Spice Girls 28480 226147413 2008-07-17T01:06:57Z 67.101.51.27 /* Career records and achievements */ {{Infobox Musical artist | Name = Spice Girls | Img = Spicegirlscologne.JPG | Img_capt = Spice Girls performing in [[Cologne]], [[Germany]], <br>[[December 20]] [[2007]] | Background = group_or_band | Origin = [[London]], [[England]] | Genre = [[Dance-pop]]<br>[[Pop music|Pop]]<br>[[Ballad (music)#Pop|Pop ballad]]<br>[[Europop]]<br>[[Eurodance]] | Years_active = 1994–2001, 2007–2008 | Label = [[Virgin Records|Virgin]], [[EMI]] | Current_members = [[Victoria Beckham]] (Posh Spice) <small></small><br />[[Melanie Brown]] (Scary Spice) <small><br></small> [[Emma Bunton]] (Baby Spice) <small></small><br />[[Melanie Chisholm]] (Sporty Spice) <small></small><br>[[Geri Halliwell]] (Ginger Spice) <small></small> | URL = [http://www.thespicegirls.com www.thespicegirls.com] }} The '''Spice Girls''' are a [[BRIT Award]]-winning [[England|English]] pop group formed in 1994. Consisting of [[Geri Halliwell]], [[Victoria Beckham]], [[Melanie Brown]], [[Emma Bunton]], and [[Melanie Chisholm]], they are the UK's most successful all-female group.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2774437.stm BBC News - Spice Girls]</ref> == Overview == The girls were signed to [[Virgin Records]] and released their debut single, "[[Wannabe (song)|Wannabe]]", in 1996. The song spent seven weeks at the top of the [[UK Singles Chart]] and helped establish the group as an "international phenomenon".<ref name="billboard int phen"> Haywood, John. In total, they sold more than 100 million albums. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp? In svnu_content_id=1003602520 "International phenomenon" quote]. [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]. Retrieved June 22, 2007.</ref> The Spice Girls have sold more than 55 million records worldwide <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6246448.stm BBC News | 55 Millions record Worldwide]</ref> with only three albums (the first two with Geri), landing them the title for fastest selling [[girl group]] ever. The demand for their first two albums was unprecedented among pop groups since the [[Beatles]].<ref name="spice girls sales">[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Stacey.JPG Screenshot from BRIT Awards 2000, televised by ITV1, detailing the sales of The Spice Girls up to February 2000]. [[BRIT Awards]]. Retrieved March 13, 2006.</ref> Their first album, ''[[Spice (album)|Spice]],'' sold more than 23 million copies worldwide <ref>[http://www.thespicegirls.com/facts/timeline Worldwide sales for Spice]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6251176.stm BBC Timeline | Sales for Spice]</ref><ref>[http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-life/liverpool-lifestyle/2007/12/08/classic-pop-albums-100252-20219936/ 23 millions for Spice]</ref> making it the all time best-selling album by a female group. Measures of their success include international record sales, a 2008 reunion tour, merchandising, record breaking achievements such as "Wannabe" becoming the biggest single released by a female group and iconic symbolism such as the union jack dress, "Girl Power", and their nicknames. Under the guidance of their long time mentor and manager [[Simon Fuller]], the group embraced [[Spice Girls merchandise|merchandising]] and became a regular feature of the British press. Each member of the group was given an [[alias]] by ''Top of the Pops Magazine'' in 1996, which were adopted by the group and media alike. According to biographer David Sinclair, "Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh and Sporty were the most widely recognized group of individuals since [[John Lennon|John]], [[Paul McCartney|Paul]], [[George Harrison|George]] and [[Ringo Starr|Ringo]]"<ref>Sinclair, David. ''Wannabe: How The Spice Girls reinvented Pop Fame'' (2004). p. x. Omnibus Press, London. ISBN 0-71198-643-6.</ref> In 1997, the Spice Girls released a movie called ''[[Spice World (film)| Spiceworld: The Movie]]''. The members went their separate ways in 2001<!-- Finally, we have a definitive answer! Activity in regards to Virgin still releasing promo singles and chart success worldwide continued through to 2001. This has been confirmed by both the record company and the group's current publicist team.--> (although a break-up was never formally announced) to focus on their solo careers. On [[28 June]] [[2007]] all five re-formed before the launch of their [[The Return of the Spice Girls|Reunion Tour]] in December, alongside the release of their ''[[Greatest Hits (Spice Girls album)|Greatest Hits]]'' album. In December 2007, the Spice Girls made a program called ''[[Giving You Everything]]'', which showed the beginning to the current reunion of the Spice Girls. In February 2008, the Spice Girls announced that they were ending their tour in Toronto on [[26 February]] [[2008]]. ==Spice Girl History== ===Beginning=== In the mid-1990s, father-and-son management team [[Chris Herbert]] and [[Bob Herbert]] set about creating an all female group that could compete with the onslaught of equally popular boy bands that dominated the pop music scene in the mid- to late 1990s: "the whole teen-band scene at the time was saturated by boy bands like 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys. That was all a bit of a yawn for me, and only appealed to female audiences...I felt if you could appeal to the boys as well, you'd be laughing".<ref>Sinclair, p. 4.</ref> In February 1994, Heart Management – which comprised the Herberts together with financier Chic Murphy – placed an advertisement in ''[[The Stage]]'' trade magazine asking "are you street smart, extrovert, ambitious and able to sing and dance".<ref name="?">[[BBC News]]. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2392401.stm Just an ordinary couple?]. [[British Broadcasting Corporation]]. Retrieved December 25, 2007.</ref> Hundreds of girls responded and the applicants were whittled down to a final five that included [[Victoria Beckham|Victoria Adams]], [[Lianne Morgan]], [[Melanie Brown]], [[Geri Halliwell]] and [[Michelle Stephenson]].<ref name="?"/> The group was given the name Touch,<ref name="?"/> and moved into a house together in [[Maidenhead]], [[Berkshire]], (owned by Murphy) where they were subsidized by Heart Management and each was claiming [[unemployment benefit]]. However [[Lianne Morgan]] was axed from the lineup due to her age and was replaced by [[Melanie Chisholm]] who was the same age as the other girls. During the first two months the group worked on [[demo (music)|demos]] and dance routines at the Trinity Studios in [[Knaphill]]. According to Stephenson, the material the group was given was "very, very young pop" and included the song "We’re Gonna Make It Happen", a record that never came to light.<ref>Sinclair, p. 29.</ref> It soon became apparent that Stephenson did not have the drive and belief that the rest of the group had, so the decision was made to fire her from the group. Bob Herbert stated that "she just wasn't fitting in...she would never have gelled with it and I had to tell her to go".<ref>Sinclair, p. 30.</ref> However, Stephenson stated that it was her decision to leave the group, because of the illness of her mother, who was diagnosed with [[breast cancer]]. Victoria later dismissed this claim, saying she "just couldn't be arsed" to put in the work the rest of the group was doing.<ref>Sinclair, p. 31.</ref> The Herberts searched for a replacement and first came across Abigail Kis, who did not impress, and then were led to eighteen-year-old [[Emma Bunton]] at the suggestion of vocal coach Pepe Lemer. Bunton instantly impressed the Herberts and was invited to meet the group in July 1994, who welcomed her with open arms: "Straight away I knew she was the one," stated Halliwell.<ref>Sinclair, p. 31.</ref> After Bunton had an affaire with with Lisa Sturnol (a member of the live sound team) there was growing discontent among the group with the management team. The group felt insecure about the lack of a contract and were frustrated by the direction in which Heart Management was steering them. In October 1994, armed with a catalogue of demos and dance routines, the group began touring management agencies. They persuaded Bob Herbert to set up a showcase performance for the group in front of industry writers, producers and [[A&R]] men in December 1994 at the Nomis Studios in [[Shepherds Bush]] where they received an "overwhelmingly positive" reaction.<ref>Sinclair, p. 33.</ref> Due to the large interest in the group, the Herberts quickly set about creating a binding contract for the group. Encouraged by the reaction they had received at the Nomis showcase, the five girls delayed signing contracts on the legal advice from, amongst others, Victoria's father Tony Adams. In March 1995, because of the group's frustration at their management's unwillingness to listen to their visions and ideas, they parted from Heart Management. In what biographer David Sinclair calls an "incredibly self-serving and underhand" ploy, the group stole the master recordings of their discography from the management offices in order to ensure they kept control of their own work.<ref>Sinclair, p. 34.</ref> That same day the girls tracked down [[Sheffield]]-based producer Eliot Kennedy, who had been present at the showcase, and persuaded him to work with them. The group was introduced to record producers [[Absolute (production team)|Absolute]], who in turn brought them to the attention of [[Simon Fuller]] of [[19 Management]]. The girls began a relationship with Fuller and finally signed with him in March 1995.During the summer of that year the group toured record labels in London and [[Los Angeles]] with Fuller and finally signed a deal with [[Virgin Records]] in September 1995. From this point up to the summer of 1996 the girls continued to write and record tracks for their debut album while extensively touring the west coast of [[United States|America]], where they had signed a publishing deal with Windswept Pacific. ===''Spice''=== On [[July 8]] [[1996]] the Spice Girls released their debut single "[[Wannabe (song)|Wannabe]]" in the [[United Kingdom]]. In the weeks leading up to the release, the [[music video|video]] for "Wannabe", (directed by Johan Camitz and shot in April at [[St Pancras Station|St Pancras Chambers]] in London), had dominated the music channels. In July 1996 the group conducted their first interview with [[Paul Gorman]], the contributing editor of music industry paper [[Music Week]], at [[Virgin Records]]' [[London]] headquarters. His piece recognised that the Spice Girls were about to institute a change in the charts away from Britpop and towards out-and-out pop. He wrote: "Just when boys with guitars threaten to rule pop life, an all-girl, in-yer-face pop group has arrived with enough sass to burst that rockist cherry!!" The song entered the charts at number 3 before moving up to number 1 the following week and staying there for seven weeks. The song proved to be a global hit, hitting number 1 in 31 countries and becoming not only the biggest selling debut single by an all-female group but also the biggest-selling single by an all-female group of all time. "Wannabe" also proved to be a catalyst in helping the Spice Girls break into the notoriously difficult [[United States|U.S.]] market when it debuted on the [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] Chart at number 11. At the time, this was the highest-ever debut by a British (or non-American) act in the US, beating the previous record held by [[the Beatles]] for "[[I Want to Hold Your Hand]]." "[[Wannabe]]" reached number one in the [[US]] four weeks later. In November 1996 the Spice Girls released their debut album ''[[Spice (album)|Spice]]'' in [[Europe]]. The success was unprecedented and drew comparisons to [[Beatlemania]] due to the sheer volume of interest in the group<ref>Dawson, Ryan. Cambridge University. [http://www.biggerthanjesus.co.uk/beatlemaniagirlpower.html Beatlemania and Girl Power: An Anatomy of Fame]</ref>. In just seven weeks ''Spice'' had sold 1.8 million copies in Britain alone,<ref name="BPI">BPI. [http://www.bpi.co.uk UK Sales certificates database]. [[British Phonographic Industry]]. Retrieved March 10, 2006.</ref> making the Spice Girls the fastest selling British act since the Beatles. In total, the album sold 3 million copies in Britain<ref name="BPI"/> and peaked at number one for fifteen non-consecutive weeks. In Europe the album became the biggest-selling album of 1997 and was certified 8x Platinum by the [[IFPI]] for sales in excess of 8 million copies.<ref name="IFPI 1997">IFPI. [http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/platinum/plat1997.html European sales certificate for [[''Spice'']] IFPI|International Federation of Phonogram and Videogram Producers]]. Retrieved March 10, 2006</ref> In the United States ''Spice'' became the biggest-selling album of 1997, peaking at number one and being certified 7x Platinum by the [[RIAA]]<ref name="RIAA">RIAA. [http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/default.asp USA sales certificates database]. [[RIA|Recording Industry Association Of America]]. Retrieved March 10, 2006.</ref> In Total the album sold 23 millions copies worldwide <ref>[http://www.thespicegirls.com/facts/timeline Worldwide sales for Spice]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6251176.stm BBC Timeline | Sales for Spice]</ref><ref>[http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-life/liverpool-lifestyle/2007/12/08/classic-pop-albums-100252-20219936/ 23 millions for Spice]</ref> and is the best-selling album of the all time by a female group. Riding a wave of publicity and hype, the group released their next singles, "[[Say You'll Be There]]" (replacing 'Love Thing') and "[[2 Become 1]]" (the [[Christmas Number 1]]), in October and December respectively. The two tracks continued the group's remarkable sales by topping the charts in over fifty-three countries and cementing the group's reputation as the biggest pop act in the world. The last release from ''Spice'' was a double A-side of "[[Mama (Spice Girls song)|Mama]]"/"[[Who Do You Think You Are]]", which once again saw them at number one.<ref name="Real Life Real Spice">The Spice Girls; Cripps, Rebecca; & Peachey, Mal (1997). ''Real Life: Real Spice The Official Story''. London: Zone Publishers. ISBN 0-233-99299-5</ref> At the 1997 Brit Awards, The Spice Girls performed [[Who Do You Think You Are]] to open the show with [[Geri Halliwell]] in a Union Jack mini-dress, causing it to become one of pop history’s most famed outfits. <ref>[http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article586548.ece Iconic Union Jack Dress]</ref> ===''Spiceworld''=== In November 1997 the Spice Girls released their second album, [[Spiceworld (album)|''Spiceworld'']]. Preceded by the single "[[Spice Up Your Life]]", the album proved to be an instant global best seller. It set a new record for the fastest-selling album when it shipped seven million copies over the course of two weeks. Gaining favourable reviews,<ref name="RS Spiceworld">Wild, David. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/spicegirls/albums/album/277713/rid/5942522/ ''Spiceworld'' - Review]. [[Rolling Stone]]. Retrieved March 11, 2006.</ref> the album went on to sell over 10 million copies in Europe,<ref name="IFPI 1998">IFPI [http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/platinum/plat1998.html European sales certificate for ''Spiceworld''] [[IFPI|International Federation of Phonogram and Videogram Producers]]. Retrieved March 10, 2006.</ref> Canada,<ref name="CRIA">CRIA. [http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php CRIA Canadian sales certificates database].[[Canadian Recording Industry Association]]. Retrieved March 11, 2006.</ref> and the United States <ref name="RIAA"/> combined. Criticised in America for releasing the album just nine months after their debut there, and suffering from over-exposure at home, the Spice Girls began to experience a media backlash. The group was criticised for the number of sponsorship deals signed – over twenty in total – and they began to witness diminishing international chart positions. Nevertheless, the Spice Girls remained the biggest-selling pop group of both 1997 and 1998. Further singles released from the album included "[[Too Much (Spice Girls song)|Too Much]]", "[[Stop (Spice Girls song)|Stop]]" and "[[Viva Forever]]," with "Stop" being the only track not to hit number one in Britain (it entered and peaked at number two). The track, along with their first single after their June 2007 reunion, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)," remain their only two singles not to go to number one in the UK. Rumours spread about the song "Saturday Night Divas" being released as a single, but this never happened.{{fact|date=June 2008}} "[[Viva Forever]]" was scheduled to be released as a double A-side with "Never Give Up on the Good Times," but these plans were scrapped due to Geri Halliwell's departure from the group in May 1998. In [[June 1997]], the group began filming their movie debut, ''[[Spiceworld: The Movie]]'', with ''[[Absolutely Fabulous]]'' and ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'' director [[Bob Spiers]]. Meant to accompany the album, the comical style and content of the movie was in the same vein as The Beatles' films in the [[1960s]] such as ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night]]''. The light-hearted comedy, intended to capture the spirit of the Spice Girls, starred a plethora of stars including [[Roger Moore]],[[Hugh Laurie]],[[Elton John]], [[Jennifer Saunders]], [[Richard E. Grant]] and [[Meat Loaf]]. Released in [[December 1997]], ''Spiceworld: The Movie'' proved to be a minor hit at the box office taking nearly $30 million in the US, £11 million in Britain, and over $70 million worldwide.<ref name="IMDB Business">IMDb. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120185/business ''Spiceworld: The Movie'' box office]. The [[Internet Movie Database]]. Retrieved July 1, 2008 </ref> The movie was not as popular with critics however; the movie was nominated for seven awards at the [[1999]] [[1998 Golden Raspberry Awards|Golden Raspberry Award]]s where they "won" the award for "Worst Actress".<ref name="IMDB awards">IMDb. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120185/awards ''Spiceworld: The Movie'' awards]. The [[Internet Movie Database]]. Retrieved March 12, 2006 </ref> On [[November 7]] [[1997]] the Spice Girls fired [[Simon Fuller]]. The firing was reported on the front page of [[The Sun (newspaper)|''the Sun'']] and around the world. Many commentators speculated that Fuller had been the true mastermind behind the group, and that this was the moment when the band lost their impetus and direction. According to their various autobiographies, it was mainly Geri and Melanie B who pushed for Fuller’s dismissal, claiming that he had become too controlling by restricting their personal and artistic freedom.{{fact|date=June 2008}} The group quickly found the burden of managing themselves time consuming, so they assigned various responsibilities to each member of the group: Melanie B. was responsible for tour control; Geri for sponsorship; Emma for personnel, schedule, and charities; Victoria for Merchandising and Finance; and Melanie C. for the record company, singles and formats. They later built their own team, headed by Nancy Phillips, to deal with their affairs. Two of the Spice Girls, Emma Bunton and Victoria Adams, later returned to Fuller's stable once it was clear that the impetus behind the group was starting to disappear. In early 1998 the Spice Girls embarked upon the world tour that Fuller had set up for them covering Europe and North America. The [[Spiceworld Tour]] kicked off in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] on [[February 24]] [[1998]] before moving on to mainland Europe and then returning to Britain for fourteen gigs at [[Wembley Arena]] and Birmingham’s NEC Arena. It was here that recordings were made for a planned live album, which was confirmed by the group: "We've shown everyone we can do the business on stage, so now we want to do a live album for fans". Despite masters of the recording being made, the idea was eventually dropped. Later that year, the Spice Girls were invited to sing on the official [[England national football team|England]] World Cup song "How Does It Feel (To Be on Top of the World)." =====Geri leaves the group===== On [[May 31]] [[1998]] [[Geri Halliwell]] announced her departure from the Spice Girls. Through her solicitor she issued the following statement: "Sadly I would like to confirm that I have left the Spice Girls. This is because of differences between us. I'm sure the group will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best."<ref name="BBC Geri departure">BBC News. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/103637.stm Article confirming Geri Halliwell's departure]. The [[British Broadcasting Corporation]]. May 31 1998. Retrieved November 17 2007.</ref> Halliwell claimed that she was suffering from exhaustion and wanted to take time out. However, rumours persisted that she had fallen out with one of the other girls (reportedly Melanie B: she physically left a day before Melanie B's birthday, though she announced her departure two days later; the fact she abruptly left while on tour further fuels this rumour). Halliwell's departure from the group shocked fans and became one of the biggest entertainment news stories of the year, making news headlines the world over.<ref name="billboard geri">[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=946313 Article detailing a poll in which Geri Halliwell's departure was voted biggest entertainment story of the year in the US]. [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]. Retrieved on March 14, 2006.</ref> The four remaining girls were adamant though that the group would carry on and that their approaching North American tour would continue as normal; however, Halliwell's departure threw most of the group's plans into disarray. It was cited as the reason the planned live album was cancelled. It also meant that most of the material the girls had recorded throughout the first half of 1998 at [[Dublin]]'s Windmill Lane Studios with long-time collaborators [[Richard Stannard (songwriter)|Richard Stannard]] and [[Matt Rowe]] was eventually scrapped. A rumoured animated venture by [[Walt Disney Feature Animation|Disney]] also failed to materialise. "[[Viva Forever]]", was the last single taken off ''Spiceworld''. The video for the single was made before Geri's departure and features the girls in [[animated]] form – a decision made because there was no time to produce a video due to the heavy world tour schedule. Originally planned as a [[double A-side]] with "[[Never Give Up On The Good Times]]", the idea was dropped for several reasons, mainly due to time restraints (since there was no time to re-record and edit out Geri's vocals or make a video for the track). ===''Goodbye''=== While on tour in America the group continued to record new material and they released a new song, "[[Goodbye (Spice Girls song)|Goodbye]]", in [[Christmas]] 1998. The song was seen as a tribute to Geri and when it topped the British chart it became their third consecutive [[Christmas number one single|Christmas number one]] – equalling the record previously set by the Beatles. The song also became one of the most successful songs of the 1990s in Canada, where it stayed at number one for sixteen weeks. ===''Forever''=== The Spice Girls returned to the studio in August 1999, after an 8 month recording break to start work on their third album. the album's sound took a mature direction when American producers like [[Rodney Jerkins]], [[Jimmy Jam]] and [[Terry Lewis]] came on to collabrate with the group. In December 1999 they performed live for a [[UK]]-only [[Christmas]] tour, named [[Christmas in Spiceworld]], in [[London]] and [[Manchester]], also showcasing new songs from the third album. The Spice Girls came back at the 2000 [[BRIT Awards]], and it was announced that they had received the Outstanding Achievement To Music Award. Despite being at the event, [[Geri Halliwell]] did not join her former bandmates on stage. In November 2000 the group released ''[[Forever (Spice Girls album)|Forever]]''. Sporting a new edgier [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] sound, the album received a lukewarm response<ref>Hunter, James. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/spicegirls/albums/album/188922/rid/5943248/ ''Forever'' - Review]. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. Retrieved March 11, 2006.</ref> and achieved only a fraction of the success of its two best-selling predecessors. [[Image:Spicegirls-holler.JPG|thumb|210px|The Spice Girls as a Four-Piece with "Holler" in [[Cologne]]]] In an attempt to cover more ground, the girls split up and covered different countries separately; for example Victoria and Emma headed to North America while Melanie B and C concentrated on Europe. In the US, the album peaked at number thirty-nine on the [[Billboard 200]] albums chart. In the UK the album was released the same week as [[Westlife]]’s ''Coast To Coast'' album and the chart battle was widely reported by the media, where Westlife won the battle reaching number one in the UK, leaving the Spice Girls at number 2. The lead single from ''Forever'', the double A-side "[[Holler]]" / "[[Let Love Lead The Way]]", did enjoy some success – it became the group's ninth number one single in the UK. However the song failed to break onto the [[Billboard Hot 100]] Singles Chart stateside, instead peaking at number seven on the Bubbling Under chart. "Holler" did peak at number thirty-one on the Hot [[Dance Music/Club Play]] in 2001. p The only major performance of the lead single came at the [[MTV Europe Music Awards]] in November 2000 and, a few TV performances aside, the group did little meaningful promotion: their last performance was in December 2000. Further planned single releases off the album never materialised. Promo singles of "[[Tell Me Why (2000 song)|Tell Me Why]]", "[[Weekend Love]]" and "[[If You Wanna Have Some Fun]]" came into circulation, but to fans' dismay the ''Forever'' project was abandoned as the girls each began to concentrate on solo careers. In 2001, the group announced that they were having a break and would be concentrating on their solo careers in regards to their foreseeable future, although they pointed out that the group was not splitting. ===The Return of the Spice Girls=== On [[June 28]], [[2007]] the group held a press conference at [[The O2]] in London, formally announcing their intention to reunite.<ref name="reunion">[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/22/AR2007062200609.html Statement regarding Spice Girls' future from 19 Entertainment] ''[[Washington Post]]'', June 22 2007. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref> The plan to reform had long been speculated by the media,<ref name="well seasoned rumour">Finn, Natalie. [http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=e3303910-79a7-41d2-9c62-4c3b1291f202 'A Well Seasoned Rumour] [[E!|E! Online]], [[June 8]] [[2007]].</ref> but the group now confirmed their intention to embark upon a [[The Return of the Spice Girls|world wide concert tour]], starting in [[Vancouver]] on [[December 2]] [[2007]].<ref name="sg-announce">{{cite web|url=http://www.thespicegirls.com/en/index_us.html#|title="Spice Girls" home page (including announcement)|work=TheSpiceGirls.com|}} Retrieved June 28, 2007.</ref> Filmmaker Bob Smeaton, directed an official [[Documentary film|documentary]] on the reunion. It was entitled ''[[Giving You Everything|Spice Girls: Giving You Everything]]'' and was first aired on Australia's [[Fox8]] on [[December 16]] [[2007]],<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,22926186-5013560,00.html Spice impersonators hit OZ]. news.com.au. Retrieved December 30, 2007.</ref> followed by [[BBC One]] in the UK, on [[December 31]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/10_october/19/spice.shtml New Spice Girls documentary on BBC One on 31 December]. BBC Press Office. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref> [[Image:Spicegirlslive.jpg|thumb|210px|The Spice Girls in concert at [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]].]] Ticket sales for the first London date of "[[The Return of the Spice Girls]]" World Tour sold out in 38 seconds.<ref name=38seconds/> It was reported that over one million people signed up in the UK alone and over five million worldwide for the ticket ballot on the band's official website.<ref name=38seconds>BBC News. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7021976.stm Fans snap up Spice Girls tickets]. [[British Broadcasting Corporation]]. Retrieved October 14, 2007.</ref> Sixteen additional dates in London had been added<ref>[http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jptpBr1II7GVx3BUcccOEyHGViog Spice Girls add more dates to tour]. The Press Association. Retrieved November 18, 2007.</ref> and sold out. In America, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Jose shows also sold out, prompting additional dates to be added.<ref>BBC News. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7027582.stm Spice Girls add new London dates]. [[British Broadcasting Corporation]]. Retrieved November 18, 2007.</ref> It was announced that the Spice Girls would be playing dates in Chicago and Detroit (Auburn Hills) and Boston, as well as additional dates in New York to keep up with the demand. On the very first concert in Canada, they performed to an audience of 15,000 people, singing twenty songs and changing a total of eight times.<ref>[http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2991080.ece Spice Girls wow Canada in first of reunion concerts]. The Times. Retrieved December 15, 2007.</ref> <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:788333959207 0 ALB.jpg|thumb|left|210px|The Spice Girls in concert on [[Long Island]], [[New York]].]] -->Along with the tour sell-out, the Spice Girls licensed their name and image to [[Tesco]]'s UK supermarket chain.<ref>Levy, Megan. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/12/nspice112.xml Spice Girls front Tesco advertising campaign]. [[Daily Telegraph]]. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> The band have reportedly been paid £5 million for their appearances in Tesco advertisements.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=499426&in_page_id=1773 Screaming, bickering and Posh demands... Spice Girls return with another Tesco ad]. The Daily Mail. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref> The group's comeback single, "[[Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)]]", was announced as the official [[Children in Need]] charity single for 2007 and was released [[5 November]]. The first public appearance on stage by the Spice Girls was made at the [[Kodak Theatre]] in [[Hollywood]], where the group performed at the [[Victoria's Secret]] Fashion Show. They performed two songs, 1998 single "[[Stop (Spice Girls song)|Stop]]" and the lead single off their greatest hits album, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)". The show was filmed by [[CBS]] on [[November 15]], [[2007]] for broadcast on [[December 4]], [[2007]].<ref>Sage, Alexandria. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071116/music_nm/victoriassecret_spicegirls_dc Spice Girls strut down Victoria's Secret runway]. Yahoo News. November 16, 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2007.</ref> They also performed the song live for the BBC [[Children in Need 2007|Children in Need telethon]] on [[November 16]] [[2007]] from Los Angeles,<ref name="children">[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=494389&in_page_id=1773&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5 Prime time mime? Spice Girls back in black for Children in Need]. [[Daily Mail]]. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> in elegant [[Roberto Cavalli]] gowns.<ref name="children"/> The release peaked at number 11 on the [[UK Singles Chart]], making it the groups lowest charting British single to date. However, the album fared better, peaking at number two on the [[UK Albums Chart]] behind [[Leona Lewis|Leona Lewis']] record breaking debut.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=494802&in_page_id=1773 Leona sets the record for fastest-selling debut album]. [[The Daily Mail]]. Retrieved November 19, 2007.</ref> Australia was the only country for the album to debut and reach number 1.<ref>[http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display.asp?chart=1G50 Spice Girls debut at number 1 in Australia]. [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]]. Retrieved December 10, 2007</ref> This is the first Spice Girls album to reach number 1 in Australia. To date, their ''[[Greatest Hits (Spice Girls album)|Greatest Hits]]'' album has been declared platinum in Australia and the UK, and gold in the United States, Canada, Brazil and New Zealand. On [[December 22]] [[2007]], the Spice Girls pre-recorded a performance of "[[2 Become 1]]" on the finale of ''[[Strictly Come Dancing]]''.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=504257&in_page_id=1773 Spice Girls add their own seasonal sparkle to Strictly Come Dancing]. [[Daily Mail]]. Retrieved December 24, 2007.</ref> On [[February 1]] [[2008]], it was announced that due to personal and family commitments their tour will come to an end in [[Toronto]] on [[26 February]] [[2008]], meaning that tour dates in [[Beijing]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Shanghai]], [[Sydney]], [[Cape Town]] and [[Buenos Aires]] have been completely canceled.<ref name=endtour>BBC News. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7223629.stm Spice Girls cut short world tour]. [[British Broadcasting Corporation]]. Retrieved February 2, 2008.</ref> The demand for tickets was unprecedented, the Girls ended up performing 47 sell out shows, when they had originally planned to perform only 11. This however, did not fare well with the international fans. A statement read "Really sorry if we didn't get to see you this time round. We all have other commitments in our lives now, but who knows what will happen next."<ref name="endtour"/> During one of the Spice Girls' concerts at [[Madison Square Garden]], [[Melanie Chisholm]] revealed that the girls would "be delighted" to perform for [[Nelson Mandela]] at his 90th birthday party this summer, but had yet to be formally asked.<ref>{{cite news | title=Spice Would Love to Perform for Mandela's B'day | url =http://entertainment.oneindia.in/music/international/2008/spice-perform-mandela-birthday-210208.html -/ | work =spice | accessdate = 2008-03-11 }}</ref> In March 2008 Melanie C and Emma attended the [[Capital]] Awards at which the Spice Girls were awarded the coveted 'Icon' award. Melanie C also recently stated that she had mixed feelings now that the tour has ended but also stated that "the tour may be over but the Spice Girls are very much still united." Although there were rumors of a DVD release of the concert, the group's official website stated on [[April 2]] [[2008]] that there would be no release, disappointing millions of fans. <ref>[http://www.thespicegirls.com/news/080402spicethanks Spicey Thank You]. ''TheSpiceGirls.com''. Retrieved April 2, 2008.</ref> Because of this numerous sites such as [[FaceBook]], [[Bebo]], and [[YouTube]] have held a [[petition]] to get a release on [[DVD]].<ref>http://music.hollyscoop.com/spice-girls/the-spice-girls-disappoint_608.aspx</ref> ''[[The Sun]]'' made note of one of the various fan groups in support for the DVD release (specifically a [[Facebook]] group), saying that the group should give the fans "what they really really want".<ref>[http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article297421.ece Biz bites & showbiz snaps]. ''[[The Sun]]''. [[June 23]] [[2008]]. Retrieved [[June 23]] [[2008]].</ref> It has recently been announced that Victoria Beckham is to auction off all six of the costumes she wore in the tour. They range from £30,000 to £250,000 for the Swarovski crystal-adorned dress worn in songs such as "[[Goodbye (Spice Girls song)|Goodbye]]" and "[[Let Love Lead the Way]]". She hopes to raise at least £1,000,000 for a charity her mother runs. On [[June 3]], [[2008]] Emma, Geri & Mel B attended the 2008 Glamour Awards where the Spice Girls were awarded the prestigious 'Band Of The Year' award. While the Spice Girls said goodbye to their fans on their website, they also stated on their official blog, "Who knows what will happen next!"<ref>{{cite news | title=Spice Girls Official Site | url =http://www.thespicegirls.com/news/080201announcement -/ | work =spice | accessdate = 2008-03-02 }}</ref> The Spice Girls have been formally asked to sing for Prince Charles' 60th birthday. They have not given a reply to the royal prince.<ref>{{cite news | title=UKnowmagazine | url =http://www.UKnowmagazine/news/080201announcement -/ | work =spice | accessdate = 2008-07-14 }}</ref> ==Cultural impact== ===British music scene=== After being shut out by the [[Brit Pop]] revolution that occurred in the early 1990s when bands like [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], [[Pulp (band)|Pulp]] and [[Blur (band)|Blur]] dominated the charts, pop music found a voice again. The image of the Spice Girls was deliberately aimed at young girls, an audience of formidable size and potential; reinforcing the range of appeal within the target demographic were the bandmates' five distinctive personalities, which encouraged fans to identify with one member or another. This marketing was helped in no small way by the aliases assigned to each member of the group. Shortly after Wannabe’s release, the group appeared in "[[Top of the Pops (magazine)|Top of the Pops]]" magazine where each member was given a nickname based upon their image: Victoria became "Posh Spice", Emma became "Baby Spice," Melanie B was named "Scary Spice", Geri was named "Sexy Spice" (quickly changed to "Ginger Spice" due to issues with the word "sexy" on children's television), and Melanie C became "Sporty Spice".<ref name="nicknames">Halliwell, Geri (1999). ''If Only'', p. 229. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-385-33475-3.</ref> ==="Girl Power"=== The "[[Girl Power]]" slogan was met with mixed reactions. The phrase was a label for the particular facet of feminist empowerment embraced by the band: that a sensual, feminine appearance and equality between the sexes need not be mutually exclusive. This concept was by no means original in the pop world; both [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] and [[Bananarama]] had employed similar outlooks, and the phrase was most likely first coined by Welsh indie band [[Helen Love]] in 1993 and was the title of an album by British pop duo Shampoo in 1995. However, the Spice Girls' version was distinctive. Its message of empowerment appealed to young girls, adolescents and adult women, and it emphasized the importance of strong, loyal friendship among females and created for this the "10 Golden Rules of Girl Power": # Be positive # Be strong # Don't let anyone put you down. # Be in control of your own life and your destiny. # Support your girl friends, # and let them support you, too. # Say what's on your mind. # Approach life with attitude. # Don't let anyone tell you that you can never do something because you're a girl. # Have fun! In all, the focused, consistent presentation of "girl power" formed the centrepiece of their appeal as a band.<ref name="girl power article">BBC News. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/38786.stm Article on the impact of "Girl Power"]. [[The British Broadcasting Corporation]]. December 30, 1997.</ref> Some critics dismissed it as no more than a shallow marketing tactic, while others took issue with the emphasis on physical appearance, concerned about the potential impact on self-conscious and/or impressionable youngsters. Regardless, the phrase became a cultural phenomenon, adopted as the mantra for millions of girls and even making it into the [[Oxford English Dictionary]].<ref name="girl power dictionary">BBC News. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1765706.stm Article on "Girl Power" being added to the Oxford English Dictionary]. [[The British Broadcasting Corporation]]. January 17, 2002.</ref> In summation of the concept, author Ryan Dawson said, "The Spice Girls changed British culture enough for Girl Power to now seem completely unremarkable."<ref name="Spice-Beatles comparison">Dawson, Ryan. [http://web.archive.org/web/20051004034358/http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/rd286/rock/beatlemaniagirlpower.html ''"Beatlemania and Girl Power: An Anatomy of Fame"'']. ''Bigger Than Jesus: Essays On Popular Music''. [[University of Cambridge]]. Archived from [http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/rd286/rock/beatlemaniagirlpower.html original] on October 4, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2007.</ref> ==="Cool Britannia"=== The term "[[Cool Britannia]]" became prominent in the media and represented the new political and social climate that was emerging with the advances made by [[New Labour]] and [[Tony Blair]]. Coming out of a period of 18 years of [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] government, Tony Blair and New Labour were seen as young, cool and very appealing, a main driving force in making Britain look fashionable again. Although by no means responsible for the onset of "Cool Britannia", the arrival of the Spice Girls added to the new image and re-branding of Britain, and underlined the growing world popularity of British, rather than U.S., pop music. This fact was underlined at the [[BRIT Awards]] in 1997. The group won two awards<ref name="brit 1997">Awards. [http://brits.co.uk/shows/1997/ Winners 1997]. [[BRIT Awards]]. Retrieved March 11, 2006.</ref> but it was Geri Halliwell's [[Union Flag]] dress that appeared in media coverage over the world and eventually became a symbol of "Cool Britannia". === Iconic Status === [[Image:Geri times.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Geri in a [[Roberto Cavalli]] '''remake''' of her infamous [[Union Jack]] [[dress]] during the [[The Return of the Spice Girls|Return of the Spice Girls]] tour.]] The [[Union Jack]] [[dress]] Geri wore has acquired something of an iconic status, and sold at a cancer charity auction for £36,000 after interest from a frenzy of bidders.<ref name="sells">BBC News.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/172717.stm Ginger Spice sells out]. [[British Broadcasting Corporation]]. Retrieved November 23, 2007.</ref> The dress was one of many items of Spice Girls memorabilia sold at the auction, where total sales reached £146,511 for charity.<ref name="sells"/> The iconic symbolism of the Spice Girls in the 90s is also down to their merchandising and willingness to be apart of a media driven world. They advertised for many brands and even parodied themselves in the video for the song "Spice Up Your Life" in which the band fly in a space ship surrounded by billboards and adverts featuring them. Because of their regularity being seen in adverts and in the press and media the band solidified themselves as a phenomenon, an icon, of the decade and for British music. The Spice Girls are revered as [[Gay Icons]], especially in the UK. In a survey in which more than 5,000 gays and lesbians from the UK voted, Victoria Beckham placed 12 and Geri Halliwell placed 43 in the Top 50 gay icons of all time.<ref name="Top 50 gay icons">[http://www.femin.co.uk/?PageID=116&NewsID=636 Top 50 gay icons]. femin.co.uk. Retrieved January 17, 2008.</ref> Geri joked at the Video Music Awards in 1998 about her appearance as Ginger Spice: "As you have noted, I am no longer dressed like a drag queen". Emma Bunton, during an interview, explained why the Spice Girls have so many gay fans: "We were really flattered with having such a huge gay fan base because they know about fashion and they know about songs...I'm so flattered that we've got such a huge gay following, it's amazing."<ref name="Emma Bunton Interview">[http://dancemusic.about.com/od/artistshomepages/a/EmmaBuntonInt_3.htm Dance Music / Electronica]. dancemusic.about.com. Retrieved November 17, 2007.</ref> Ten years after the release of their debut single, the Spice Girls were voted the biggest cultural icons of the 1990s by 80% in a UK poll of 1,000 people carried out for the board game ''[[Trivial Pursuit]]'', stating that "[[Girl Power]]" defined the decade.<ref name="cultural icons">[http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16871652&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=spice-of-90s-icons--name_page.html News article about The Spice Girls being voted biggest cultural icons of the 1990s by Trivial Pursuit]. ''[[The Mirror]]''. Retrieved March 28, 2006.</ref> ==Career records and achievements== *The Girls first recording was 7 months from the beginning of their career debut. *Total record sales in the region of 120+ million. As of February 2008, the Spice Girls had certified sales of over 120 million albums and 18.2 million singles:<ref name="spice girls sales"/> *Certified sales of 13 million albums in Europe,<ref name="IFPI 1997"/> 11 million in the US<ref name="RIAA"/> and 2.2 million in Canada.<ref name="CRIA"/> *Total of nine number one singles in the UK - tied with [[ABBA]] behind [[Take That]] (ten), [[The Shadows]] (twelve), [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] (thirteen), [[Westlife]] (fourteen), [[Cliff Richard]] (fourteen), [[Elvis Presley]] (seventeen), and [[The Beatles]] (twenty-one). *Three consecutive Christmas number one singles in the UK for: ("[[2 Become 1]]," 1996; "[[Too Much (Spice Girls song)|Too Much]]," 1997; "[[Goodbye (Spice Girls song)|Goodbye]]," 1998)<ref name="Guinness Christmas"> they share this record only with The Beatles [http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=50853 World Record for Christmas #1 singles]. ''[[Guinness World Records]]''. Retrieved March 12, 2006</ref> *"[[Wannabe (song)|Wannabe]]" is the biggest selling single by an all female group. Sales are in the region of 6 million copies.<ref name="Guinness biggest selling">[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=50904 World Record for biggest selling single by a female group]. ''[[Guinness World Records]]''. Retrieved March 12, 2006</ref> *First (and only) female act to have their first six singles ("[[Wannabe (song)|Wannabe]]", "[[Say You'll Be There]]", "[[2 Become 1]]", "[[Mama (Spice Girls song)|Mama]]/[[Who Do You Think You Are]]", "[[Spice Up Your Life]]" and "[[Too Much (Spice Girls song)|Too Much]]") make number one on the UK charts. (Their run was broken by "[[Stop (Spice Girls song)|Stop]]", which peaked at number two in March 1998.) *The Spice Girls achieved the highest ever annual earnings by an all female group in 1998 with an income of £49 million.<ref name="Guinness income">[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=52295 World Record for highest ever annual earnings by a girl band]. ''[[Guinness World Records]]''. Retrieved March 12, 2006</ref> * ''[[Spice (album)|Spice]]'' is the 18th biggest-selling album of all time in the UK with over 3 million copies sold. It topped the charts for 15 weeks (non-consecutive) the most by a female group in the UK<ref name="everyhit">[http://www.everyhit.com/recordalb.html Chart information database]. Retrieved March 10, 2006</ref> and the biggest-selling album of the all time by a [[girl group]] with sales in excess of 23 millions copies worldwide <ref>[http://www.thespicegirls.com/facts/timeline Worldwide sales for Spice]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6251176.stm BBC Timeline | Sales for Spice]</ref> * Highest international debut on the ''[[Billboard Hot 100]]'' at number five with "Say You'll Be There", (This record still holds to date.) * "Spiceworld" shipped 7 million copies in just two weeks, including 1.4 million in Britain alone - the largest-ever shipment of an album over 14 days.<ref name="HWR shipments">[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=620165 Article confirming record amount of shipments of ''Spiceworld'']. ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''. Retrieved March 14, 2006</ref> *Most Consecutive Top Ten Singles by a female group in the UK (Spice Girls with Ten). This Record has since been broken by fellow UK girl group [[Girls Aloud]], who has 18 and counting. * ''[[Spiceworld: The Movie]]'' broke the record for the highest-ever weekend debut for Super Bowl Weekend ([[January 25]] [[1998]]) in the US, with box office sales of $10,527,222. This record has since been beaten by ''[[The Butterfly Effect]]'' in 2004.<ref name="IMDb opening weekend">[http://www.imdb.com/BusinessThisDay?day=25&month=January Opening weekend box office sales in the US]. The [[Internet Movie Database]]. Retrieved June 25, 2006</ref> * ''[[Spiceworld: The Movie]]'' topped the UK video charts on its first week of release, selling over 55,000 copies on its first day in the shops.<ref name="spiceworld vid">[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=951809 Report on the sale of ''Spiceworld: The Movie's'' video sales in the UK]. [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]. Retrieved March 14, 2006</ref> *Received several [[Spice Girls awards|awards]] including four [[BRIT Awards]], three [[American Music Awards]], three [[MTV Europe Music Awards]], one [[MTV Video Music Awards]] and three [[World Music Awards]]. * 23,000 tickets for Spice Girls reunion shows in London sold out in 38 seconds.<ref name=38seconds/> * On June 3rd, 2008 The Spice Girls won "The Glamour Award" for "Best Band". ==Discography== {{main|Spice Girls discography}} {{see also|List of unreleased Spice Girls songs}} {{col-begin}} {{col-3}} === Albums === * 1996: ''[[Spice (album)|Spice]]'' (#1 UK) * 1997: ''[[Spiceworld (album)|Spiceworld]]'' (#1 UK) * 2000: ''[[Forever (Spice Girls album)|Forever]]'' (#2 UK) * 2007: ''[[Greatest Hits (Spice Girls album)|Greatest Hits]]'' (#2 UK) {{col-3}} === Singles === * 1996: "[[Wannabe (song)|Wannabe]]" (#1 UK) * 1996: "[[Say You'll Be There]]" (#1 UK) * 1996: "[[2 Become 1]]" (#1 UK) * 1997: "[[Mama (Spice Girls song)|Mama]]" (#1 UK) * 1997: "[[Who Do You Think You Are]]" (#1 UK) * 1997: "[[Spice Up Your Life]]" (#1 UK) * 1997: "[[Too Much (Spice Girls song)|Too Much]]" (#1 UK) * 1998: "[[Stop (Spice Girls song)|Stop]]" (#2 UK) * 1998: "[[Viva Forever]]" (#1 UK) * 1998: "[[Goodbye (Spice Girls song)|Goodbye]]" (#1 UK) * 2000: "[[Holler]]" (#1 UK) * 2000: "[[Let Love Lead the Way]]" (#1 UK) * 2007: "[[Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)]]" (#11 UK) {{col-3}} === Tours === *1997: [[Girl Power! Live in Istanbul]] *1998: [[Spiceworld Tour]] *1999: [[Christmas in Spiceworld]] *2007-2008: [[The Return of the Spice Girls]] {{end box}} == See also == *[[Girl Group]] *[[List of best-selling albums worldwide]] *[[List of best-selling music artists]] *[[List of best-selling singles worldwide]] *[[1996 in music]] *[[1996 in British music]] *[[1997 in British music]] *[[1998 in British music]] *[[UK best selling singles artists of all time]] *[[List of number-one albums from the 1990s (UK)]] *[[List of number-one singles from the 1990s (UK)]] *[[List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart]] *[[List of Christmas number one singles (UK)]] *[[Best-selling albums by year (USA)]] *[[List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (United States)]] *[[List of British Females who reached number one on the Hot 100 (United States)]] *[[Hot 100 number-one hits of 1997 (United States)]] *[[List of diamond-certified albums in Canada]] *[[List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart]] *[[List of artists who reached number one in Ireland]] == References == === Citations === {{reflist|2}} === Book references === <div class="references-small"> * Larkin, Colin, ''The Virgin Encyclopaedia of Popular Music'' (4th ed.) (Virgin Books, 2003.) ISBN 1-85227-923-0 * Hardy, Phil, ''The Faber Companion to 20th century Popular Music'' (Faber and Faber, 2001) ISBN 0-571-19608-X * Sinclair, David, '': How the Spice Girls Reinvented Pop Fame'' (Omnibuss Press, 2004) ISBN 0-711-98643-6 </div> == External links == * [http://www.thespicegirls.com Official site] * [http://www.thespicegirlsgreatesthits.com Official Greatest Hits Album Website] * [http://youtube.com/officialspicegirls Official YouTube Channel] {{wikiquote}} {{Commonscat}} {{Spice Girls}} [[Category:Spice Girls| ]] [[Category:1990s music groups]] [[Category:2000s music groups]] [[Category:English dance music groups]] [[Category:English musical groups]] [[Category:English pop music groups]] [[Category:BRIT Award winners]] [[Category:Eurodance groups]] [[Category:Girl groups]] [[Category:Guinness World Record holders]] [[Category:Ivor Novello Award winners]] [[Category:Juno Award winners]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1994]] [[Category:Quintets]] [[Category:Worst Actress Razzie winners]] [[ar:سبايس غيرلز]] [[bg:Спайс Гърлс]] [[ca:Spice Girls]] [[cs:Spice Girls]] [[cy:Spice Girls]] [[da:Spice Girls]] [[de:Spice Girls]] [[et:Spice Girls]] [[es:Spice Girls]] [[fa:اسپایس گرلز]] [[fr:Spice Girls]] [[gl:Spice Girls]] [[ko:스파이스 걸스]] [[hr:Spice Girls]] [[io:Spice Girls]] [[id:Spice Girls]] [[is:Spice Girls]] [[it:Spice Girls]] [[he:ספייס גירלז]] [[ka:სპაის გერლზი]] [[lv:Spice Girls]] [[lt:Spice Girls]] [[ms:Spice Girls]] [[nl:Spice Girls]] [[ja:スパイス・ガールズ]] [[no:Spice Girls]] [[pl:Spice Girls]] [[pt:Spice Girls]] [[ro:Spice Girls]] [[ru:Spice Girls]] [[simple:Spice Girls]] [[sk:Spice Girls]] [[sr:Спајс герлс]] [[fi:Spice Girls]] [[sv:Spice Girls]] [[th:สไปซ์ เกิร์ลส]] [[tr:Spice Girls (grup)]] [[uk:Spice Girls]] [[zh:辣妹合唱團]]