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Posted by: MARIAH. 14th December 2017, 01:44 PM

I've decided to give their three Christmas #1s their very own thread!


Starting with...

19 years ago...
Monday 14th December 1998 - Spice Girls - 'Goodbye'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eegDtyrSUZw

'Goodbye' was released 19 years ago today! This was the Spice Girls' first release as a quartet, and they were eyeing up their third Christmas #1 in a row. They became embroiled in a chart battle with the novelty song 'Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You)' by Chef (from the TV series South Park, vocals by Isaac Hayes), and it really went down to the wire! Thankfully the Spice Girls won, but by a margin of just 8,000 copies. They sold 380,000 copies, which made it their second fastest selling single, while Chef ended on 372,000. The Spice Girls achieving three consecutive Christmas #1s made them the first act since The Beatles to achieve this (they achieved the feat from 1963 to 1965). Sadly the girls opted not to throw their hat into the ring in 1999, denying themselves the chance of making it four. As of this year, 'Goodbye' has sold 900,000 copies in the UK, which makes it their 5th best selling single.

Posted by: schizo_spice 14th December 2017, 09:30 PM

It's amazing how they went from such huge opening sales post Geri to such mediocre sales with Holler and Forever less than 2 years later. I guess it really was a case of momentum for the Spice Girls and they just couldn't have such a big break without losing fans. The move to RnB obviously didn't help either.

Goodbye is such a beautiful ballad and really holds up today. The official charts have it at 896,000 sales in this new article.

http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/classic-christmas-number-1s-spice-girls-2-become-1__17230/

Posted by: MARIAH. 14th December 2017, 10:30 PM

Annoying when they only give pure sales (i.e. physicals and downloads only) and don't mention streaming


The last pure sales update OCC gave for Goodbye was 20th December 2013 when they stated it had sold "over 884,000 copies", so in 4 years it's sold approximately 12,000 copies. (In June 2009 it was on 862,524, so that's approx 33,000 in 8 and a half years).

Too Much was revealed to have sold 667,940 as of June 2009, and now it's on 682,000. Around 14,000 copies in 8 and a half years. Interesting to see that Goodbye has been a much better back catalogue seller than Too Much.


With streaming added, it was revealed that Goodbye was on 900,000 in March 2017, and Too Much was on 690,000.

Posted by: sammy01 14th December 2017, 11:23 PM

Isn't Goodbye always 79p on the GH album on itunes, so that would have helped it sell more.

I really want 2 become 1 to go double platinum. It was 18.5k off double platinum in September, with its streaming going through the roof right now it must be so close.

Posted by: Spiceboy 15th December 2017, 07:35 AM

I wonder why they never went for the fourth Xmas #1? They were still huge at that point so they had a great chance... a double a-side one off release with an upbeat Xmas track (spice up your Christmas?) and one of their gorgeous ballads would have worked wonders alongside their spice world at Christmas tour...

Posted by: MARIAH. 15th December 2017, 11:36 AM

Yeah you'd think as they were active in late 1999 that they may as well have got a single out alongside the tour! Oh well Maybe Westlife would have still prevented them anyway, and then it'd have been Coast to Coast vs Forever a whole year earlier.

Technically they were vying for Christmas #1 as part of the It's Only Rock N Roll song but if that had made #1 I doubt it'd have been taken as being a 4th in a row when strictly speaking it was credited as Various Artists. Although with it charting at #19 we never had to worry about whether that would count.

Posted by: MARIAH. 15th December 2017, 11:52 AM

20 years ago...
Monday 15th December 1997 - Spice Girls - 'Too Much'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4VoZ6afztc

A major Spice anniversary today! It's been 20 whole years since the Spice Girls released 'Too Much' (their second single from the album 'Spiceworld', and their sixth single overall).

It was the second time the Spice Girls entered the race for Christmas #1 single, but unlike the year before when they breezed to #1 with '2 Become 1', they faced stiff competition in '97 - in the form of kids favourites the Teletubbies! The novelty single 'Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!' had already spent two weeks at #1, but thankfully the Spice Girls had the power to knock them off the top spot - and claimed Christmas #1 for themselves. 'Too Much' sold 252,000 copies in its first week, while Teletubbies managed 203,000. Sales remained strong in week 2, with 'Too Much' selling a further 218,000 copies.

As of March 2017, 'Too Much' had sold 690,000 in total (including physicals, downloads and streaming).

'Too Much' was featured at the beginning of the Spice Girls' movie Spiceworld: The Movie during the opening credits, and the 'Too Much' music video includes clips from the movie.

Posted by: sammy01 15th December 2017, 01:00 PM

Christmas in spiceworld mini tour always makes me think the original plan was 3rd album nov '99. Obviously solo stuff got in the way but a tour takea months to sort so they went through with it any way.

Posted by: schizo_spice 15th December 2017, 07:38 PM

I imagine Mel C would never have agreed to a group album right after the release of Northern Star. I imagine she agreed to the Earls Court gigs through gritted teeth and then when Never Be the Same Again and I Turn to You both hit the top in 2000 the group was over for her.

Her memoir would be really exciting though I have a feeling she'd glass over a lot.

Posted by: schizo_spice 15th December 2017, 07:38 PM

Oh and Too Much is a great song can't believe it's 20 years still remember the smoky first performance on their Audience With and thinking it was amazing.

Posted by: MARIAH. 16th December 2017, 06:43 PM

21 years ago...
Monday 16th December 1996 - Spice Girls - '2 Become 1'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA5jsa1lR9c

21 years since '2 Become 1' was released! In the UK, it became their third #1 single, and their first Christmas #1. It sold 462,000 copies in its first week, and is approaching 1.2m sales.

Posted by: MauriahChristmaz 17th December 2017, 06:31 PM

My fave of the 3 Christmas #1s. Excelent song,video and live it was also great.

Posted by: Spiceboy 18th December 2017, 09:27 AM

when Spice Girls ruled the charts!!

Posted by: Mack'sXmasSack 18th December 2017, 03:47 PM

2 Become 1 has never got too old for me this. It's a classic.

Posted by: Spiceboy 18th December 2017, 10:12 PM

All three of them are classics! In fact most of the girls singles have aged really well. Yes some sound like they belong to the time, but they sound like classic pop songs, really strong with personality and damn catchy tunes.

Posted by: sammy01 19th December 2017, 12:29 AM

Goodbye is amazing. Just a brilliant ballad.

Posted by: MARIAH. 22nd December 2017, 01:28 AM

19, 20 & 21 years since they were all announced as being Christmas #1s.

Posted by: Spiceboy 22nd December 2017, 09:40 PM

Take me back to those days