Girl groups are to gay men what peanut butter is to jelly: they just fit. Many of us grew up idolizing the songs they created, no matter what the genre or background of them was.
Whether they be a trio, a quartet or more, these girl groups have captivated us with their signature fashion styles, fantastic beats, great vocals and a bevy of other factoids that lead many of them to this list.
What are the 10 best girl group songs of all time? Are you more of a major throwback kind of person with The Supremes and Labelle? Is it 90’s all the way with TLC and Spice Girls? Or are you all over the place with your girl group love?
Take a look at the ten songs (in no particular order) that made our list in the world of all things girl groups.
The Supremes: “Baby Love”. Diana Ross and co. were really the ones that got the girl group phenomenon started over 50 years ago with this classic gem that we still bop our heads to all these years later.
Labelle: “Lady Marmalade”. The most well-known song from this 70’s girl group was also the naughtiest on this list, as Patti Labelle flat out asks if someone wants to sleep with her tonight. It was later remade for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack in 2001 by Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink, Lil Kim and Missy Elliott. Their version won several awards, including Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards.
The Go-Go’s: “Our Lips Are Sealed”. The most successful all-female rock band of all time… and rightfully so. The group’s debut single is still considered by many as their signature song, as the varying vocals of Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin mixed with all the other goodness that this girl group put into this song is nothing short of pop perfection.
The Bangles: “Walk Like an Egyptian”. Can you believe this was the third single they released from their album Different Light and not the first? Madness! The infectious “Oh Whey Oh” part of the song was just one of the many delicious toppings that helped turn it into an international smash. It became so successful that Billboard listed it as the number one track of 1987. Nice.
En Vogue: “Free Your Mind”. The “Funky Divas” gave us something we could “feel” with this 1992 hit that went beyond working it on the dance floor. It attacked prejudice in many forms head on while the song went for a much harder edge compared to the other hits that this legendary girl group released up to that point.
TLC: “Waterfalls”. Similar to “Free Your Mind”, “Waterfalls” was a socially-conscious track that dealt with many different issues including drugs, promiscuity and AIDS. The late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes verse on this is one that needs to be listened to over and over again on a song that could also be placed in the top 10 of the best hits of the 90’s overall.
Spice Girls: “Wannabe”. You could not escape this song in the late 90’s… and for good reason. Spice Girls were everywhere, and their debut track (which hit number one in several countries) still remains their biggest… and quite possibly their best.
Atomic Kitten: “Whole Again”. A random pick perhaps, however this popular British girl group went into pop ubiquity after it was released. It shot to number one on the UK charts and is still one of the biggest selling girl group songs of all time. Such a simple and fun song to listen to.
Destiny’s Child: “Say My Name”. This track was the first to feature new members Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams (video only) even though it was sung by the ones who were either fired or quit (LaTavia Robertson and LeToya Luckett). The start-stop rhythm of this hit mixed with a great message to it became one of DC’s signature songs, and sort of helped Beyonce become, well… BEYONCE.
Danity Kane: “Damaged”. One of Puffy’s two girl group protégé’s (outside of Dream), Danity Kane hit the charts with this club-thumping track that remains one of the best to come out in the 2000 decade.
Do you agree with this list? Any you would like to add?
This was created by one of our Contributing Writers and does not reflect the opinion of Instinct Magazine or the other Contributing Writers when it comes to this subject.
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