Official Charts Pop Gem #87: Spice Girls – 2 Become 1

Each week we ask you to nominate your Pop Gems – those overlooked classics and big hits of yesteryear that deserve a spot in our Pop Gem Hall Of Fame, forever recognised as a slice of perfect pop.

This week's theme was – what else? – Christmas! We wanted either your most beloved Christmas songs or those tunes that won the prize every popstar is after – the Christmas Number 1.

For one week only, we changed the rules, allowing million-sellers and songs that didn’t chart to come and join the Pop Gem party!

Competition was tough, from songs that got us dashing through the snow to ballads that had us weeping into our eggnog. In the end, this was the 10 we wanted under our tree…

And after careful consideration, with the odd break to fix the Christmas tree lights which kept going out, we settled on a Christmas Number 1 that rounded off an incredible year for a pop phenomenon – one of the hugest the world has ever witnessed. Yes, it’s Spice Girls’ 2 Become 1.

Watch the frankly brilliant video before we explain ourselves.

Why it had to be Spice Girls

There are legendary girlbands and there are iconic girlbands, and somewhere in between – or perhaps both – is the Spice Girls. A whirlwind that didn’t seem to stop for their two biggest years, Geri, Victoria, Emma, Mel B and Mel C were the pop act of the mid Nineties nobody dare ignore.

Out of all the songs on our shortlist, 2 Become 1 felt like a Christmas Number 1 that a lot of people feel affection for, even if they weren’t a fan of the band. Plus, Spice Girls are represented in the Pop Gem Hall Of Fame for solo efforts, thanks to Emma Bunton and Melanie B, but when it comes to the group thing, they’re currently overlooked.

The song

2 Become 1 was the Spice Girls’ third single and was their third straight chart-topper and came just eight weeks after Say You’ll Be There. It beat Madonna’s Don’t Cry For Me Argentina to the top spot – Madge had to settle for Number 3 – and stayed at the top for three weeks, giving Spice Girls their second-longest run at the top (Who Do You Think You Are also managed three weeks.)

It was eventually deposed from the Number 1 throne by Tori Amos’ Professional Widow, which had been reswizzled by top DJ Armand van Helden.

2 Become 1 has sold a whopping 1.12 million copies and is the band’s second-biggest seller. It was the first of three consecutive Christmas Number 1s for the group – Too Much and Goodbye compete the hat trick.

Spice Girls’ chart story

Considering the short time they had together, few bands can rival Spice Girls’ chart record. Their first hit was 1996’s Wannabe, which spent seven weeks at Number 1, shifting 1.28 million copies to be their top seller.

Wannabe was the first of six consecutive Number 1s for Scary, Sporty, Posh, baby and Ginger – they’d have nine in total. They have two million sellers – Wannabe and 2 Become 1.

The band had a total of 11 Top 40 singles, 10 of which went Top 10. Over on the Official Albums Chart, all four of the band’s releases went Top 2, with debut album Spice and follow-up Spiceworld going to Number 1.

Top-selling album is Spice, with an impressive 2.9 million copies sold. Spiceworld is next with 1.5 million sales.

What a song! What a band! Welcome to the Pop Gem Hall Of Fame, Spice Girls!

Playlist

Check out all this week’s contenders!

Pop Gem Hall Of Fame

Today's Pop Gem is the latest in a long line of amazing pop songs that have been inducted into our Pop Gem Hall Of Fame. Take a look at all the tracks who've received the honour so far

Every Pop Gem ever

Fancy reliving those perfect Pop Gems we already picked all over again? No worries, get your ears wrapped round these playlists on Spotify and Deezer.

Spotify

Deezer