1 Girls Aloud, comprising the young and beautiful Nadine Coyle, Cheryl Tweedy, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, are the creation of the UK’s reality TV show Popstars: The Rivals. Formed at the end of November 2002, the quintet, with a little help from a marketing juggernaut, released their single, Sound of the Underground, which hit number one on the British charts. They managed to beat the rather dull male group, One True Voice, by being sassy, sexy and something which the noughties youth could respond to – by then, we were all bored of cheesy boy bands, crooning with doe eyes into the camera.
A string of misfortunes then plagued the newly-formed band. Just as Girls Aloud were at the top of the pop charts, their road manager died in a car crash. Cheryl was then arrested for assault in a nightclub in early 2003, accused of a racist attack, and poor ticket sales forced the cancellation of Girls Aloud’s first national tour.
However, things have changed dramatically since then and, after this shaky start, the girls are on top form and boshing out catchy singles left, right and centre from their new album, What The Neighbours Say, a pretty corking mix which spans a range of influences from disco to blues.
The girls have been in the press a lot recently due to their weight – possibly a cunning marketing ploy, or maybe true concern, from manager Louis Walsh. Last year, he ordered the girls to go on a diet but now fears they have gone too far and, in a complete U-turn, has ordered the pop starlets to gain weight as they are too skinny. The girls missed out in the Best Pop Act category at this year’s Brit Awards. But, with Girls Aloud set to star in a Scary Movie style spoof horror film, which they’re writing themselves, it doesn’t look as though the group is letting any bad press get them down.
Wake Me Up is in true Girls Aloud style – punchy, catchy, not particularly memorable, but still manages to have you humming along to it days after you’ve heard it.
From the band who once thanked the Spice Girls for paving the way for the modern female pop band, Girls Aloud have a huge following, a good list of top 10 hits behind them and are filling the Spice Girls shoes quite nicely. You go girls!
2 Alsou
Always On My Mind
3 Charlotte Hatherley
Bastardo
4 Elvis Presley
(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame
5 Futureheads
Hounds of Love
6 Green Day
Holiday
7 Idlewild
Love Steals Us From Loneliness
8 Keisha White ft Cassidy
Dont Care Who Knows
9 KT Tunstall
Black Horse And The Cherry Tree
10 Nelly
Over And Over
