Top 10 Best Forgotten Girl Groups
#10: Nobody’s Angel
Kicking off our list is a group whose name you may or may not immediately recognize. But their dance-y pop sound on girl-powered movie soundtracks is hard to miss. Underscoring movies from the late 90s and early 2000s, such as “The Princess Diaries” and “The Parent Trap”, seemed to be a niche for this group. And for the time they were together, they were quite good at it. They even guest starred on an episode of “Boy Meets World” and in the TV movie, “Model Behavior.” Though they were only together for a short time, their music will always ring out when we’re feeling nostalgic.
#9: Sugababes
Like so many girl groups, Sugababes lost members along the way.They stand out from the pack however, in the fact that they slowly lost all of their members and replaced them one by one. And oddly, the group gained more and more commercial success as it traded out each member, their last album having had six UK chart-topping singles. Only the Spice Girls have done better! Don’t worry about the original members of the group though; they came together and made a group of their own, Mutya Keisha Siobhan, or MKS for short.
#8: M2M
This duo started making music together when they were preteens. Marit Larsen and Marion Raven were first known as Marion & Marit in their native country of Norway. But after signing a record deal with Atlantic Records, they changed their name to M2M and went on to release their most well known song to date in “Don’t Say You Love Me.” However, after their second album, the two sadly went their separate ways. Larsen later attributed this to the pair’s progressively differing tastes, stating that she “wanted to make really good pop music and Marion wanted to go rock,”. And that’s exactly what they did, putting out some pretty catchy solo work.
#7: Blaque
Who could forget the magic that was TLC and the tragic loss of Left Eye? Well, before she died, Left Eye found similar magic in this group, which she produced. Right from the start, Blaque proved themselves a force to reckoned with; their debut album went platinum and they were named the 1999 Billboard 4th Best New Artist of that year. The following year they guest starred as Gabrielle Union’s back up in the fun and funny romcom, “Bring It On.” Unfortunately, just like TLC, they suffered from the tragic loss of a member. In 2012, Natina Reed died in a car accident, just as they were attempting a 2012 comeback.
#6: B*Witched
The story of B*Witched is a bit of a sad one. The Irish quartet were first brought together by a sisterly bond between two of its members and a love of singing. In 1997, they hit the international stage with hit single after slam hit single. However, for reasons unknown, after recording their third album, their record company decided not only to not release the record... but to drop the band altogether. Since 2012 though, the group has been making a slow comeback, going on tour with other underrated pop groups and releasing an EP.
#5: Play
This Swedish group lost members and replaced them a few times over the years that they were active. Each version of the group put out some catchy earworms, such as “Us Against the World” from their first album and “Famous” from their latest. The music was appreciated by many, the world over, breaking the top 20 on a few charts with their debut single and opening for A-listers like Destiny’s Child. Due to in-fighting though, in 2011, the group went their separate ways for reasons unknown to the public, and were allegedly no longer on speaking terms. It’s a shame we won’t ever get to press ‘play’ on their new EP.
#4: All Saints
Another UK-based group that give The Spice Girls a run for their money, All Saints’ single, “Never Ever,” is only seconded in that part of Europe (in terms of sales) by “Wannabe.” And we can easily hear why. You try not tapping your toes to those silky vocals paired with that rhythmic bass. Though their other singles did not do nearly as well, they still know how to sing a catchy tune. And despite two hiatuses in their still quietly thriving career, the girls clearly never lost a beat.
#3: 3LW
Saved by the fans. Briefly... at least. Three Little Women, or as they were better known, 3LW, quickly rose to fame with their debut single, “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)”, and would have dropped just as quickly had it not been for their adoring public. In the lead up to their second album, rumors began to circulate that their label was going to drop them, but a fan campaign forced Epic Records to reconsider. Sadly though, one member would soon leave the group and the other two would eventually join Disney’s The Cheetah Girls, and so their final album was never released.
#2: Eden’s Crush
Let us take you back to a time before competition shows like “American Idol” and “The Voice” were on every TV channel. The early 2000s. A time when a show called “Popstars” came into our living rooms by way of The WB. This competition show sorted through hundreds and hundreds of hopefuls, cutting them down to the group of five that would become Eden’s Crush. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. After only one album, and with their debut single topping charts, their record company closed down and the band broke up. Fret not though; group member, Nicole Scherzinger, went on to form The Pussycat Dolls.
Before we remember all the lyrics for our final pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
702
Cherish
En Vogue
#1: Dream
In 1998, Sean Combs’ record label, Bad Boy Records signed a girl group that would come to be known around the world as Dream. The group of four teens was hand-picked by a talent scout, and they quickly rose to international fame. Their songs about the darker side of love - underscored with upbeat tunes - spoke to the masses. Their singles, “Loves U Not” and “This is Me,” took top spots on several charts. However, the band soon lost traction on the charts, and in 2003, they were dropped from Bad Boy. Nonetheless, when one of their songs comes on, you’re sure to remember the melody, and their lyrics are just as relevant today.
