Steps are a British pop group created by manager Tim Byrne and writers Steve Crosby and Barry Upton, consisting of members Lee Latchford-Evans, Claire Richards, Lisa Scott-Lee, Faye Tozer, and Ian "H" Watkins. Formed on 6 May 1997, Steps recorded a total of three studio albums, two compilation albums, released sixteen singles throughout their career. Hailed as the ABBA of the 1990s, their musical approach throughout the course of their career had a strong 1990s pop sound, similar to many artists of their time. Their name was based around a simple marketing gimmick: each of their music videos was choreographed, and the dance steps were included with most of their single releases.
Over the five years they were together, Steps achieved a series of charting singles between 1997 and 2001 including 2 number one singles in the UK, 2 number one albums in the UK, 14 consecutive top 5 singles in the UK and a string of hits throughout Europe. The group have sold over 20 million records and 2 million concert tickets worldwide in addition to acquiring a BRIT Award nomination in 1999 for Best Newcomer while supporting Britney Spears on the UK leg of her tour the same year. However, when group members Clare Richards and Ian "H" Watkins departed the group, the group disbanded on 26 December 2001. Their penultimate single reached number-five in the UK charts while their final album of greatest hits, Gold (2001), scored the band their second number one album in the UK.
The group reformed in May 2011 for a four-part documentary series on Sky Living titled Steps: The Reunion.
