Top 10 Girl Groups of All Time

They were the best groups comprised solely of women that ever existed. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 girl groups of all time.

For this list, we’ve chosen our entries based on the fact that all members had to be female, whether or not they play instruments, and on a mixture of their popularity, how iconic they are and their success.

With songs like “Cruel Summer” charting in countries all over the world, including America, the UK, Germany and several other countries, it’s no mystery why this group made a mark in music history. Reaching its zenith in the eighties, Bananarama was a key group in the craze that was the second coming of the British Invasion that took place during that time. As the all-female group with the most chart entries in the world, they’ve continued to have success to this day, with their 2009 album charting in the UK.

These three women, Salt, Pepa and DJ Spinderella managed to take one of the most male-dominated musical genres by storm in the late ‘80s and ‘90s. Winning a Grammy and several MTV Video Music Awards as well recording three platinum selling albums in America, these immensely talented women have never skirted issues or pulled punches. With songs like “Push It” and “Let’s Talk About Sex” charting worldwide despite their controversial subject matter, they have already gone down in music history.

When Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis of All Saints lost their record deal and their bandmate walked away, they needed to regroup and move on. So they added sisters Natalie and Nicole Appleton, and everything seemed to click; soon, All Saints became international stars. Their debut single, “I Know Where It’s At” charted in in the UK as well as in Canada, America, Germany and several other countries. It’s impossible to argue with success like that, which makes them a shoo-in for our list.

What do you get when you combine gorgeous women, insane vocal ability and strong lyrical content? One of the best girl groups of all time, of course. As evidenced by the socially relevant 1992 song “Free Your Mind” and its award winning music video, En Vogue has shown they have the musical chops to turn heads no matter what era they debuted in. After recording three different platinum selling albums and winning a host of awards including American Music Awards, MTV Video Music awards and others, these women had to make our list.

It’s hard to argue that this musical trio isn’t one of the most controversial groups on our list, but as they say controversy creates cash and these three ladies are rolling in it. Intensely loyal to one another, the things this musical act has accomplished are amazing no matter their gender. With four multi-platinum albums in America, Australia and Canada and even a documentary focusing on the controversy they’ve amassed, the Dixie Chicks are obviously a force to be reckoned with.

For a group that only stayed together for a mere four years, the legacy and accomplishments these rebels left behind is absolutely daunting. Initially formed with the legendary Joan Jett and Sandy West, who then added Lita Ford and Cherie Currie to the group, the ingredients wereall there to take their place in history. Perhaps best remembered for the pop culture staple “Cherry Bomb”, The Runaways even managed to have their band story turned into a film in 2010. They may not have charted as strongly as other bands on this list, but their legacy made them a necessary presence on it.

If you took the vocal skills of En Vogue and combined it with the hip hop elements of Salt-N-Pepa, you may just get the crossover success of TLC. If it weren’t for the unfortunate passing of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, there is no telling how much more success they could have achieved. Despite her untimely death, TLC managed to have have every single studio album they released go platinum, a feat that few groups have ever achieved; this girl group wasn’t only successful, but they’ve had a truly impressive career.

The spiritual successor to many of the other groups on this list, Beyoncé and her cohorts are most likely the group that comes to mind when modern minds think of the girl group. Winning more awards than the amount of former group members they have, listing off all of this act’s achievements would certainly make this video the longest we’ve ever put out. Suffice it to say, Destiny’s Child’s track record of success would impress even their most avid haters.

The level of fame and sales the Spice Girls were managing at the height of their popularity has been routinely compared to that of The Beatles. We could stop talking about them right there and we absolutely would have made a strong argument for their girl power to have taken the top slot on our list, but that position is reserved for another girl group. Regardless, the Spice Girls’ three studio albums have allbeen certified platinum multiple times, and they even have a film that made back more than three times its budget. Incredible.

Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

- Pussycat Dolls

- The Bangles

- The Pointer Sisters

- The Go-Go’s

- Girls Generation

Anchored by Diana Ross, one of the most sophisticated performers of all time, The Supremes were widely regarded as Motown’s seminal group during the sixties. Leading the way for other legendary artists of the time such as The Jackson 5, The Supremes managed to stand out amongst them all. Inspiring also many later all-girl and minority acts, they had 27 albums chart in either America, the UK or both. Their stature and place in the annals of pop culture history are undeniable and warrant their place at the top of our list.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your girl group? For more music Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com