Sugar, spice, everything nice, doo-wop, rhythm and blues, pretty young ladies (a lead, and her back-up singers), powerful male producers- these were some of the formulaic pieces used to produce the “girl group,” a distinctive genre to peak in the early 1960s and start a movement for women musicians everywhere.
When I say formulaic, I truly and completely mean that there was a specific formula used to create, almost as if in a scientific lab, the girl group phenomenon that began in the late 50s and blew up in the early 60s. Although flawed in the way the formula came about, without it music would have taken a totally different turn, and who’s to say what that mess would have looked like? I’m glad we never had the chance to find out.
We don’t appreciate nearly enough what these girl groups did for music, so, enter me, here to inform the loyal 30 of you who actually click on this, about the history of the girl group.
It all started with the Andrews Sisters in 1937. This was 20 years before girl groups became a thing, but they laid down the groundwork for those who would follow in their footsteps. The Andrews Sisters were three white chicks who had perfect eyebrows and wore bright red lipstick and matching outfits. They were signed by Decca Records, and peaked in the 1940s, traveling around to entertain military forces during WWII. You’ve probably heard their 1941 hit, “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”
A couple other girl groups popped up in the early 50s, all white, all wearing matching puffy dresses, and all sounding almost identical. The Chordettes stick out with their hits “Mr. Sandman” and “Lollipop,” being too polite to really make a significant dent in the cultural revolution of girl groups at the time.
Although these groups were successful, record producers didn’t yet think girl groups would become such a massive tool of music until rock n’ roll started to take over. Producers and label executives began to take advantage of them around 1957, as a way to steer audiences away from the “bad influence” of rock n’ roll teddy boys. These girl groups were to be clean cut, relatable, and controlled like robots.
The Shirelles formed in 1957, and were bought and sold between record labels several times. If they weren't making them enough money, off they went- sold to a new label. This changed in 1961 when their hit “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” (written by Carol King and Gerry Goffin) became the first no. 1 pop hit by an African-American girl group. This opened the door to the real deal Motown girl groups…
The Supremes formed in the Detroit housing projects in 1959, at first calling themselves the Primes. The group was made up of Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Diana Ross. They were turned down plenty of times before meeting Motown head Berry Gordy, who finally signed them in 1961, and insisted that they changed their name. They became the most successful girl group of the time, having a dozen No. 1 pop hits to their credit- more than any group except the Beatles.
Then came the Ronettes, The Chiffons, The Marvelettes, and the Shangri-Las. All very important groups with very great music (which, remember, they had no control over). Taking a closer look at these girl groups, they were all just products of their managers, producers and songwriters. They were largely interchangeable, and their producers knew that. If they didn’t work- onto the next one.
The performers were all very young- most only in their teens, which put them at a great disadvantage in terms of artistic control. As soon as the members became old enough to understand the sort of trapped position they were in, the group was thrown to the side.
Female artists in general were rarely taken seriously by those who ran the music industry at the time. The girl groups were viewed simply as vehicles for hit songs rather than creative, talented individualistic beings.
Still, they made a difference. This was a start to women recognizing that they could be involved in what was becoming rock n’ roll, too. Everyone wanted a piece, and thanks to these early 60s females, women could now have one.
These girl groups were thought to be overshadowed and erased by the British Invasion, but really, these groups inspired those who came through the British Invasion. Their songs were covered widely by the Beatles and some of the biggest bands to follow. Girl groups were far from erased.
In 1975 The Runaways made a substantial impact on the public, even though that was done in making them feel a bit uncomfortable with their adolescence and loud guitars. Some still argue that the band was a "cheap exploitation act," but either way, they encouraged girls to pick up a guitar and create something. Oh, and they gave us Joan Jett. So that's important.
Fast forward to 1978, when the Go-Go’s showed everyone that they weren’t going to take anybody’s crap. They became one of the first commercially successful female groups that wasn’t controlled by male producers or managers. They could write their own songs and play their own instruments, all while keeping their own unique identities. Not only that, but they rose up as a punk band. These ladies were real rock stars. They became America’s female favorites, even as they took a massive amount of drugs and trashed hotel rooms. If they were going to be rockers, they were going all in. Of course, this is not encouraged, but I’m glad they did it.
Groups like Sister Sledge and The Bangles followed closely after, making sure to keep the girl group alive, and leaving many hits for us to jam to while we patiently waited for the iconic girl groups of the next generation.
Even though these 70s and 80s breakthrough groups did a lot for independent women at the time, it didn’t erase the formula. In 1990, producer Ian Burke and one of his clients, Crystal Jones, came up with the idea to create an R&B girl group with the kind of hip-hop attitude that could serve as a counterpoint to the all-male trio Bell Biv Devoe. Starting off as a money-making tool but turning out to be one of the most important groups of the 90s, TLC was born. In 11 years, TLC earned 17 Grammy nominations and a ton of loyal followers who would keep their music alive.
1996 came The Spice Girls, also a response to the new boy-band craze. But unlike boy- bands, the Spice Girls made a girl-power statement that was more forward-facing and significant than any other girl group before them. They each had a different image that resonated with their wide array of fans (I always wanted to be Baby, but growing up to hate girly clothes naturally turned to look up to Sporty). They took not only girl groups but pop music as well to a new level.
A year after the explosion of the spice girls came Destiny’s Child. They followed the girl power train as well with songs like “Independent Woman, pt 1” and “Jumpin Jumpin.”
Many more came to follow in the 2000s- the Dixie Chicks, Pussycat Dolls, Fifth Harmony and so many others, all thanks to what started as a 60s formula for record label success. Little did these powerful men know, they were helping to create a movement that would prove its significance for 50 years to come.
Groups like the Andrews Sisters and the Supremes helped to put women in the spotlight, push rock n’ roll forward, and became the backbone of pop music. It sounds like a large jump from The Andrews Sisters to Destiny’s Child, but the truth is, it was just a long line of female effort, with each group fighting for the same end goal- more women in music.