02 | Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There | 8.89



UK Peak: 01
US Peak: 03

UK Chart Run: 26/10/1996 01-01-02-02-09-11-13-18-13-17-14-23-42-56-48-54-72-> 17wks

LOVED IT:,
Simon, SamJudd, missingyou (11) Joe, Alex!, Theo, Jade, blacksquare, DJHaze, Jupiter, Liam, michaelking21, Spiceboy, HarryEzra, Casey, Jay, shindymindy, MixedUp, SevenSeize, Seinfeld (10)

HATED IT:
Hayzayy (2) Frooot, Cameron, Mikee1981 (6)

And your second placer in a very tight result is Spice Girls with the highly anticipated followup to the huge debut 'Wannabe'! It was one of many #01's for the girls and saw a slightly slicker R&B leaning production than 'Wannabe' with another fun video inspired by Faster, Pussycat, Kill! Kill! and Pulp Fiction. It was also a hit for them in the US where it peaked at #03. It also debuted with an amazing 350,000 copies to easily secure a #01 placing on the charts. The song itself is a nice slice of nostalgia and the chorus is undeniable, their debut era was when they were unescapable and so much fun to watch, see and grow. As I previously said I doubt a pop act will ever create the same histeria that Spice Girls did, and they are worthy to have done this well.

Fabulous runner up and winner, favourite song form the two :wub:

Ewwwww

01 | All Saints - Pure Shores | 8.90



UK Peak: 01
US Peak: DNC

UK Chart Run: 26/02/2000 01-01-02-03-07-09-12-18-26-32-40-41-50-66-74-69-> 16wks

LOVED IT:,
Jack, PINKFUNQ, Theo, Chez Wombat, Jade, blacksquare, DJHaze, Jupiter, Defaze, HausOfTroye, Rush, Casey (11) Joe, Simon, SamJudd, Liam, Joseph Sprayberry, HarryEzra, Mack, Jay, Scene, SevenSieze, UltraReputation, Seinfeld (10)

HATED IT:
Frooot, Cameron (-1)

And the winner is All Saints with 'Pure Shores'! Amazing result considering it got TWO -1 results but those 11's and 10's are undeniable. It was released for the soundtrack for The Beach and is one of the best pop songs ever let alone girlgroup - the production from William Orbit is uplifting, emotive and the vocals are full of longing whilst sounding full of hope as well. The song was another huge #01 for the girls and sold close to a million copies in the UK. It was also originally supposed to go to Madonna which she was reportedly 'furious' about. It has everything you could possibly want from a pop song and I'm surprised people could hate on it, I don't see what there is to hate, but each to their own! A fully deserving winner.

Winning despite the radical trolls giving it -1 *.* a superb well-deserved winner :wub:

 

Thanks for hosting this Jack! The results were extremely questionable throughout but it's been brilliant to revisit so many superb songs.

Love Thing was intended to be the spice girls debut single not SYBT

Both of these songs were touted as first single options by their label!

 

 

Pure Shores is incredible, one of my all-time faves. :wub: Great to see so many Spice Girls songs so high up, my top choice would have been Spice Up Your Life although Say You'll Be There often seems to end up being the general fave.

 

 

Thanks for doing this, Jack! :heart: Great work throughout!

Yes, many thanks for running this Jack. Has been a really exciting and interesting roll out these past few months.

I’m really surprised at the result but fairly happy with it. I can’t believe I didn’t give Pure Ahores a 10 myself I must have been in a bad mood that day lol.

 

Of the Spice Girls ones as much as I love SYBT it has never matched the power of Wannabe, Spice up your life, Stop or Viva forever so I find it a little bizarre it’s #2 lol.

 

I am a little disappointed there was no Sugababes in the top 10 feel like it should have had at least one (If it couldn’t be a spice top 10 lol)

Ps thanks for doing this thread I’ve really enjoyed it, apart from Stop and Viva Forver being fat too low lol.

YES, excellent winner, true classics always come through the troll votes *. Absolutely timeless and beautiful song, may it continue to dominate these things.

 

Great work with this thread, Jack, really enjoyed following it and revisiting these songs!

Fantastic winner. Always loved the song but hearing it constantly in GTA V made me appreciate it even more. Same with 'Scandalous' too come to think of it; what a flawless soundtrack that game has. :lol:

 

Thanks for hosting, really enjoyed revisiting some of these old classics!

Thread of the year for me .

 

Jay I disagree , I have never read or seen an interview where SYBT was touted as mead single .

 

Pure Shores was never intended for Madonna , she was furious that she was not given it .

It’s mentioned in David Sinclair’s Wannabe: How the Spice Girls Reinvented Pop Fame book from 2004.

 

Ashley Newton, who was in charge of A&R, felt just as strongly that ‘Wannabe’ was not the right song for the first single and wanted to go with ‘Say You’ll Be There’. There were various meetings about it, when the different tracks were played and discussed. The girls were represented by Geri who was told that ‘Say You’ll Be There’ was a much cooler track and would cast them in a more favourable light.

David Sinclair interviewed numerous people who worked with the Spice Girls, including Ashley Newton, so this more than likely came from the horse’s mouth.

Genuinely shocked with that result! But so pleased.

 

I could listen to it forever - such a classic, that production. SWOON

It’s mentioned in David Sinclair’s Wannabe: How the Spice Girls Reinvented Pop Fame book from 2004.

David Sinclair interviewed numerous people who worked with the Spice Girls, including Ashley Newton, so this more than likely came from the horse’s mouth.

 

The girls all said the record company wanted Love Thing . So I don’t believe this to be accurate.

I’m not saying Love Thing wasn’t considered as an option, I’m just saying Say You’ll Be There was also on the table as first single, based on what their own A&R said not even 10 years after the fact.

Stop doubting Jay, he knows more about the girls than all but me! :P

 

It is in the David Sinclair book which was made by interviewing those working closest to the girls including Ashley Newton their head A&R man. Just because Love Thing was considered as a single doesn't mean SYBT wasn't too. The girls were adamant on Wannabe but the record company were very nervous about the song and wanted Love Thing. They likely saw SYBT as a stronger choice too.

I am so pleased that 'Pure Shores' has won despite two -1s :o I really didn't see it coming at all after 'Viva Forever' failed to crack the top 10. Those negative scores cancelled out by so much love for it with all those 10s and 11s! :wub: It was of course one of my 11 picks. What a perfect package, from the William Orbit production to the equally ambient execution of the vocals <3 'Say You'll Be There' ran it so close though :o that is my favourite Spice Girls music video but not quite the absolute best song from them, as I prefer 'Viva Forever' and 'Spice Up Your Life'.

 

Thanks for doing this Jack <3 has been very fun.

You can believe an unofficial book 😉

 

Jack would you post the results from the point system used in their first round ?

Would be fun to compare the results .

Edited May 13, 20187 yr by vibe

I can really imagine Madonna on Pure Shores now you mention it!

 

The right song won even if people gave it -1s (!) (how COULD you?) and SYBT is great too :D