Girl power! Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice), Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice), Mel B (Scary Spice), Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice) and Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) formed the Spice Girls in 1994 and went on to become one of the most beloved music groups of all time.
The band was originally called Touch, but they later changed their name to Spice after cowriting a song titled “Sugar and Spice.” However, they once again altered the name to the one that eventually stuck, Spice Girls, after discovering that another artist already used the moniker Spice.
The British girl group released their debut single, “Wannabe,” in July 1996. As their popularity skyrocketed, their first album, Spice, followed in November of that year. The Spice Girls — who adopted their nicknames from Top of the Pops magazine — went on to drop a slew of hits, including “Spice Up Your Life,” “Who Do You Think You Are” and “Stop.”
Halliwell announced her intentions to leave the band in May 1998. As the members of the group pursued solo careers and their personal lives flourished, the Spice Girls took an indefinite hiatus in December 2000.
Seven years later, all five of the women revealed their plans to reunite for a worldwide tour. They gathered again in August 2012 to perform a medley of their greatest hits at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
In November 2018, Halliwell, Mel B, Chisholm and Bunton shared their intentions to tour again without Beckham, who declined to participate, but cheered them on from the sidelines.
In March 2024, the women celebrated 30 years since auditioning for their iconic Spice Girls auditions.
“Today marks the 30th anniversary of the very first Spice Girls auditions! 🎉,” they wrote via their official Instagram account alongside a throwback video from the audition process. “What started back in 1994 has turned into an amazing journey, way beyond anything we could have ever imagined. Thank you to our fans for your support from day one 💖 #FriendshipNeverEnds.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see what Scary, Sporty, Posh, Baby and Ginger Spice are up to today!