Ahhh: the 1990s. The decade of Brit-pop and Girl Power; of Liam and Geri. But somewhere in the middle was an English-Canadian female four-piece who nabbed the best from both.
And yet All Saints weren't your average shiny girl group. There was also a subtle coolness to everything they did - their songs skewered slightly left of their contemporaries, but without compromising their widespread appeal.
So with a third reunion planned for 2016 (we actually cannot wait), Digital Spy has looked back at all 10 of All Saints' singles and ranked them from worst to best.
10. 'WAR OF NERVES'
Released: November 23, 1998 • Chart peak: No.7
All Saints already had four Top 5 hits under their belt (including three No.1s) by the time they released 'War Of Nerves', so it was understandable that their anxiety was starting to pique. Although the track highlights their luscious harmonies over delicate strings - and sounds absolutely lovely when you're having a soothing bath - next to some of their bigger successes it pales in comparison.
9. 'ALL HOOKED UP'
Released: January 15, 2001 • Chart peak: No.7
'All Hooked Up' marks the end of the first All Saints chapter, just before they split up - famously over who should wear a combat jacket in a photoshoot. It meant we didn't get a spectacular finale to their imperial phase, but instead a so-so hip-hop-lite number that's about as gritty as a suburban cul-de-sac. It wasn't a complete disaster, but not quite the swansong their fans were after at the time.
8. 'CHICK FIT'
Released: February 26, 2007 • Chart peak: N/A
Poor 'Chick Fit' is the only All Saints single to fail to chart at all. And with that verdict, it burnt any plans of the group's first reunion continuing to be any kind of success. It's not a totally offensive pop bop though. Its chanty verses give way to a smooth chorus, but its weakness lies with the fact that, at times, it can feel like a reduced fat version of their best.
7. 'UNDER THE BRIDGE' / 'LADY MARMALADE'
Released: April 27, 1998 • Chart peak: No.1
Ask any pop music fan and you'll get conflicting opinions on whether All Saints' double A-side of covers are decent or not. The popular opinion seems to be that their take on the Red Hot Chili Peppers number is fairly nice (although Anthony Kiedis may disagree there). But they certainly don't quite pack the power of LaBelle on the latter.
And yet with hindsight, that could possibly be because Christina Aguilera, Pink et al came along a few years later and released the definitive version of 'Lady Marmalade'. And now we just can't get past that.
6. 'ROCK STEADY'
Released: November 6, 2006 • Chart peak: No.3
All Saints' almighty reunion in 2006 got off to a sturdy start with 'Rock Steady'. It gave them another Top 5 hit at their new home of Parlophone, and received mainly positive reviews from critics. How could you not fall for its Frankensteinian brilliance of dance-pop sheen, reggae guitar twangs and ska undertones. It was a beacon of light after we all suffered the chart dominance of Razorlight and The Wombats.
5. 'BOOTIE CALL'
Released: August 31, 1998 • Chart peak: No.1
We defy anyone who can resist singing along to "It's. A. BOO-TAY." while wiggling their hips suggestively. And that's precisely the reason it shot straight to the top of the chart back in September 1998. It only spent one week at No.1 though, before it was knocked off by Robbie Williams's 'Millennium'. Coincidentally, Nicole Appleton was dating the Robster at the time, so we can only imagine he wasn't getting any of the BOO-TAY that weekend.
4. 'I KNOW WHERE IT'S AT'
Released: August 18, 1997 • Chart peak: No.4
It's the hit that kick-started All Saints. After a slight line-up and name change, the four-piece burst onto the British pop scene with this bouncy gem. It kept in line with what was popular at the time (i.e. The Spice Girls) with that bubbling piano line, but was offset with those heavier urban beats. It positioned All Saints as the more hardened, style-conscious brand of Girl Power.
3. 'BLACK COFFEE'
Released: October 2, 2000 • Chart peak: No.1
A hazy dislocated verse bursts into a euphoric chorus on 'Black Coffee', with spikes of glitchy electronic throughout. It quite literally is pop-form caffeine. But this is when the cracks were initially starting to show. There's a reason they don't appear alongside each other in the music video: by then, they couldn't physically stand each other.
2. 'PURE SHORES'
Released: September 12, 1999 • Chart peak: No.1
We're going to put this out there: this is the best song to ever soundtrack Leonardo DiCaprio running up and down a tropical beach. In fact, every time we listen to this song we have to resist the urge to click on Expedia and book a last-minute deal to Thailand. It's a William Orbit production at its very finest. Just a shame that the video was shot on a chilly beach in Norfolk, instead of tropical Koh Phi Phi - eh, girls?
1. 'NEVER EVER'
Released: November 17, 1997 • Chart peak: No.1
Never again will a break-up make Shaznay Lewis so much money. The All Saint co-wrote 'Never Ever' after she was dumped by her boyfriend, pre-dating Adele's dominance in heartbroken pop by at least a decade. It remains the group's biggest-selling hit in both the UK and US and solidified their place in British pop history.
But do you agree with our ranking? You can vote for your favourite All Saints single below to have your say.
