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Every Spice Girls Single, Ranked

It’s been more than 25 years since Spice Girls debuted their hit single, ‘Wannabe’. Here, MTV music contributor Jackson Langford ranks every Spice Girls single ever released.

It feels hard to believe, but the Spice Girls were only together for six years before they broke up for the first time. Yet, as far as pop groups go, they achieved something that only the Beatles did before them, and only BTS have done since: complete and utter world domination.

The stranglehold the Spice Girls had on pop culture in the late 1990s cannot be understated. Emma Bunton, Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisholm demanded attention wherever they went. They were never shy, always mischievous and they went on to be the highest-selling girl group of all time worldwide.

With five unique and distinct personalities (or shall we say, spices?) Scary, Sporty, Baby, Ginger and Posh were funny, relatable and, perhaps most importantly to the industry, profitable. Their ubiquity, driven by both hit songs and relentless marketing, has made them one of those household ’90s acts that continue to have a substantial lasting impact on the culture. Their last reunion tour in 2019 caused such high demand that Ticketmaster crashed, at one point having 700,000 people in the online queue for a single show – the site’s busiest sale to date.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the fan frenzy around the 25th anniversary of the Spice Girls’ debut single “Wannabe” was both loud and nostalgic. The world is looking back on one of pop music’s biggest phenomena, and I’m right there with them. Here’s my ranking of every single the iconic group ever delivered.

13. “Let Love Lead The Way”

A song that is very clearly written about Geri following her departure from the group, “Let Love Lead The Way” is let down by its misuse of the group’s charm. Their appeal came from the fact they had complete disregard for the rules wherever they went, and “Let Love Lead The Way” strips them of that fun entirely.

While the song’s sense of earnestness appears in other ballads the group produced, it doesn’t let them run with it. Other ballads were over-the-top theatrical, or even sly and serene, but this song gives us none of that.

12. “Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)”

Some big Kmart mum energy after a few bevvies on this one. Bless ’em.

11. “Holler”

“Holler” is easily the biggest surprise the Spice Girls ever managed to pull off. While their version of pop always dabbled in influences with other genres, “Holler” is an up-and-down, Americanised, R&B banger.

Is it a good song? Sure. But it feels so far apart from what fans are used to. With “Holler” these very British pop icons seem to me an attempt to reach the heights that were being hit by Destiny’s Child at that point in time. Considering that “Holler” was produced by longtime Destiny’s Child collaborator Darkchild, it might not even be the band’s fault. Ultimately, the new millennium meant Spice Girls had to step aside for up-and-coming talent. Their attempt at a last hurrah is at least somewhat enjoyable.

10. “Mama”

You know what? Pop music needs more shamelessly sappy songs about how much we love our Mums.

9. “Stop”

The Spice Girls didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel with “Stop”, but the bubblegum pop take on Motown and blues is still undeniably joyful, even if the song is written about how the girls were going through very serious burnout thanks to management overworking them. Yikes.

8. “Wannabe”

The song’s dominance on pop culture 25 years after it was released speaks for itself. There’s little more praise to give “Wannabe” that hasn’t already been given. It was a brave debut single choice, and it helped frame the girls as the revolutionary forces they would go on to legitimately become. With those warm keys, that infectious chorus and Mel B’s opening cackle, “Wannabe” is comfort. It’s nostalgia. It’s simplicity and it’s purity.

Here’s my mic drop moment: if we think about it – really think about it – “Wannabe” doesn’t reach the upper echelon of Spice Girls songs. The track may have catapulted the band to stardom, but it was the undeniable strength of some of their follow-up singles that cemented their place as pop culture icons.

7. “Spice Up Your Life”

If you had to sum up the energy of the Spice Girls in one song, you need to look no further than “Spice Up Your Life”. Its claustrophobic use of what feels like every instrument known to humanity teeters on overwhelming, but that’s exactly the type of battle cry you’d expect from the group. Unrelenting, chaotic and almost threatening, “Spice Up Your Life” compromises on nothing – much like the act behind it. Despite all the noise, it’s that dark and moody keyboard – mashed with that never-ending drum line – that cuts through and draws you back in, even after all these years.

Spice Girls posing together on couch white background fun smiling

6. “Viva Forever”

Despite being recorded prior to Geri Halliwell leaving the group, “Viva Forever” was released as a single two months after the iconic five piece became a quartet. The context behind its eventual release changes the meaning of the song entirely.

In case the Aperol-conjuring, Spanish guitar plucks didn’t make it abundantly clear, “Viva Forever” is written about a holiday romance. But, in the wake of Geri’s departure, the song, which was mostly written by Geri, becomes a far more sombre affair.

“Do you still remember how we used to be?/Feeling together, believing whatever” is no longer a sweet reminiscing of flash-in-the-plan love by the beach – it’s a melodramatic longing for normalcy now that one core band member has up and left.

Melancholy lies within “Viva Forever”, and once you spot it, you can’t unhear it.

5. “Too Much”

Backed with that delicate Spanish guitar that is present throughout much of the band’s discography, “Too Much” leaves a lasting impression thanks to its doo-wop skeleton and that chocolate-rich brass. Luxe strings swell as the girls sway from side to side, engaging in sophisticated harmonies that feel like a far cry from their rowdy beginning.

But the song’s shining moment, as is the case all too-often in Spice Girls songs, is Mel C’s punchy and climactic bridge. “What part of no don’t you understand/I want a man, not a boy who thinks he can” is an unforgettable moment in the Spice Girls lexicon.

4. “Goodbye”

If “Viva Forever” was a melodramatic longing for Geri Halliwell to come back, “Goodbye” is a tear-drowned acceptance that she’s gone. There’s no point in trying to blur what the song is about; it’s very clear. So, instead of shying away from it, they lean into the dramatics with full force and intent.

Lyrics like “Look for the rainbow in every storm/Fly like an angel heaven sent to me” are pretty intense for a song that is obviously about Geri leaving the group – before Zayn and Camila, there was Geri – but considering the Spice Girls would dissolve soon after, maybe the group are leaning on bigger feelings, too.

Geri or no Geri, the remaining four members still pull it out of the bag and deliver a ballad carried by its conviction. Take all that with the fact that “Goodbye” was the group’s last hit, it feels eerily prophetic. It was time for them to relinquish their stronghold on the world, and they did so with grace, hand-in-hand.

3. “Who Do You Think You Are?”

It’s hard to fully grasp the layered genius that is “Who Do You Think You Are?”, a totally meta examination of the Spice Girls’ career at one point in time. Released at the height of their fame, “Who Do You Think You Are?” is at once a celebration of their success and an unapologetic takedown of the overinflated egos that plague the music industry. Part of the appeal of the Spice Girls was their consistent refusal to play the role of the perfect pop stars, and “Who Do You Think You Are?” parodies the higher ups that enforce those arbitrary, unwritten rules of stardom.

The race is on to get out of the bottom/The top is high so your roots are forgotten” is almost too perfect of an allegory for fame culture and how it’s manifested itself in the years since this song’s release. Influencers. TV talent shows. We’re confronted by ‘get-famous-quick’ schemes at every turn. Maybe the Spice Girls aren’t in the best position to condemn the phenomena of fame, but those thunderous horns and that rapid-fire chorus will have you dancing either way.

2. “2 Become 1”

The Spice Girls really carved their own lane in pop music  – one that’s vivid, fun, energetic and, a lot of the time, kid-friendly. Naturally, dropping a sultry, string-led ballad about safe sex might not have seemed the obvious move, but it’s one the band did so well.

In 2021, our idea of what makes a ballad has been warped by the powerhouse vocals of acts like Adele and Sam Smith. With the exception of maybe Mel C, none of the Spice Girls have that sort of voice, but that doesn’t make “2 Become 1” any less impactful. Their voices cruise along a silky melody, arranged to be both powerful yet subtle. Sa safe sex didn’t sound cool before, it did once “2 Become 1” became a part of the pop pantheon.

1. "Say You'll Be There"

The dreaded second single after gargantuan success on a debut release can come with so much pressure. Some crumble with the gravity of it all. This is the position that the new pop group  Spice Girls found themselves in after “Wannabe”. Except “Wannabe” wasn’t just a gargantuan success – it’s the highest selling single by a girl group ever, and has been dubbed the most recognisable song of the past 60 years.

To expect anyone to successfully follow something like that would seem like a set up for guaranteed failure. For the Spice Girls to do it with a song as considered, immaculate and electrifying as “Say You’ll Be There” is nothing short of miraculous.

From the second that beats smacks you in the face, the Spice Girls have you hooked. The mosquito-like synth whirls around you before an unwavering bassline struts its way along the song’s confidence-drenched verses. Occasional strings flutter around the girls’ vocal arrangement before a harmonica breakdown that, on any other song, would be tacky.

Baby, Sporty, Ginger, Posh and Scary aren’t begging for affection. If you can’t give them what they need – which is minor in comparison to what they’re giving you – you gotta go. No exceptions.

The Spice Girls’ ‘take no prisoners’ approach to pop music is well documented – just look at this list – but never is it better exemplified than on “Say You’ll Be There”. It’s fiery yet vulnerable, assertive yet comforting. They’re not too proud to admit their love, but they aren’t going to accept anything less than what they’re worth. “Say You’ll Be There” is an anthem of strength and solidarity. It’s the apotheosis of a band’s legacy that has since become the stuff of legend.

It’s that legacy that solidifies it: for decades to come, the Spice Girls will have millions that will always be there.

This is an opinion piece written by Jackson Langford, music contributor at MTV Australia. Hot takes at @jacksonlangford and hotter pics at @jacksonlangford.

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