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Girl groups have been around for a lot longer than most people realize. Before TLC, Destiny’s Child, or the Spice Girls were filling the radio, women were already singing together and creating some of pop music’s biggest moments.
The modern girl-group sound really started taking shape in the 1930s and ’40s with groups like the Andrews Sisters. By the 1950s, groups like the Chantels and the Bobbettes were mixing doo-wop, R&B, and early rock and roll. Then came the 1960s and the Supremes, who completely changed the game. The group had five consecutive No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1964 and 1965, including “Where Did Our Love Go” and “Baby Love.”
Girl groups continued changing with the music. The ’70s brought groups like Labelle and Sister Sledge, while the ’80s experimented with dance-pop and freestyle. Then the ’90s happened, and girl groups were everywhere.
TLC brought a new mix of R&B, hip-hop, fashion, and personality to the genre. Around the same time, Destiny’s Child was becoming one of the biggest groups in the world. The group eventually became Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams, releasing hits like “Say My Name” and “Survivor.”
The 2000s brought groups like the Pussycat Dolls and Danity Kane, but television talent competitions became especially important in the 2010s. Little Mix was formed on The X Factor and became the first group to win the British competition. They went on to have five UK No. 1 singles.
Then there was Fifth Harmony, which was also formed on The X Factor. Songs like “Work From Home” helped make them one of the biggest girl groups of the decade. Eventually, the group went on hiatus, and the members started pursuing solo careers.
And that brings us to today. FLO has brought back the smooth R&B harmonies of earlier girl groups, while KATSEYE is taking the concept in a more global direction. KATSEYE was created through The Debut: Dream Academy, which received more than 120,000 applications from around the world.
One of the most interesting parts of girl-group history is what happens after the groups. Beyoncé went from Destiny’s Child to a solo career that produced “Crazy in Love,” her first solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Camila Cabello went from Fifth Harmony to “Havana,” which also became a massive global hit.
From the Supremes to TLC, Destiny’s Child, Fifth Harmony, Little Mix, FLO, and KATSEYE, the girl group clearly isn’t going anywhere. It just keeps changing with every generation.
