The Spice Girls’ biggest selling solo singles revealed!

Fifteen years ago this week, Geri Halliwell left the Spice Girls. To mark the day five became four, we reveal Ginger, Scary, Sporty, Baby and Posh’s biggest selling solo singles.

They always said friendship never ends, but it certainly went on an extended holiday when Geri Halliwell hung up her platforms and bid goodbye to her Spice Girls’ bandmates on May 31, 1998, kicking off her solo career with Look At Me just under a year later.

While Geri was the first Spice to fly the nest, she wasn’t the first to enter the Official Singles Chart without the rest of the girls. That honour goes to Melanie B, who collaborated with reigning queen of hip-hop Missy Elliott on the Number 1 hit I Want You Back in September 1998. But out of Ginger, Scary, Sporty, Baby and Posh, who’s had the biggest solo success? Who comes out on top and leaves the rest just a bunch of wannabes?

When it comes to Number 1s, Geri’s out in front, racking up an impressive four singles that reached the top spot, with consecutive chart-toppers Mi Chico Latino, Lift Me Up, Bag It Up and It’s Raining Men. Just behind her is Melanie C, who managed to take two solo tracks all the way to pole position, although she was helped out on her first Number 1 Never Be The Same Again by the late Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes of TLC, with I Turn To You being her other top-seller.

Bandmates Melanie B and Emma Bunton have to make do with one apiece – namely Mel B’s hit with Missy and, for Emma, What Took You So Long? Victoria Beckham’s frown is unlikely to be turned upside down, as she remains the only Spice to fail to hit the top spot. Victoria’s had the fewest solo chart hits of all the girls, claiming just four Top 10s, the biggest being Out Of Your Mind, where she teamed up with Truesteppers and former Another Level singer Dane Bowers to reach Number 2 and sell an impressive 394,000 copies.

However, when it comes to sales, Melanie C claims the biggest selling single with her duet with Bryan Adams, When You're Gone, which sold 717,000 copies. Geri is up next with her cover of the Weather Girls’ It’s Raining Men shifting almost 428,000 copies. Melanie C is back again in third place, with Never Be The Same Again selling almost 423,000 copies  Victoria’s in fourth while Geri and Mel C claim fifth and sixth with their number ones Mi Chico Latino and I Turn To You respectively. Emma’s biggest seller was her debut What Took You So Long? with a healthy 265,000 copies, while I Want You Back shifted the most copies for Mel B.

When it comes to total sales of charted singles, yet again Melanie C is victorious. She has racked up over 2 million singles sales from her Official Singles Chart hits. The role of bridesmaid belongs to Geri Halliwell with over 1.9 million singles sales. Mel C claims another crown with the most charting singles of any of the Spice Girls – 15 of them, although only eleven of them managed to break the Top 40. But, hey, it’s two more than Geri, right?

But just to prove that friendship really never ends, in 2007 Geri rejoined Victoria, Mel B, Mel C and Emma for the Children In Need single Headlines (Friendship Never Ends) and a hugely successful world tour. Since going their separate ways again the following year, the girls have kept the Spice Girls' legacy alive by investing in a short-lived musical based on their hits, Viva Forever, with the help of comedy ace Jennifer Saunders.

Going it alone, both Mel B and Geri have enjoyed stints as a judge on The X Factor, Mel C tried her hand at a talent show with the search to find her co-star in Jesus Christ Superstar and Emma Bunton has found a different use for a microphone at the helm of Heart Radio’s breakfast show. And Victoria? She’s moved on from singing Number 1 hits to designing size zero dresses and has become the toast of the fashion world.

Check out our rundown of the Spice Girls’ Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Solo Singles and have a listen on our playlists

© 2013 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Check out our Spice Girls' best selling solo smashes playlists:

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