TLC

TLC is an American R&B group from Atlanta, United States, active since 1991. It is a US pop/R&B trio whose best-known line-up brings together Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas; the group is also associated with Crystal Jones in its membership history.

Career and recordings

The group emerges in the early 1990s and becomes one of the defining American girl groups of the decade. It scores nine top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including four number-one hits: “Creep”, “Waterfalls”, “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty”.

TLC records four multi-platinum albums, among them CrazySexyCool and FanMail. CrazySexyCool is released in 1994 and receives diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. FanMail, released in 1999, becomes the first R&B group album to receive million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

Recognition and legacy

The group sells over 65 million records worldwide and is the best-selling American girl group of all time. VH1 ranks TLC as the greatest female group, placing it at number 12 on its list of 100 Greatest Women in Music. Billboard names the group one of the greatest musical trios and the seventh-most-successful act of the 1990s.

TLC wins four Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards and five Soul Train Music Awards. It also receives the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the 17th MOBO Awards, the Legend Award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards Japan, and induction into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022.

Later activity

After Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes dies in 2002, the remaining members continue as a duo rather than replacing her. The group releases its fifth album, TLC, in 2017.

Style

TLC is associated with contemporary R&B, crunk, new jack swing, pop, pop rap and R&B.