Photo by: (Top Left) TLC by Ron Davis/Getty Images. (Bottom Left) Destiny’s Child by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc. (Top Right) En Vogue by Ron Galella, Ltd/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images. (Bottom Right) SWV by Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.
As we continue celebrating Black Music Month, we wanted to give our favorite girl groups the flowers they deserve.
From the 1950s to the early 2000s, girl groups were all the rave; from Martha & the Vandellas to Destiny’s Child, girl groups have significantly impacted pop culture.
Although we don’t see many girl groups nowadays, we still belt out our favorite tunes of our favorite girl groups.
Without further ado, here are our favorite girl groups!
Xscape
Xscape is one of the few super popular girl groups that ruled the 90s scene.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the four-member group was formed in 1992.
The group’s members consist of Tameka “Tiny” Harris, Kandi Burrus, LaTocha Scott, Tamika Scott, and former member Tamera Coggins-Wynn. However, Coggins-Wynn quit in 1993.
Photo by: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Jermaine Dupri, the group’s producer, discovered them and signed them to his record company, So So Def.
They released their debut album, Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha, in 1993. Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha was certified platinum after selling over one million copies and featuring some of our favorite songs such as “Just Kickin’ It,” “Understanding,” “Love on My Mind,” and “Tonight.”
They released two more albums, their sophomore album Off the Hook, which gave us the beloved singles “Who Can I Run To,” “Feels So Good,” and “Can’t Hang.”
In 1998, Xscape released their third album, Traces of My Lipstick.
After a hiatus, the group had its first performance in 2017. Following their first performance, Xscape announced a 29-city tour. Fans were excited to see what the group had in store as veterans in the music industry.
They still have us singing their songs!
En Vogue
Oakland’s En Vogue gave us looks, vocals, and timeless hits!
Formed in the late 1980s, the super girl group pays homage to the iconic girl groups that came before them in the 1950s and 1960s.
Members Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones released their first album, Born to Sing, in 1990.
Photo by: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Singles “Hold On,” “Lies,” and “Don’t Go” were fan favorites. The group released Funky Divas, their sophomore album, which also saw significant success.
Funky Divas blends contemporary R&B, new jack swing, and hip hop with an old soul, blues, and doo-wop components, as well as strong metal influences in the case of the hit single “Free Your Mind.”
The album’s singles such as “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” and “Give It Up, Turn It Loose” were all triumphant and fan favorites.
En Vogue sold over 20 million records worldwide, earning a spot in our hearts!
Destiny’s Child
Destiny’s Child is arguably one of the most iconic girl groups that changed pop culture.
The Texas-made girl group not only gave us boss chick anthems, but the 90s/00s group also launched its members’ solo careers.
Photo by: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
When Destiny’s Child first hit the scene in 1998, they were billed as the young Supremes, which seemed like a reach at the time. The remix of their song “No, No, No” by Wyclef Jean, on the other hand, gave them their first number one hit and propelled them to stardom.
The original members were Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Kelly Rowland, LaToya Luckett, and LaTavia Roberson.
Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin eventually replaced Luckett and Roberson in the group, with Franklin also leaving.
Photo by: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
Destiny’s Child rose to fame as one of the most popular girl groups of all time as a trio. As a result, after DC separated in 2006, all three members could pursue successful solo careers.
“Bills, Bills, Bills,” “Say My Name,” “Independent Woman Part 1,” “Bootylicious,” and “Survivor” are just a few of their most well-known tracks.
SWV
Sisters With Voices, also known as SWV, were the pinnacle of hip-hop soul.
Hailing from New York City, SWV had R&B lovers in a stronghold with their hard-hitting sounds and melodic voices.
Photo by: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
It’s About Time is the debut studio album by SWV, released in the United States on October 27, 1992, by RCA Records. It was nominated for 11 Billboard Music Awards and was the 16th best-selling album in the United States in 1993.
Tamara “Taj” Johnson, Cheryl “Coko” Gamble, and Leanne “Lele” Lyons became one of the best-selling female groups of all time, with 15 million records sold worldwide, thanks to singles including “Weak,” “I’m So Into You,” “You’re the One,” and a remake of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” dubbed “Right Here/Human Nature.”
After their fourth album, the trio briefly dissolved, but not before leaving fans with more great songs like “Downtown,” “Always On My Mind,” and “Rain.”
The trio has subsequently returned to music with “Co-Sign,” a single released in 2012.
TLC
With over 50 million records sold, TLC is the best-selling American female group and the second best-selling female group worldwide, after the Spice Girls.
Photo by: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
TLC, comprised of members Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas caught everyone’s attention with their blend of R&B and hip hop, trendsetting apparel, and stunning looks, delivering mega-hits including “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg,” “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs,” and “Unpretty.”
From their debut album Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip to their last album, 3D, TLC helped change pop culture and helped empower women all over the globe by covering topics of love, sex, beauty standards, and consequences. Their music showed their female fans that they hold the ultimate power in their life.
Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes died in April 2002, and the ladies separated soon after.
Jade
Tonya Kelly, Joi Marshall, and Di Reed, all from Chicago, formed the mid-90s R&B sensation, Jade.
“I Wanna Love You,” a song they sang for the soundtrack of rappers Kid ‘N Play’s 1992 film Class Act, became a hit for the group. The song charted in the R&B Top 10 and reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, paving the way for “Don’t Walk Away,” their defining record.
Following hits, “Looking for Mr. Do Right” and “One Woman” ensured the band’s debut album Jade to the Max was certified platinum, resulting in a lengthy tour and appearances on The Tonight Show, The Arsenio Hall Show, and Top of the Pops in the United Kingdom.
In 1994, the band co-wrote and co-produced their second studio album, Mind, Body & Song, for which they also worked as co-writers and co-producers.
The album was certified gold thanks to the singles “5-4-3-2 (Yo! Time Is Up)” and “Every Day of the Week.”
Although the group took a hiatus, their records still get everyone jamming. They also came together in 2021 during the show The Voice.
Tell us who’s YOUR favorite girl group!
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