S Club 7 had an almost magical ability to bottle sunshine and transform it into song. The London bubblegum crew’s alchemical mix of breezy ’60s soul, fizzy ‘80s dance, and glossy Y2K pop was a greater-than-the-sum distillation of all things vibrant and youthful—as apt to kick off the party as stoke self-confidence. Of course, it was all by brilliant design. In 1998, ex-Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller plucked seven sprightly, golden-voiced stars from about 10,000 auditions: Rachel Stevens, Hannah Spearritt, Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Jo O’Meara, and Bradley McIntosh. The group’s chemistry was nearly instantaneous—the candied melodies, rich harmonies, and call-and-response vocals that powered their 1999 debut, S Club, felt like the sonic embodiment of friendship and support. Their rosy view and summery sound was so encapsulated by their motivational hit “Bring It All Back” that it doubled as the theme for their BBC kids’ sitcom, Miami 7, which by the summer of 2000 racked up 90 million viewers across 100 countries. While S Club 7 specialized in upbeat grooves that equally celebrated individuality and togetherness, they could also knock out a romantic ballad: The string-laden “Never Had a Dream Come True,” was such a poignant and beloved lament for love gained and lost that it appeared on both 2000’s 7 and 2001’s Sunshine. But S Club 7’s bright-eyed spirit had its limits—the band split in 2003, leaving a finite collection of songs that, fortunately, beam on beyond their time.