Britney Spears – Overprotected
‘Overprotected’ marked Britney Spears’ first true emancipation from her girl-next-door persona as she rejected many of the values she’d previously embodied.
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Boom! – Falling
With ‘Falling’, Boom! sought to put a slightly cooler spin on the Steps / S Club 7 formula before either group had the chance to do it themselves.
Stacie Orrico – I Promise
With ‘I Promise’, Stacie Orrico boldly sacrificed commercial success in order to satisfy fans of gloopy pop ballads everywhere (except America).
Jordin Sparks – One Step At A Time
‘One Step At A Time’ was the third single from Jordin Sparks’ debut album and a textbook example of a good song that was elevated by a great singer.
Steps – Say You’ll Be Mine
‘Say You’ll Be Mine’ is a significant – yet oft-overlooked – curio from Steps, as their first single to feature every member of the group on lead vocals.
Holly Valance – Naughty Girl
Holly Valance wasn’t afraid to shock. But the biggest surprise with ‘Naughty Girl’ is that it is so much more than a titillating piece of pop fluff.
Eternal – I Am Blessed
‘I Am Blessed’ is – quite simply – one of the best songs Eternal released, delivering a performance easily as good as any by their American counterparts.
Lolly – Big Boys Don’t Cry
But few would have anticipated that Lolly’s festive single ‘Big Boys Don’t Cry’ would transpire to be one of the most chillingly haunting songs of the ‘90s.
Five – Until The Time Is Through
They might have been pop’s biggest rebels in the late ’90s, but even Five didn’t defy convention as they released a slushy ballad just in time for Christmas.
a1 – Everytime
‘Everytime’ set the stage nicely for a1’s debut album, showcasing some credible musicianship behind the boyband fodder façade.
Geri Halliwell – Lift Me Up
You could never call Geri Halliwell a run-of-the-mill pop star and ‘Lift Me Up’ presented her with some rather unique challenges.
O-Town – We Fit Together
O-Town’s third single ‘We Fit Together’ was also the soundtrack to a movie featuring Eddie Murphy trying to convince two bears to mate. As you do…
S Club Juniors – New Direction
With ‘New Direction’, the S Club Juniors steamed ahead of their seniors in spectacular fashion. But that wasn’t part of the plan…was it?
Adam Rickitt – Everything My Heart Desires
Adam Rickitt’s second single ‘Everything My Heart Desires’ marked a significant moment in the Special Relationship between the UK and USA.
Holly Valance – Down Boy
Even if she didn’t necessarily want to be a singer, what rapidly became clear with ‘Down Boy’ was that Holly Valance was a bloody good pop star, regardless.
Steps – Chain Reaction
‘Chain Reaction’ took all the core Steps elements and shoved a rocket up their arse, resulting in one of the group’s most brilliant – and bonkers – moments.
Backstreet Boys – As Long As You Love Me
‘As Long As You Love Me’ is as perfect an example of ‘90s pop music as you could hope to hear in three-and-a-half minutes.
S Club 7 – S Club Party
For their second single, S Club 7 went on an all-out offensive to firmly establish their brand identity with the brilliant ‘S Club Party’.
Victoria Beckham – Not Such An Innocent Girl
‘Not Such An Innocent Girl’ is a brilliant effort, albeit one that wouldn’t be judged by the same standards as most other pop songs.
Rachel Stevens – Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex
For her debut solo single, Rachel Stevens came out swinging for Justin Timberlake with a song penned as a response to ‘Cry Me A River’
Lisa Scott-Lee – Too Far Gone
Lisa Scott-Lee’s second solo single ‘Too Far Gone’ was harmless enough – but ended up being embroiled in a disastrous case of record label politics.