Spice Girls’ debut ‘Wannabe’ turns 30, amid reunion talk

The Spice Girls burst onto the music scene with the release of their infectious debut ‘Wannabe’ 30 years ago today, carving a place in pop history championing Girl Power, and leaving their mark on fashion and global culture.

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The British group of five young women formed in 1994, and the irrepressibly catchy Wannabe was released on 26 June, 1996, initially in Asia. It shot swiftly up the charts to number one in Britain, the US and dozens of other countries.

“They weren't just a throwaway pop band,” said Dominic Mohan, a former editor of The Sun tabloid who covered the British music scene at the time.

“They were very spirited and they had quite strong messages as well, about feminism and about girl power and about being who you are.”