Spice Girls

The group became one of the most successful marketing engines ever, with their global grosses estimated at $500-800 million between 1996 and 1998, and the group earned up to $75 million per year. Under the guidance of their mentor and manager Simon Fuller, the group embraced merchandising and became a regular feature of the British and global press. In 1996, Top of the Pops magazine gave each member of the group aliases, which were adopted by the group and media. According to Rolling Stone journalist and biographer David Sinclair, "Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh and Sporty were the most widely recognized group of individuals since John, Paul, George, and Ringo". They were the biggest popular cultural icons of the 1990s, according to a survey carried out by Trivial Pursuit, winning by 80 percent in a poll of 1,000 people, stating that "Girl Power" defined the decade. They are cited as part of the 'second wave' '90s British Invasion of the US. On 31 May 1998, Halliwell unexpectedly left the group in the middle of numerous rumors. The four remaining members released their third album Forever, in November 2000. On 28 June 2007, all five reformed before the launch of their reunion tour in December, alongside the release of their Greatest Hits album. In December, a new documentary titled Giving You Everything aired on television. The tour is estimated to have grossed US$100 million, despite a shortened run. The tour won the Billboard 2008 Touring Award for Top Boxscore for a 17-night stand at London's O2 Arena.