Emma Bunton – Maybe
‘Maybe’ is one of the most absurdly brilliant tracks Emma Bunton ever recorded. Well, it was inspired by ’70s German porn after all.
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Troy and Gabriella – Gotta Go My Own Way
As a show tune, ‘Gotta Go My Own Way’ might not be that convincing. But as a mid-tempo pop song, it’s phenomenal.
Supersister – Coffee
Forget the quaint British tradition of tea-drinking. Supersister’s debut single was a celebration of coffee…and sex.
Clea – Download It
‘Download It’ saw Clea break out from the towering shadow of Girls Aloud with a sultry slow-jam about…well, you can probably guess.
Kéllé Bryan – Higher Than Heaven
Kéllé Bryan’s debut solo single ‘Higher Than Heaven’ saw her bring a slice of uplifting gospel-pop to the charts.
H & Claire – Half A Heart
‘Half A Heart’ saw H & Claire take a swift change of direction for their second single as a newly-formed duo.
Kylie Minogue – Chocolate
With sensual production, subtle hooks and an avante-garde music video, ‘Chocolate’ was more suited to an art gallery than the charts.
Liberty X – X
After a rocky year on the charts, the release of ‘X’ was intended to re-launch Liberty X and return them to chart-topping dominance. Alas…
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.
Louise – Naked
Every so often comes a song that re-defines the trajectory of a pop act. ‘Naked’ didn’t just save Louise’s career. It made her career.
Lisa Scott-Lee – Lately
When Lisa Scott-Lee stepped back into the spotlight with her debut single ‘Lately’, it looked for a moment like she might well have the last laugh.
Geri Halliwell – Look At Me
‘Look At Me’ saw Geri Halliwell face her demons head-on as she launched her solo career a year after leaving the Spice Girls.
The Cheeky Girls – Take Your Shoes Off
‘Take Your Shoes Off’ established Margaret Irimia as one of the most important songwriters of the early ’00s…for The Cheeky Girls, at least.
Britney Spears – Oops!…I Did It Again
‘Oops!…I Did It Again’ launched Britney Spears’ second album. And it turned out to be one of the most meta-pop moments of all-time.
S Club Juniors – One Step Closer
S Club Juniors were perhaps the ultimate experiment in turn-of-the-century contingency planning as ‘One Step Closer’ sought to safeguard the S Club brand.
Mandy Moore – Candy
Mandy Moore’s debut single ‘Candy’ was arguably the truest and most unapologetic representation of the ’90s bubblegum pop sound.
Madonna – American Life
‘American Life’ launched an infamous period of Madonna’s career, and was as confronting, challenging and unintentionally amusing as a lead single could be.
D-Side – Speechless
Things were looking bleak for pop groups in the early ’00s, but D-Side arrived with ‘Speechless’ and attempted to kick-start a new wave of boybands.
Robyn – Show Me Love
‘Show Me Love’ is a fascinating collaboration between two huge names in pop music who crossed paths while heading in drastically different directions.
Westlife – World Of Our Own
‘World Of Our Own’ was the perfect summation for this era of Westlife’s career as they broke free of the balladry that once defined them.
Aqua – Cartoon Heroes
Long before Robert Downey Jr. donned his Iron Man suit, Aqua released ‘Cartoon Heroes’ and brought several comic book icons to the mainstream.