Blog by Sean Gehon, Wednesday, July 04, 2007
After countless rumours and endless speculation, the Spice Girls have announced plans for a world tour. For years I have waited for the day that Girl Power would return in full force to take the stage all over again. They’ve sold more than fifty five million albums and scored nine number one singles, and now their legions of fans around the world are getting one more opportunity to say goodbye. But some of their fans are taking the Spice Girls reunion to a whole new level.
Although Stop may stand out as their only single that didn’t reach number one, it did manage to make it all the way to number two. With the Spice Girls set to head out on tour, fans across the world are banding together in a campaign they’ve called Stop to the Top. The campaign is designed to download Stop enough times to have it reach number one on itunes. At last check the campaign has managed to get stop to number sixty six on itunes, and number five on the HMV download chart.
I’m as excited as anyone that the Spice Girls are back together. I’m not entirely sure that I’m losing sleep over the fact that only nine of their ten singles made it to number one in the UK, but I have to say I’m quite impressed. How many performers in the history of the world can say that almost every single they’ve ever released has made it to the top of the charts? Probably not that many. For a group that only managed to release two albums, this is a pretty fantastic feat.
Stop to the Top has a good chance of success. With over one million people already registered for concert tickets for the ladies upcoming reunion tour, it isn’t hard to imagine that many people or more downloading Stop in an effort to secure the girls their final number one single. Personally, even though I don’t see the point, I’m impressed by the commitment of these fans. For a group that hasn’t performed together in nearly seven years, the Spice Girls have managed to enthrall an entire planet for longer than anyone anticipated. You’ve really got to hand it to the people involved in Stop to the Top, they don’t just support a group, they want to take it to a whole new level.
When the Spice Girls first emerged on the music scene with their smash hit single Wannabe did anyone expect that more than ten years later they’d still be in such high demand? The Spice Girls can simply be described as a phenomenon. Their catchy brand of pop music and sassy attitudes stood out from the crowd and turned five British women into global superstars. Spice by the Spice Girls was the first album I ever owned. For this fact, and probably many more, the Spice Girls will always have a special place in my heart. Perhaps some would say I’m mildly obsessed with this group, and they’d probably be right, but you know what they say… you always remember your first.
I’ve waited quite some time for this reunion, and according to the numbers registered for tickets and the response for Stop to the Top, I’m far from alone. Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh and Sporty are together again and only time will tell for how long. With the success of their reunion, even before they’ve really began, I can only wonder… is this really the end of the Spice Girls? Rumours are flying about how much each girl is making for this reunion, some reports going as far as to suggest twenty million dollars… each. If money is the only circumstance, the girls are guaranteed to be raking in the millions through ticket sales, and merchandise sales on top of the whatever they got paid to reunite. Personally I hope it isn’t the end and I look forward to a few more years of Girl Power!
That being said, if I get the chance to see them in concert, which I hope to do, I can only hope that after seven years, it’s everything I dreamed it would be. I want to see glitter, I want to see platform shoes, and most of all, I want them to be as over the top as ever. Good luck, Girl Power. You’re probably going to need it.
Sean (Stop to the Top! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maZAwq4k5rg )
