A girl group is a music group that includes three or more female singers who typically sing together in harmony. In the United States, the term "girl group" is sometimes used to describe a specific group of American female pop music singing groups that became popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This was a time when early rock and roll was declining and the British Invasion was beginning. Many of these groups were influenced by the doo-wop music style. All-female bands, where members also play musical instruments, are usually considered a different type of group. These groups are sometimes called "girl bands" to help distinguish them, though this is not always done.
As the music industry and radio broadcasting grew, many girl groups began to appear. One example is the Andrews Sisters. By the late 1950s, all-female singing groups had become a major part of the music scene. Between 1960 and 1966, 750 different girl groups released songs that reached the top music charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Supremes, for example, had 12 number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 during this time. Their popularity often compared to that of the Beatles during the British Invasion.
Later, the style of girl groups was used in other music genres, such as disco, R&B, and country music, as well as pop. A more global music industry helped make dance-oriented pop music popular, especially in the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan. Major record companies supported this trend, leading to the success of many groups. After 1990, eight groups sold more than 15 million physical copies of their albums worldwide. In the 1990s, the Spice Girls helped change the audience for girl groups from mostly men to mostly women. In the 2010s, the K-pop movement helped create successful girl groups like Girls' Generation, Twice, and Blackpink.
History
One of the first major all-female music groups was the Hamilton Sisters and Fordyce, an American trio who toured England and parts of Europe in 1927, recorded music, and appeared on BBC radio. They also performed in the United States and later changed their name to the Three X Sisters. The group was active from 1923 until the early 1940s. They were known for their close harmonies, barbershop-style songs, and novelty tunes. Their success on radio in the 1930s helped them gain popularity. The Three X Sisters were an important part of the music scene and remained popular even during the Great Depression.
The Boswell Sisters became one of the most popular singing groups from 1930 to 1936. They had over twenty hit songs. The Andrews Sisters formed in 1937 as a tribute to the Boswell Sisters. They continued recording and performing through the 1940s and into the late 1960s. They sold more records, had more Billboard hits, and appeared in more movies than any other girl group at the time. Their music covered many genres, which helped make girl groups more popular.
As the rock era began, groups like the Chordettes, Fontane Sisters, McGuire Sisters, and DeCastro Sisters stayed popular. The first three groups reached the top of the pop charts, while the DeCastro Sisters reached number two in late 1954 to early 1955. The Lennon Sisters were also a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show starting in 1955. In 1956, groups like the Bonnie Sisters with "Cry Baby" and the Teen Queens with "Eddie My Love" showed new styles of music. The Bobbettes had a hit called "Mr. Lee" that stayed on the charts for more than five months in 1957, helping more all-female, all-black vocal groups gain acceptance.
The Chantels' 1958 song "Maybe" is often considered the first true example of the girl group sound. This style mixed black doo-wop, rock and roll, and white pop music. It appealed to teenagers and grew in popularity as people discussed issues like payola and the social effects of rock music. Early groups like the Chantels learned music through styles like Latin and choir music. Their success led to more girl groups forming, and the music industry’s separate labels for R&B and pop music began to change. This also gave people from different backgrounds opportunities to succeed and helped expand the idea of girlhood beyond race and class.
The Shirelles were the first girl group to achieve long-term success. They reached the Top 40 with "Tonight's the Night" and in 1961 became the first girl group to reach number one on the Hot 100 with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. They had five more top 10 hits, including "Soldier Boy." The Marvelettes' song "Please Mr. Postman" was the first number one song by an African-American-owned label, Motown Records. Motown later helped create other girl groups, including Martha and the Vandellas, the Velvelettes, and the Supremes.
Songwriters and producers in the US and UK saw the potential of girl groups and worked with existing acts or created new ones. Phil Spector worked with the Crystals, the Blossoms, and the Ronettes, while Goffin and King wrote songs for the Cookies. Spector’s "Wall of Sound" technique used many instruments to make music sound richer, allowing girl groups to sing in new ways. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller helped groups like the Exciters, the Dixie Cups, and the Shangri-Las. The Shangri-Las’ song "Leader of the Pack" told stories about teenage love and tragedy.
The Paris Sisters had success from 1961 to 1964, especially with "I Love How You Love Me." The Chiffons, the Angels, and the Orlons were also popular in the early 1960s. The Jaynetts’ song "Sally Go 'Round the Roses" was a one-hit wonder with a unique sound. In 1964, the Murmaids’ "Popsicles and Icicles" reached the top 3, the Carefrees’ "We Love You Beatles" reached the top 40, and the Jewels’ "Opportunity" was a small hit.
Over 750 girl groups charted songs in the US and UK between 1960 and 1966. However, the genre was less common in other regions. In Europe, Yé-yé music was popular, while in East Asia, most artists were traditional singers or government-sponsored groups. Bossa nova was trendy in Latin America. Beat music’s global influence later reduced the number of girl groups, except for Motown groups like the Supremes, who had number one hits.
In the 1970s, the Supremes had hits like "Up the Ladder to the Roof" and "Stoned Love." Only two other girl groups reached the top 10 in 1974: "Want Ads" by Honey Cone and "When Will I See You Again" by the Three Degrees. Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, managed by Vicki Wickham, changed their name to Labelle in the 1970s and moved toward glam rock, wearing unique outfits. During the disco era, groups like First Choice, Silver Convention, the Emotions, and Sister Sledge were popular. In the 1980s, groups like the Pointer Sisters, Exposé, and Bananarama updated the girl group style.
In Latin America, dance-focused groups like the Flans, Pandora, and Fandango were popular. In Japan, all-female idol groups Candies and Pink Lady had many hits in the 1970s and 1980s. Pink Lady’s song "Kiss in the Dark" was one of only two Japanese songs to reach the Billboard Top 40.
Themes
Girl groups have many different topics in their songs, depending on when and where they were made and who created them. Their songs often showed the political and cultural events happening around them. For example, during the 1950s to 1970s, some songs included themes about abuse. One example is the song "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" by the Crystals. During the "golden age of girl groups," songs covered a wide range of subjects, such as mean dogs or underage pregnancy. However, common themes included new love, missing someone, or sadness from broken relationships. Some songs had happy, upbeat messages about love, while others focused on more serious or sad feelings. For instance, the Shangri-Las sang about the difficult side of love in their song "I Can Never Go Home Anymore."
A common theme was adolescence. Many girl groups were made up of young singers, often still in high school. Songs often mentioned parents because of this. Adolescence was also a popular topic because many young girls were listening to and buying music. Girl groups helped shape a youthful image, as teenage girls were becoming more visible in mainstream culture. An example of this is Baby Spice from the Spice Girls. This was shown through matching outfits and songs that focused on youth. Girl groups from the 1950s also gave advice to other girls or sang about advice from their mothers, similar to some male groups like the Miracles with their song "Shop Around."
Adolescence was also important because the audience included teenagers who had money to spend, cars to drive, and schools that brought them together with many other teens. This led to the rise of a shared teen culture.
As girl groups continued over time, they included more ideas from popular culture. Themes like "girl power" and feminism began to appear, even though early groups focused on traditional femininity. It is not true that girl groups only sang about love; many songs showed more complex feelings, such as support or gossip. Like other music styles, there was a wide variety in what was sung. A common theme was showing what it meant to be a woman, from the clothes they wore to the lyrics in their songs. While styles changed over time (like the Supremes compared to the Spice Girls), girl groups still influenced how people saw different kinds of identities.
From the 1990s to today, groups like the Spice Girls focused more on women's independence and feminism. Their songs were more direct and less suggestive. These newer groups were also more openly sexual, which fits with trends in pop music during this time.