The Spice Girls’ first hit single in the UK was “Wannabe.”
Released in July 1996, it was the group’s debut UK single and quickly became a defining song of the “girl power” era. The track was written by the five members with producers Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe. Its message about friendship and personal independence helped distinguish it from a typical romantic pop song.
“Wannabe” entered the UK chart at number three before climbing to number one, where it stayed for seven weeks. It also became a worldwide success, reaching number one in more than 30 countries and launching the Spice Girls’ debut album, Spice.
The other options came later. “Say You’ll Be There” was their second UK single, while “2 Become 1” followed as their third and became the group’s 1996 Christmas number one. “Stop” was released in 1998, after several other major hits. A related point of confusion is that “Wannabe” was not their first UK number-one entry—it rose to the top after debuting at number three—but it was unquestionably their first hit single.