You'll have to forgive the lack of graphics; they're not ready yet.
You know, it was really hard in the case of some groups - they had so many singles, it was a challenge to narrow them down to six. Such is the case for our first group - still the second most successful British girl group of all time - Bananarama.
The Nanas - Sara, Keren, and Siobhan - formed sometime in the late 70s. Sara and Karen had been friends since childhood (a trend you'll see popping up in a LOT of groups in this rate), and met Siobhan while they were all studying art/fashion. They dressed more outrageously than others in ther art-punk scene, and banded together to make music, but not really take it seriously. They are really the only group here that sings in unison, as opposed to harmony. They had UK top ten hits off their first album, but let's ignore those and go with their first truly international hit.
We'll start with Cruel Summer. Co-written by the girls, it was originally released in 1983, peaking at #8 in the UK. It was prominently featured in The Karate Kid, which gave it international exposure - and it went top ten in the US.
Fun Fact: They were on coke throughout the shoot!
How do you follow up a bonafide hit? Easy, with a song that references The Godfather Part II, Enter Robert De Niro's Waiting (Talking Italian).
At this time, the Nanas were really getting into a type of dance music, popular in clubs, called Hi-NRG. They hooked up with the leading kings of it at the time, Stock/Aitken/Waterman. Somehow, they came up with the idea of covering a 60s classic, and in the process gained a worldwide number one. Hello Venus!
Fun Fact: Bananarama would be the last British girl group to hit number one in the US for over ten years.
It so rarely happens, but sometimes a song does better than other countries than an act's home. That was the case with I Heard a Rumour, which failed to make the top ten in the UK but went all the way to #4 in the US.
Fun Fact: This would be the last time the Nanas bothered the US Top 40. Although they did come close with ...
Love in the First Degree! But first, a little backstory. By this time (1987/1988), Siobhan was quickly growing tired of the pace of pop life, and the lack of creative freedom once they hooked up with S/A/W. [They were also all doing coke heavily, but it was the 80s!] She soon left, and Love in the First Degree was the last top ten hit they had in this formation.
Fun Fact: Get a load of this BRITS performance of Love ...
I WISH an American act would so brazenly lipsync and half-heartedly dance with muscled up gay dancers behind them.
I mean one does, but at award shows ...
The first song to go top ten with new member Jacqui was I Want You Back, a song that the remaining members (Jacqui left in a year's time) now can't stand to hear or perform.
Cruel Summer
Robert De Niro's Waiting (Talking Italian)
Venus
I Heard a Rumour
Love in the First Degree
I Want You Back
These are the six songs you'll be rating. As a bonus, however ...
Sara and Keren became a duo, and went on to flop with much prejudice. But they did write/release one song that became an actual hit when Steps covered it a decade later.
This sounds incredibly fun. Bananarama is a GREAT starter. I think their influence on British girlgroups (pre- and post-Spice) is greatly underestimated.
Get familiar then sis! That's why I'm doing this rate like this, so the older groups have a true chance. If I put all sixty songs out at the same time, I know for a fact the next group up would not make top forty.