Their songs infiltrated the radio, filled popular dance clubs and took over MTV. They were instantly popular, drawing in thousands of listeners from all over the world. Bands like the Spice Girls, Ace of Base, Hanson and 98? became icons to teenagers and young adults. But what made these bands so mesmerizing? And where are they now?
The Spice Girls
Formed in 1993 in London, the Spice Girls quickly became the most popular British group of the 1990s. Their sexy pop lyrics appealed to both the young and the old.
"They were a pop icon for my middle school years," freshman and Spice Girls fan Adam Bloom said. "They were like the Beatles. They were huge. Everyone knew who they were and everyone knew the lyrics to their songs."
The five band members, each given a different "spice" identity, included Geri "Ginger" Halliwell, Melanie "Scary" Brown, Emma "Baby" Bunton, Victoria "Posh" Adams, and Melanie "Sporty" Chisholm. With an independent feminist stance, the five divas released "Wannabe," their first U.S. single in 1996, after topping charts in many other countries.
"I thought they were so great at first," freshman Kate Kovarovic said. "They were very well sold to their public, and they had the attitudes and styles that little girls wanted, so we bought their stuff. They sang about the menial things that we wanted to hear about. While they weren't anything like us, they were easy to relate to."
The group's second single, "Say You'll be There," followed the release of its debut album, "Spice," which went directly to No. 1 on the charts.
"The songs had a fast beat and were easy to get into. They sang about 'big kid' topics but in a way that little kids knew what was going on, and that made you feel more mature than you really were," Kovarovic said.
The Spice Girls' popularity grew as its second album, "Spiceworld," was released along with a feature film of the same name. However, the success of the Spice Girls fell in 1998 when red-headed Halliwell left the band to create "Schizophonic," her first solo CD. The remaining four members of the band went on and created their third album, "Forever," in 2000.
"I grew out of them, so did the rest of the world," Bloom said. "I have no idea what happened to them, but I think they broke up awhile ago."
Each of the girls took a stab at independent music careers, but none of them have seen the same success individually as they did as a group.
Ace of Base
"I listened to Ace of Base a long time ago, and I still listen to it today," said freshman Lauren Muscarella.
In 1990 Jenny Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren, Ulf "Buddah" Ekber, and Jonas "Joker" Berggren formed Ace of Base. With its energetic Swedish rock and dance music, the band's debut album, "The Sign," was released in 1993 in the United States, after hitting No. 1 in 10 different countries. Its three singles, "All That She Wants," "Don't Turn Around," and "The Sign," each spent six weeks at No. 1 in the United States.
"I think it was their deep and meaningful lyrics accompanied with their European sound," freshman Blair Bryant Nichols said. "They opened up my eyes."
The band became very popular very quickly.
"I think that they had a different sound to their music. They incorporated more of a techno edge, and they sang about different things than most of the other little teeny-bopper bands at that time," Kovarovic said.
Ace of Base sold two million copies of "The Sign" and was nominated for three Grammys, including Best Artist. In 1995, the group released its second album, "The Bridge." The album quickly went platinum, but did not have the same success as "The Sign."
"I have no idea where they are now. The only time I ever even think about them is when someone sings the songs, because everyone knew them. But they weren't the kind of band I would ever follow. They kind of just disappeared," Kovarovic said.
The band took a three-year break, and returned in 1998 with "Cruel Summer." In 2000, Ace of Base released its greatest hits CD.
"I listened to them when they first came out and then a few years later, in high school, my friends and I brought them back. It's nice because now I actually understand the songs," freshman Lauren Muscarella said.
Ace of Base is still successful abroad, though it has yet to break into the American music scene again.
Hanson
Emulating the Jackson 5, Hanson was formed in 1992 by brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson. In their Tulsa, Okla., home, the brothers combined their musical talents to create carefree, energetic music.
"I guess if I had to define just one impact they had on the world, it would be that they made great strides for families who like making music together, Partridge Family-style," sophomore Emily Klotzman said.
After signing with Mercury Records Hanson released its debut album "Middle of Nowhere," featuring the hit single "MMMBop."
"I listened to Hanson in middle school," sophomore Peter Baenziger said. "I have heard only two songs and I liked it because everyone else liked it. It was a middle school thing because you liked what was popular because you were trying to be popular."
The album made the boys teen idols, as their CD hit No. 13 on the U.S. charts. To add to their success, Hanson released a Christmas CD "Snowed In," followed by its 1998 albums "Live from Albertane" and "Three Car Garage," which included earlier independent recordings.
After the peak of the group's success, some people seemed embarrassed to listen to Hanson's music.
"I had to pretend to not like Hanson because people started hating them for no reason," Melissa Abrahams said. "I didn't want to be that girl who still liked Hanson. I didn't know what to do, so I shut my mouth."
In 2000, the band released "This Time Around." In 2002, the band released bonus tracks from that album.
"Hanson still rules, I don't care what people say," Klotzman said. "They have a new album out and they're touring. They rock! Hanson's impact on the world, well, that's another story. They never made any political statements or did anything to change the world, but they did, and still do, make great music."
Hanson performed a sold-out show at Alexandria Birchmere in October, proving its fans still exist.
98?
In the late 1990s, the band 98? was formed in Los Angeles. The group members, Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre and Jeff Timmons, gained attention after crashing a backstage area at a Boyz II Men concert. After showing off their sexual, sensual teen pop music, they were offered a spot on the local radio. Their debut album, "98? and Rising," pushed the group into the boy-band craze.
"They were so great because they could actually sing and none of the other boy bands could," freshman Courtney Carter said.
The group's single "Invisible Man" hit No. 12 on the charts. In 1998, 98? released "This Christmas." In 2002, it released "Revelation," which included hit songs "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" and "My Everything." After its peak, 98? took a break until its collection album was created in 2002. Although they still claim to be a band, group members have taken separate paths in life.
"I used to like them but now that I am past my boy band stage, I am embarrassed that I liked them because their songs sound like old people music," Carter said.
Nick Lachey and his wife Jessica Simpson currently star on MTV's top-rated show "The Newlyweds," which was just renewed for its second season.
"I think Nick Lachey should definitely stick to music," freshman Rachel Zaentz said. "He has a good voice but I don't enjoy watching him and his wife bicker."
Lachey released his first solo album, "Soulo," featuring "The Newlyweds" theme song, "This I Swear," on Tuesday. Timmons also started his solo career with the release of his debut album, "Whisper That Way"
