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The 10 best Spice Girls songs – ranked

As their massive reunion tour kicks off in the UK, we look at the greatest songs in the Spice Girls canon, from 'Who Do You Think You Are' to 'Viva Forever'

Roisin O'Connor

Music Correspondent

Saturday 25 May 2019 08:49 BST

(PA Archive/PA Images)

The Spice Girls reunion tour has officially begun, meaning fans have never had a better excuse to blast "Wannabe" for the next few months.

The group continue to be significant not just for fans, but for new generations of pop artists who take inspiration from them.

They had immeasurable importance for young girls growing up in the Nineties, and they gave millions of impressionable young fans their first taste of feminism, or in Spice terms, Girl Power.

They were brash and unapologetic, and many of their songs contained genuinely empowering messages about friendship and sisterhood.

As the group (minus Posh Spice) reunite for a massive tour in the UK, we look at the 10 best Spice Girls songs that have stood the test of time (just about).

From “2 Become 1” to “Viva Forever”, here are the 10 best Spice Girls songs, ranked:

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

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1/10The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

10) 'Baby Come Round'

This retro R&B track doesn’t boast the same slick production of some of the more popular Spice Girls songs, but that’s part of the appeal. It could do without Mel B’s rapping, but you can’t have everything.

PA Archive/PA Images

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

9) 'Love Thing

It’s odd that this wasn’t released as a single, because it’s one of the best in the Spice Girls canon: catchy, slickly produced, and with some of the best harmonies the group had to offer.

PA Archive/PA Images

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

8) 'Walk of Life'

Did the Spice Girls pull off a reggae track? Kind of (barely), because it’s a lyrical tribute to “straight-talking London town”, which suited the group just fine.

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The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

7) 'Spice Up Your Life'

The vivacity of these five young women is arguably only more forceful on “Wannabe”. “Spice Up Your Life” was clumsy in its approach as “a song for the world”, with Latin influences and a Bollywood-inspired video, but the energy of the song is what makes it – the result of the five members recording the track in one chaotic afternoon.

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

6) '2 Become 1'

Despite the rather bizarre safe-sex disclaimer (“Be a little wiser, baby/ Put it on, put it on”), “2 Become 1” boasts a beautifully textured arrangement and unpolished vocals that capture the group’s unique character.

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

5) 'Viva Forever'

On Spiceworld, “Viva Forever” was a surprisingly moving ballad that reflected on a past love. With the context of Baby Spice (Geri Halliwell) departing from the group with little-to-no warning for fans, many now use it as a fond reflection on what the Spice Girls contributed to pop culture. Those flamenco guitars and heady summer vibes only add to the sense that, however fleeting that time was, certain memories stay with us forever.

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

4) 'Who Do You Think You Are'

This disco-infused number should sound more dated than it actually does. “Who Do You Think You Are” is the Spice Girls at the height of their pop powers; a slick, infectious and superbly produced jam with that brass punching through.

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

3) 'Say You'll Be There'

Mel C gets the spotlight on this funk-influenced number, which was written during the same session as “Love Thing” and features an excellent harmonica solo from Judd Lander. It was their second number one single in the UK – released just as the popularity of “Wannabe” was beginning to wane – and also a top five song in the US.

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

2) 'Stop'

The Spice Girls cribbed a number of musical influences for their catalogue, but Motown is one that really shouldn’t have worked. “Stop”, however, is an uplifting song telling a significant other to slow down and just enjoy the ride, bolstered by a fantastic brass section and a jubilant bass line.

Alamy

The 10 best Spice Girls songs - ranked

1) 'Wannabe'

A war cry that heralded the dawn of the Girl Power movement, and one of the most enduring pop songs of all time. “Wannabe” is the catchiest of all the Spice Girls songs, and through those defiant, half-laughing spoken word moments you understand why so many fans were desperate to be part of the gang. Spice Girls told a generation of young girls that friends are more important than boys.

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