Remember the simple days? When social media didn’t rule our lives and drama was just a 5 letter word that held no meaning? How about when our biggest decision was which group member was our favorite? At one point, our walls were covered with their posters and our boomboxes blasted their hits! The lead vocalist of your favorite group might’ve rose to stardom and left the rest to fend for themselves, but it’s nice to know we can still close our eyes and remember that when they were together, life was better! Let’s reminisce!
1. TLC
Known as one of the world’s most successful female music groups, TLC gave us hit after hit with songs like “What About Your Friends,” Creep,” “Red Light Special,” and “Waterfalls.” Just last year, Chilli and T-Boz shared their side of the story of how they rose to fame and trickled back down. The group disbanded to allow Left Eye to focus on a solo career while fans held on to hope for a reunion. Unfortunately, it never happened. Shorty after Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes separated from the group, she was tragically killed in a car accident. RIP Left Eye!
2. Backstreet Boys
Ahhh, the name alone brings back so many memories! Let’s face it, when you think about “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” “Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely,” “Quit Playing Games,” “All I Have To Give,” and “Shape of My Heart,” it’s safe to say that all of their songs were hits! Everyone had their favorite Backstreet Boy, whether it was Nick for his blonde locks, Kevin for his mysterious demeanor, Brian for his piercing blue eyes and structured cheek bones, A.J. for his bad-boy image, or Howie for his boyish charm. They knew we missed them, which is why they always returned with more hits after a couple of hiatuses.
3. 3LW
Before they became the Cheetah Girls, Adrienne Bailon and Kielly Williams were 2 of the 3 women of 3LW, along with Naturi Naughton. Their most successful singles certified them as platinum selling artist! We all jammed to “Playas Gon’ Play” even though we had no idea what they were talking about! Although they were able to replace Naturi after her departure from the group, they couldn’t keep the success going. Each girl has since ventured on to solo projects. Adrienne Bailon is now co-host for the daytime talk show The Real, while both Natrui Naughton and Kielly Williams have pursued acting careers.
4. *NSYNC
Sure, we probably only remember Justin Timberlake’s whole name, but we can’t forget all the songs *NSYNC gave us growing up! We all knew the “Bye Bye Bye” dance and poured our hearts out to “Tearin’ Up My Heart” and “I Want You Back.” It really did tear up our hearts when they announced their split, and we really do want them back! Thankfully, Justin surprised us with one more glimpse of the boy band when he brought them out to perform with him at the 2013 VMAs.
5. B2K
B2K consisted of 4 young men who went by Omarion, Lil’ Fizz, J-Boog, and Raz-B. They peaked in the early 2000s, which helped form their name: Boys of the Millennium (B2K). We remember them for songs like “Gots Ta Be,” “Uh Huh,” “Girlfriend,” and “Bump Bump Bump,” but especially for their sultry dance moves that none of us were ready for at that age. They also dabbled in acting in 2004’s You Got Served.
6. Spice Girls
Baby, Ginger, Scary, Sporty, and Posh…which one were one you? The British pop group are known as the best-selling female pop group in music history! With hits like “Spice Up Your Life” the Spice Girls had fans everywhere screaming girl power! They give us a brief photo op reunion every now and then, but no talks of a reunion *cries*.
7. Destiny’s Child
Can’t forget about Destiny’s Child! Partly because they’re still fresh on our minds, thanks to Beyoncé’s 2013 Super Bowl performance. The R&B group started as a quartet but later replaced LeToya and LaTavia with Michelle to fulfill its destiny with Beyoncé and Kelly! Much like the Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child exuded girl power with songs like “Survivor,” “Say My Name,” and “Bills Bills Bills.” They were even able to coin the name of one of their songs, “Bootylicious,” into the Oxford Dictionary! All 3 girls have gone on to do solo projects. Michelle has since changed courses to gospel music. Kelly has been surprising everyone with her latest singles to show she was more than a supporting vocalist. And as for Beyoncé, she’s pretty much ruling the world!