TLC

Born in Atlanta in 1990, TLC defined a decade of R&B with an unmistakable balance: Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins’ lean, distinctive tone, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas’ polish, and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ wild-card edge. As a trio they turned bold, self-aware messages into commercial landmarks, placing four singles atop the Billboard Hot 100 — “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs,” and “Unpretty” — and landing nine top tens across the 1990s. CrazySexyCool earned diamond certification from the RIAA, while FanMail made them the first R&B group to receive a million certification from the RIAJ in Japan.

The numbers only tell part of it. Their impact was also about present-tense identity: VH1 named them the greatest female group, and Billboard has ranked them among the greatest musical trios and the most successful acts of the 1990s. Accolades include five Grammy Awards, five MTV VMAs, and five Soul Train Music Awards. After Lopes’ death in 2002, TLC did not seek a substitute. Watkins and Thomas continued as a duo, later releasing the eponymous TLC in 2017. By 2022, their influence was formally recognized with an induction into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. Few girl groups have moved so much product while sounding so personal.