 10 very close to the end! - Classic that works in every single setting. Unnameable (9) recalls the present and the ties to the past – I feel old when I consider Baby Spice is my age. At the time, everyone was giggling at “zig-a-zig-ah!” as a lyric but the single was everywhere. DJHazey (10) is being his objective best - Despite being far from my favorite girl group, I owe the Spice Girls alot because watching their videos as a child implanted the love for female-pop that I would eventually allow to manifest itself later in life. Separate from this song's impact on me personally I can remember exactly how different this sounded from anything I had every heard in my life and everyone took notice, regardless of what their opinion of the sound was. A vote for spice is simply a vote for fun pop, by definition.
Let’s start the 11 brigade with Iheartpoptarts (11) - Let’s make sure the Spice Girls get their rightful victory, shall we? They got close, at least. Ufint (11) finds my rate isn’t structured like classic RPDR - The rightful winner. Congratulations Raja. I mean, this is the single greatest girl group song ever, and the start of a wonderful stanning period that consumed almost all of my time from 1996 and for the next three-four years. Once a villain….. Saviodxl (11) - This song defines not only the era for The Spice Girls, but defines a decade and how a girlgroup should be presented to the world! This is just iconic, a milestone in pop culture and I need to give the value it deserves! Or in this case, my 11.
Let me take you back a bit - I remember having my gorgeous Geri Halliwell come up on my screen asking me what I wanted, what I really really wanted and was instantly mesmerised and enchanted! This caused me to be obsessed with girls for much of their career, until Geri left and it became too painful for me to bear being confronted with that missing piece every time I saw a new music video by them. Viva Forever (which featured the last at the time ‘Ginger Spice’ moment of the five-some) was still a stunning piece of pop music, however.
Fast forward to today and more familiarity with the inner workings of the music industry through the ongoing Sugababes experience/drama and what I went through with Ginger feels like a breeze! Wannabe was a childhood favourite of mine, I was instantly taken by the experience and not just Geri as I initially thought. The way all the girls had this very well defined personality through the way they sang, acted, dressed really appealed to my little gay heart. Wannabe is such a spectacle of a début that whether you love it on first listen or not – it forces you to pay attention – which I would call the best kind of breakthrough.
What I was surprised by though is that PopJustice was not here for Wannabe at all when voting opened – in fact the first few votes placed it at a shocking #46! It took quite a while for them to crack the top 30, but once they did, they were well and truly a Top 5 mainstay! However, despite the late 11s bestowed on it by the @ufint and @iheartpoptarts combo, it was a little too late for them to catch up to the top 3 (although the song that comes third isn’t *too* far ahead #soon!).
No matter what the outcome of this rate was ever going to be, Wannabe is still one of the most successful songs, not just of this list, or for girl groups but of all time across any sector! It made the top spot of every country that would qualify it for the rate here (the only one to do so on this song list) and is one of the best selling songs of all time. It sold 7 million copies by 1997 (after only about a year and a bit of release) and topped the chart in 37 countries! Wannabe was also rated the most easily recognisable pop song of the last 60 years. How is that for impact!!
No one really needs an introduction to the Spice Girls here (nor do I feel qualified to do them the same justice their more intense stans can) but to be consistent, they were formed in 1994 by Bob and Chris Herbert to compete with the popular boy bands of the time such as Take That and East 17. They placed a (want ad) in The Stage and approximately 400 women attended the audition where they were placed in groups of 10 and dance to a routine of Stay by Eternal (we rated this one too!!). Eventually a few were selected and formed the group Touch. Through the continuing process (an original member was let go and replaced by Emma Bunton), the name became Spice Girls and the girls in the group were Melanie Brown (Scary), Melanie Chisholm (Sporty), Victoria Adams (Posh), Geri Halliwell (Ginger) and Emma Bunton (Baby). During their imperial phase (first two albums era, Spice [23 million copies worldwide] & SpiceWorld [13 million copies worldwide]), they dominated the charts and pop culture. Geri’s eventual departure was one of the biggest news stories in the world at the time. More on this in Part 2.
The Spice Girls are synonymous with the Girl Power movement, reflected even in their debut Wannabe’s subject matter, it promotes friendship as female empowerment over a romantic relationship, a message that is still powerful and important today!
PopJustice has the floor!
Zar-Unity (9) recognises the impact, although the lack of Posh Spice still prevents a full score - A one of a kind, energetic pop song and fun video. One of the songs that best showcased the individual talent of each Spice, except for poor Posh spice. Kermit_The_Frog (3) is aware his reputation won’t be the same after this one - Sorry. I will be dragged for this. It may even be my score that stops them winning the whole thing. However. I simply cannot stand 95% of all Spice Girls output. I appreciate that they had a positive social effect on young girls and gay-boys but cannot condone terrible shitty music as a by-product of that. I’ll get my coat…
Riiiiiiiii (10) feels like a betrayer but really, this is fine - My 11 should have been for this one because Spice Girls is like family, but Wannabe just isn’t one of my favorites. I admit It’s iconic and the foundation for their amazing career, but when it comes to breakthrough single, the Sugababes one is just more legendary to me. When it comes to the Spice Girls themselves: they are everything. I was so extremely obsessed with them it was unhealthy. I remember taking my Spice Girls bedsheet to a school trip and didn’t take shit when the other boys made fun of it. That and hysterically crying in front of the television when Geri left…
ComeOnGloria (8) has only this to say - I was never that big a fan but it was obviously a phenomenon. Spillett (7.5) also prefers another - (always preferred Say You'll Be There). Filippa (8) doesn’t think this one was worth a revisit per se - Yes, it was fun. But it’s not a song I often listen today. Well apart from Viva Forever and some solo stuff from Geri, Mel C and Emma I actually don’t listen to any song of them today.
Trouble In Paradise (9.5) may be lucid with drunkenness - This song still knocks and maybe I’m delusional but the lyrics make a lot more sense to me know than they ever have before. Empty Shoebox (5) has no connection to this! What! So! Ever! - I have never been a fan of this song. Maybe it's the nonsensical lyrics, maybe it's the overplaying. I don't know. I just don't like it. Untouchable Ace (5) is another ambivalent one - The Spice Girls and sport make the news far too often
Sprockrooster (10) finds a lot of power in this one - This song gives me so much confidence. All my insecurities washed away with this pure gem. Londonrain (8) gives us a tale of two cities - This was never my favourite Spice Girls song - they seemed to have better second singles than lead singles. I can still do the whole bridge by heart, though. Baby Clyde (7) tells us of a far away world, completely disconnected from current reality - (Find it really hard to score this. It's properly iconic and a fabulous pop record but compared to all of their other singles kinda cheesy. If they had been one hit wonders this would be seen as a novelty record).
DominoDancing (10) is losing a 10 very close to the end! - Classic that works in every single setting. Unnameable (9) recalls the present and the ties to the past – I feel old when I consider Baby Spice is my age. At the time, everyone was giggling at “zig-a-zig-ah!” as a lyric but the single was everywhere. DJHazey (10) is being his objective best - Despite being far from my favorite girl group, I owe the Spice Girls alot because watching their videos as a child implanted the love for female-pop that I would eventually allow to manifest itself later in life. Separate from this song's impact on me personally I can remember exactly how different this sounded from anything I had every heard in my life and everyone took notice, regardless of what their opinion of the sound was. A vote for spice is simply a vote for fun pop, by definition.
Let’s start the 11 brigade with Iheartpoptarts (11) - Let’s make sure the Spice Girls get their rightful victory, shall we? They got close, at least. Ufint (11) finds my rate isn’t structured like classic RPDR - The rightful winner. Congratulations Raja. I mean, this is the single greatest girl group song ever, and the start of a wonderful stanning period that consumed almost all of my time from 1996 and for the next three-four years. Once a villain….. Saviodxl (11) - This song defines not only the era for The Spice Girls, but defines a decade and how a girlgroup should be presented to the world! This is just iconic, a milestone in pop culture and I need to give the value it deserves! Or in this case, my 11.
And as no surprise to the audience, the Spice Girls take it home for the 90s!
Your recap coming,
#soon!
she/her
And if you asked me to rerate these songs today, it would have struggled to give it even a two.
Last edited:
He/Him
Top 3!
'60s
The Ronettes - Be My Baby
'00s
Sugababes - Overload
Girls Aloud - Sound of the Underground
'60s
The Ronettes - Be My Baby
'00s
Sugababes - Overload
Girls Aloud - Sound of the Underground
How about that?? We lose a front runner and gain this top 3! Is this what you thought you would be looking at when the rate started? I certainly didn't-(ish). A showdown between Beauty Like You Never Saw vs You Keep In Control Of The Knife (Yeah!) was not entirely unexpected BUT having The Ronettes kick out the Spice Girls to make top 3 was an experience I didn't think I'd live to see! I wonder how far they will take it! Who are you pulling for at the juncture? What would be the best result for you and this rate?
#soon!
D
Deleted member 29256
Can we please rate Viva Forever for part two?
He/Him
I was thinking Who Do You Think You Are or Spice Up Your Life (to give them a proper chance against the likes of Push The Button and Pure Shores) but Viva Forever is my favourite from them too...
#4
90s Gold Medalist
Spice Girls – Wannabe
Girls Aloud are gonna win and I'm okay with that
He/Him
90s Recap
#60 - Xscape - Just Kickin' It
----------------------------------------------------------
#45 - SWV - I'm So Into You
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#36 - TLC - Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg
#31 - Honeyz - Finally Found
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#28 - En Vogue - Hold On
#26 - Destiny's Child - No No No (Part 2)
#22 - Eternal - Stay
----------------------------------------------------------
#19 - Atomic Kitten - Right Now
#16 - B*Witched - C'est La Vie
#12 - Wilson Phillips - Hold On (90s Bronze)
#11 - All Saints - I Know Where It's At (90s Silver)
----------------------------------------------------------
#4 - Spice Girls - Wannabe (90s Gold)
Average Placement: 25.833
Well, with the 90s only having the Spice Girls in the top 10, you'd be thinking their average would be one of the worst but it is well and truly heads and shoulders above the 70s and 80s form our recaps so far! Despite giving us the first cut through the boring 'traditional view of life' of Xscape - this was actually due to much of the decade surviving for a very long time - taking 66% of the entries into the second half of the countdown (Top 30).
The decade truly saw a rise in the R&B genre and girls really finding their voice. Possibly even favouring personality over vocal prowess (though En Vogue and Eternal namely more than deliver in that category anyway). Grittier, less polished styles emerged and showed the result could be just as good as perfect harmonies across the likes of TLC or Spice Girls (with the entries we rated in mind). A decade many of us grew up in and started experiencing bands and styles as 'stans' - this is what framed us for our taste and opinions that you see today across much of the forum! Much love to all who enjoyed this as much as I did!
The decade truly saw a rise in the R&B genre and girls really finding their voice. Possibly even favouring personality over vocal prowess (though En Vogue and Eternal namely more than deliver in that category anyway). Grittier, less polished styles emerged and showed the result could be just as good as perfect harmonies across the likes of TLC or Spice Girls (with the entries we rated in mind). A decade many of us grew up in and started experiencing bands and styles as 'stans' - this is what framed us for our taste and opinions that you see today across much of the forum! Much love to all who enjoyed this as much as I did!
WOW!!!!
Didn’t see that coming. They were my 7 so I’m only left with 10’s and my 11.
This is the best quality Top 3 of any PJ rate ever.
Don’t care which of these pop masterpieces wins. And to think I had so little faith in you all I nearly participate.
Well done everyone.
Didn’t see that coming. They were my 7 so I’m only left with 10’s and my 11.
This is the best quality Top 3 of any PJ rate ever.
Don’t care which of these pop masterpieces wins. And to think I had so little faith in you all I nearly participate.
Well done everyone.
He/Him
You ended up giving it a 9.5 :)
MollieSwift21
Staff member
Wannabe is just massive. Its packed with personality and just joy. Should have been top 3 at least. Be my Baby to win.
Mama Said and Soldier Boy are two other 10/10 by the Shirelles.
Mama Said and Soldier Boy are two other 10/10 by the Shirelles.
Going forward my only wish is that Sound of the Underground doesn't win this.
londonrain
Staff member
Same here. I like it but a win for Overload or (gasp!) Be My Baby would be amazing.
Be My Baby is really the little bop that could in the rate, huh? Phil Spector may be trash but most of the girl groups in this rate owe a lot to this song.
