The Spice Girls formed in 1994 as a group of five - Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Geri Horner née Halliwell and Victoria Beckham née Adams. They were immediately given the nicknames Scary, Sporty, Baby, Ginger and Posh Spice, and quickly made their mark on pop charts all around the globe.
Geri, Mel B, Emma and Melanie C - the girls who gave us 'Never Give Up On The Good Times’, ‘Say You’ll Be There’ and many more hits - will be celebratingthe 25th anniversary of their debut single 'Wannabe' this year, a song that definitely soundtracked a generation of Girl Power.
Released in July 1996, ‘Wannabe’ became the best-selling single by a girl group in the world, with 7 million copies sold worldwide by the end of 1997.
The band have announced a brand-new limited edition EP called ‘Wannabe25’.
‘Wannabe25’ will feature three different versions of the original single, including a previously unheard demo of the track and a remix by Junior Vasquez.
In October 2021, to celebrate 25 years since the release of their debut album, Spice, the girls released a deluxe edition of the album featuring bonus tracks, b-sides and previously unheard recordings. Curated by the band, 'Spice25' was released as a 2CD set inside an A5 hardback book.
The Spice Girls enjoyed massive success in the UK and around the world, they had numerous Number 1s including three Christmas Number 1s, a film and world tours. Now take a look at the Spice Girls in numbers...
WATCH: The Spice Girls in numbers
We're taking a look at the super group from their beginnings over 20 years ago (if you can possibly believe that), to their reunion earlier this year. Their dubious hairstyles, multiple BRIT Awards and endless Top 10 singles which will go down in history. What a time it's been for Mel B, Mel C, Emma, Geri and Victoria!
Check out Spice Girls through the years:
Spice Girls through the years (stacked)
1 of 21Spice Girls
The Spice Girls formed in 1994 after replying to an advert posted in a trade magazine looking for singers and dancers.
2 of 21'Wannabe'
In 1996, the Spice Girls released their debut single 'Wannabe' which reached Number 1 in the UK and was certified 2x Platinum in the UK.
3 of 21'Spice'
In November 1996, the debut album from the Spice Girls 'Spice' was released. It went to Number 1 around the world and was certified 10× Platinum in the UK.
4 of 21'2 become 1'
'2 Become 1' was the Spice Girls' first Christmas Number 1. Moving away from their upbeat pop, '2 Become 1' was a slow pop ballad, which sold over 1,200,000 copies, certifying it 2x Platinum in the UK.
5 of 21Geri Halliwell's iconic Union Jack dress
The Spice Girls gave an iconic performance at the BRIT Awards in 1997, singing 'Who Do You Think You Are' - also known as when Geri Halliwell wore THAT Union Jack dress which is influential to this day.
6 of 21Spice Girls won multiple BRIT Awards
Over the years, the Spice Girls have won multiple BRIT Awards including Best British Single for 'Wannabe' and Best British Video for 'Say You'll Be There' in 1997. They also picked up, the Outstanding Contribution Award in 2000.
7 of 21'Spiceworld' (album)
'Spiceworld' was the Spice Girls' second studio album to be released in 1997. As before, it was incredibly popular and went to Number 1 around the world, selling over 1.5 million copies in the UK.
8 of 21Spice World (film)
In 1997, Spice World the film was released. The girls promoted their film at the annual Cannes film festival held in the South of France.The film starred all five members of the group along with Richard E. Grant, Claire Rushbrook, Naoko Mori, Meat Loaf, Barry Humphries, and Alan Cumming.
9 of 21'Too Much'
'Too Much' became the Spice Girls' second Christmas Number 1 in the UK. The girls' fifth single went Platinum, selling 682,000 copies and stayed at the top for two weeks.
10 of 21Geri left the Spice Girls
In May 1997, Geri left the Spice Girls. In a statement released through her solicitor, she said, "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."
11 of 21'Goodbye'
'Goodbye' was the group's third consecutive Christmas Number 1, this time as a quartet. The girls became the first act to have three consecutive Christmas Number 1s since The Beatles in 1965.
12 of 21Spiceworld Tour
The Spice Girls took to the road on their 'Spiceworld' Tour. Starting in Ireland and the UK with Geri, in February 1998, they continued after she left at the end of May, to mainland Europe and the USA.
13 of 21Christmas in Spiceworld Tour
This eight-day tour saw the Spice Girls (without Geri) perform in Manchester and London in December 1999.
14 of 21'Forever' (album)
The Spice Girls' third and - as yet - final studio album 'Forever' was released in 2000 and spawned singles 'Goodbye' and the double A-side 'Holler'/'Let Love Lead the Way'.
15 of 21The Return of the Spice Girls tour
In 2007, the Spice Girls reunited as a group of five, and went on their 'The Return of the Spice Girls' tour. They performed across the UK, mainland Europe and the USA.
16 of 21Spice Girls perform at the Olympics
The Spice Girls reunited once again in 2012 for the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Their spectacular performance saw them standing on top to black cabs whilst they were singing.
17 of 21GEM - mini reunion
In 2016, on the 20th anniversary of 'Wannabe', Emma, Mel B and Geri had a mini-reunion. They posted a video saying they would be back under a different name - GEM (named after their collective initials). Despite this video, nothing was released.
18 of 21Spice Girls reunite in 2018
In 2018, Spice Girls fans all over the world went wild when it was confirmed that all five of the Spice Girls had met up at Geri's house, along with their former manager Simon Fuller.Since the initial meeting back in February there have been continued rumours that we could see a full reunion.
19 of 212019 tour
Off the back of their reunion on 2018, the Spice Girls - minus Posh Spice - embarked on a nationwide tour sell-out performing all of of their greatest hits.
20 of 212020 pandemic
In the 2020 global coronavirus pandemic, the girls tried their best to unite fans on social media and posted endless throwback videos of better times.
21 of 21Celebrating 25 years
In October 2021, to celebrate 25 years since the release of their debut album, Spice, the girls released a deluxe edition of the album featuring bonus tracks, b-sides and previously unheard recordings. Curated by the band, 'Spice25' was released as a 2CD set inside an A5 hardback book.