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Girl Power is a phrase commonly associated with 1990s chart toppers Spice Girls.

While it is destined to be linked to Geri and Co for some time to come, the concept it represents had become known a few years before the group became an international force - in fanzines dedicated to American feminist punk rock bands.

The power of an all-female band to enthral an audience goes further back into 20th Century history than you may at first think. Close harmony groups Three X Sisters and The Boswell Sisters had a following before and after the USA’s Wall Street Crash of 1929. As the Second World War eclipsed the globe, The Andrews Sisters, with their strong military theme, became a source of morale at home and for the troops posted hundreds of miles from family and friends.

When the 1940s rolled into the 50s and 60s and beyond, acts with an all-female personnel continued to make their mark on popular culture, and the pop charts. Groups became involved in causes including the civil rights movement and spoke out on issues such as body image. Bitesize took a look at a few of those moments when music and real-life merged.

The Shirelles

In January 1961, New Jersey quartet The Shirelles became the first black girl group to top the US charts with Will You Love Me Tomorrow, before The Supremes and other talents took the Motown music genre to new heights. Their songs explored themes – particularly love and relationships – that resonated with many teenage girls at the time.

The Civil Rights Movement was sweeping through the USA in the 1960s. In August 1963, The Shirelles performed at a fundraiser in Alabama, which aimed to raise enough money for activists to attend the March on Washington. A few weeks later, Martin Luther King would deliver his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech in Washington DC.

The Shirelles’ music was popular with all audiences. Some see their success as a reflection of the Civil Rights Movement, and they’re often credited as one of the pioneers of the girl group genre.They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Bananarama

Bananarama were the biggest girl band of the 80s, scoring 10 top 10 hits – including the classic Venus - and a Guinness World Record for the most worldwide chart entries of any all-female group.

Founded in 1979, in the aftermath of the punk era, the trio made their mark in an industry that was still mostly male dominated. Their signature look featured overalls, baggy t-shirts and leather boots.

As well as singer Jody Watley from R&B band Shalamar, Bananarama were the only women to feature in the Band Aid charity classic Do They Know It’s Christmas?, which aimed to raise money for anti-famine efforts in Ethiopia.Five years later, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin were back performing in Band Aid 2, another Christmas number one.

FKA twigs recently told Louis Theroux of her admiration for Woodward and Dallin, as well as Siobhan Fahey – one of the group's founding members who went on to set up Shakespears Sister in the late 80s.

TLC

HIV and the importance of safe sex were ongoing global issues when this trio (Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas and the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes) from Atlanta, Georgia, were riding high in the charts.

In 1994, their second album CrazySexyCool promoted HIV awareness, as well as other warnings against harmful lifestyles. Their number one hit Waterfalls includes stories in its verses of two different people who meet a premature death through their behaviour. Although HIV is not explicitly mentioned, the lyrics refer to “three little letters” which ended one person’s life. It was a first for a US number one single.

In a 2019 ����ý interview, band member Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas said the song’s title meant: “Anything that's self-destructive, that's chasing a waterfall.”

After a break, the 1999 album Fanmail brought the group back to mainstream attention and the song Unpretty sought to reassure women and young girls about self-esteem.

The links to social issues continue for TLC. Thomas campaigned against cyberbullying in 2013 after her son was targeted and Watkins is a spokesperson for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America.

Destiny's Child

Say My Name remains one of this girl group’s catchiest tunes, though it took Destiny’s Child nearly a decade since forming in 1990 to really get noticed.

In 2000, Independent Women Part 1 was a massive hit from the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack, with lyrics celebrating financial stability for women who don’t need to rely on a man for their liefstyle.

Later, Beyoncé Knowles emerged from the group as one of the new millennium’s powerhouse personalities, and among many stand out performances and hit singles was her rendition of Formation at the 2016 Super Bowl half-time show.

In keeping with a theme of independent women, the star decided to manage herself post Destiny’s Child and has become a figurehead for feminism and equality in the era of #metoo and Black Lives Matter.

Little Mix

X Factor champions in 2011, this quartet was perhaps the first girl group to deal with a rapid rise to stardom in the social media frenzied 2010s.

They have hit the number one spot in the UK five times between 2011 and 2021, including 2016’s Shout Out to My Ex.

The group used their platform to help others. Member Jade Thirlwall campaigned prominently for LGBT+ causes while in 2019 Jesy Nelson spoke publicly about mental health, body image and online bullying in the ����ý documentary Odd One Out.

Perrie Edwards has also opened up about anxiety struggles on Instagram and Leigh-Anne Pinnock spoke about the racism she has suffered.

Nelson left the group in 2020 to pursue a solo career.