# Spice Girls “Wannabe”

> A debut single led seven weeks of UK charts and carried Girl Power into global pop.

- Owner: Spice Girls / Virgin Records
- Kind: Music
- Sector: Entertainment
- Seed date: May 1996
- Milestone date: Week of Feb 22, 1997
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 53 (Notable, provisional), v1.3
- Mechanics: Identity badge, Catchphrase, Platform jump, Controversy, Revival

## Summary

The Box’s request chart preceded retail, radio and press success. A planned international rollout carried Wannabe from Japan and Britain to US number one. Girl Power, merchandise and later remakes kept the song in circulation.

## Timeline

- May 1996 — Spice Girls / Virgin Records (TV) — The finished Wannabe video aired on The Box before the single reached shops.
- May 1996 — Music Week (Press) — Music Week published the group’s first music press interview.
- 1996-06-26 — Virgin / Toshiba-EMI (Retail) — Virgin released Wannabe in Japan before its UK release.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/spice-girls-wannabe

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Spice Girls “Wannabe”.” Case HIS-01449. Spread Score v1.3: 53/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01449