2026 marks the 30th anniversary of one of music’s most important releases, a release that empowered females everywhere with its staunch ‘Girl Power’ attitude, propelled by several number-one singles.
‘Spice,’ the debut album by the Spice Girls, was officially released on November 4, 1996, becoming the album that is considered to have brought ‘teen pop’ back into fashion and generating the same sort of global hype that Beatlemania received decades earlier. It would become the UK's best-selling album of 1997, selling over 19 million copies worldwide in the space of a year.
It peaked at the top of the UK album charts on November 16, 1996, maintaining a total 15-week non-consecutive run at the top of the mountain, despite a momentary blip during its second week.
But its formidable nature, from the hype and the press surrounding the band, didn't see it languish in second position for too long.
So what other albums were released around the same time, 29 years ago this week, that the Spice Girls kept off the top spot—before we start discussing plans for what they’ll do to celebrate three decades of Spice in the new year?
We take a look at the UK albums chart around mid-November 1996, to find out what other big hitters were trying to topple the Spice Girls from the top of the heap.
13. Kula Shaker - K
The celebrated debut from the psychedelic rock band. Its sales were capped and kept well outside the Top 10, proving the difficulty that even critically acclaimed indie-rock faced against the pop giants. | Getty Images
14. Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
This award-winning American album was a huge global hit, but its sales were struggling to crack the Top 10 in the UK, highlighting the massive blockage facing female non-pop artists. | Getty Images
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15. The Smurfs - The Smurfs Go Pop!
This album represents the pure novelty factor of the mid-90s, but even its guaranteed sales were pushed into the bottom of the Top 20 by the sheer, overwhelming commercial command of the Spice Girls. | Getty Images