Britney Spears – Womanizer
‘Womanizer’ aimed to put Britney Spears back at the top of the charts after a tumultuous year. And it did…but at what price?
chart run
Spice Girls – 2 Become 1
The Spice Girls being Christmas #1 in 1996 was a given, but there’s a reason why ‘2 Become 1’ is their biggest-selling, best-known ballad.
Sugababes – Ugly
‘Ugly’ proved the Sugababes were taller in more ways and stronger than ever…until everything changed a few weeks after it was released.
Kylie Minogue – Please Stay
‘Please Stay’ was the fourth – and final – single from ‘Light Years’ in the UK…but it came at the expense of a fan-favourite.
Cher – The Music’s No Good Without You
‘The Music’s No Good Without You’ is a beautiful, melancholic masterpiece, even if it was always destined to exist in the shadow of ‘Believe’.
Avril Lavigne – Sk8er Boi
If everything Avril Lavigne represented with her debut album could be syphoned down into a single song, ‘Sk8er Boi’ would probably be it.
Steps – Heartbeat
With Christmas fast approaching, ’90s pop music tradition dictated that it was finally time for Steps to release a ballad.
Spice Girls – Wannabe
In just under three minutes, the Spice Girls changed the face of pop music forever with their debut single.
Savage Garden – Crash and Burn
At first glance, ‘Crash and Burn’ is another polished ballad from Savage Garden. But there’s a really important message behind this one.
LeAnn Rimes – How Do I Live
‘How Do I Live’ saw LeAnn Rimes enter into an epic chart battle with…another artist singing exactly the same song?!
Nelly Furtado – Say It Right
As a new era for the charts dawned, ‘Say It Right’ was every inch the look and sound of a global superstar at the height of her powers.
Melanie B – I Want You Back (Feat. Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott)
‘I Want You Back’ was a watershed moment for the Spice Girls as Melanie B became the first to break rank and release a solo single.
Kylie Minogue – On A Night Like This
‘On A Night Like This’ was a pivotal release for Kylie Minogue, confirming her triumphant comeback was so much more than a gimmick.
*NSYNC – It’s Gonna Be Me
‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ siphoned the essence of *NSYNC’s ‘No Strings Attached album’ down into an immense three-and-a-half-minute pop package.
Emma Bunton – Take My Breath Away
‘Take My Breath Away’ is one of Emma Bunton’s biggest hits, which makes it all the more surprising that it’s so often overlooked.
Geri Halliwell – Scream If You Wanna Go Faster
While not strictly the lead single, ‘Scream If You Wanna Go Faster’ felt a proper introduction to Geri Halliwell’s second album.
Kate Winslet – What If
Kate Winslet might be a one-hit-wonder, but that was entirely her own choice because ‘What If’ is an epic debut single.
Britney Spears – I’m A Slave 4 U
From the opening beats of ‘I’m A Slave 4 U’, it became evident that Britney Spears’ career was about to change forever.
Melanie C – I Turn To You
With the newly-remixed ‘I Turn To You’, Melanie C set her sights on conquering the clubs with a single that was so on-trend, it couldn’t possibly fail.
Steps – You’ll Be Sorry
‘You’ll Be Sorry’ saw Steps hit back with a massive ‘f**k you’ (and a brilliant B-side) after years on the receiving end of heartbreak.
Aqua – Around The World
With the muted response to their second album, ‘Around The World’ felt like a deliberate attempt to distance Aqua from themselves.