Best Hit Songs of the 00s

 The 2000s: The decade that almost wasn't. At least that's what a lot of people believed in the year 1999 as the new Millenium was about to start. Lots of things were changing as the world was about to enter the 2000s. With the rise of the internet and it becoming more and more accessible to the public, it's true that things would change forever. Technology not only changed how we did lots of our everyday tasks but also how we found entertainment. Before the internet, finding music was all about trading CDs/tapes with friends, going out to live shows, or hearing new songs on the radio. Now we could download MP3s straight into our computers, go into music forums or stream music straight from a browser. It was pretty freakin' amazing, and the potential for the smaller artists to get more recognition was out there. It took a while before that really happened, at least in the mainstream. For most of the 00s, it was still mostly about radio hits and big music labels promoting artists. 

The 2000s saw a big change in the dominant sound of music. It was already happening in the 90s, but in this new decade, Hip-Hop finally became the number one genre in the mainstream and pretty much has stayed that way until today. Lots of other genres and trends have come and gone in the music charts, but Rap and its sub-genres have stuck around since the early 00s. Big names like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Outkast, Jay-Z, Kanye, and a lot more carried the genre to new levels of popularity. 

There was also the rise of indie rock and the Post-Punk Revival of the early 00s which holds a special place in my life. Some amazing music came from that time period of rock, with lots of bands I still love to this day like The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, and Arcade Fire. On the radio though, it was lots of sad post-grunge acts like Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, and Creed in the early years of the decade. Honestly, one of my least favorite time periods of rock radio besides maybe the very early 90s. Later on in the decade, we moved more into pop-rock and pop-punk in the mainstream, which was a lot more fun and still very nostalgic to me. 

I should also mention the big pop stars of the decade, a lot of whom got their start in the late 90s. Artists like Justin Timberlake, Pink, Beyonce, and Gwen Stefani really took off on their own and really dominated the decade. Towards the end of the decade, we saw the rise of the new stars who would break records in the next decade like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Carrie Underwood. Things would really change with the rise of the iPod and Itunes, making music that much easier to get and giving music listeners more choice in what they purchase and listen to. This really felt like the fall of the album and the rise of the single. No longer did you have to buy a whole album just to listen to that one song you really liked, and it really changed the way artist released music. Thankfully I think streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music coming out made albums feel more important again. 

Now that I think about it though, out of the three decades I've done a list like this for (the 80s, 90s, and now 00s), this one has to be the hardest to pick from of the hit songs. I think that might be because of the fact that I lived through the entire decade and have a lot more personal connections to these songs. It's interesting to see how different things were from the first half of the decade to the later years. Didn't even really mention how 9/11 in 2001 affected music in a big way too with a lot of shifts in lyrics and styles. A lot of artists would make music in protest of the ongoing war, but a lot of artists were also making lots of come together America type songs too. 

That was just a brief look at how music was in the 2000s, but now I'll talk about the songs themselves. Starting with some special mentions before going into the actual top 10 songs of the decade. Just in case you didn't read my previous ones (the 80s and 90s) I only work off of hit songs that were on the radio and charts. So basically no indie artists or b-side songs. 

SPECIAL MENTIONS

(2003) The White Stripes  - "Seven Nation Army"

Starting off with one of the most famous rock songs of all time is Jack White and Meg White's iconic stadium hit "Seven Nation Army". If you've been to or watched a sporting event chances are you've either heard this song playing or the crowd chanting the famous riff. I love how the song starts off quiet and slow before really kicking into high gear after the buildup. It's not a song I find myself listening to a lot on its own, but when it comes on I'm always a little surprised by how good this song really is. I still prefer The White Stripes when they are their hardest like "Black Math" and "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine" from that same album, but this song deserves a mention here.

(2007) Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse - "Valerie"

Can't have a list of the best songs of the 2000s without mentioning Amy Winehouse. In her short career, she made a huge impact in music with one of the best albums of the decade "Back to Black" and some great performances. Her team up with Mark Ronson in 2007 created this gem of a song (Valerie) that became not just a big hit, but a pretty iconic song in its own right. Mark Ronson does have a way of bringing out the best in some great artists, teaming up with Amy Winehouse was a great choice for both of them. "Valerie" gets a lot of inspiration from retro music while still sounding modern enough to be a huge hit in the 2000s. This was the perfect song for Amy Winehouse and her unique vocals to really shine along with some really catchy and well-crafted music. 

(2004) Usher - "Yeah!" (Ft. Ludacris and Lil Jon)

If you were alive in the year 2004 with working ears then you must have heard this song at least 1000 times. Yeah, this song and the album it came from completely dominated the year 2004 and turned Usher from a well-known R&B artist to a mega pop star. Really, this song had three huge stars at around their peak because Ludacris and Lil Jon were also at the height of their powers, and this song pretty much proved that. The iconic beat kicks off and immediately you know what song it is and every word comes back to you instantly. To this day I still hear people using this song as their ringtone... probably cause they don't know how to change it, but still. 

(2000) U2 - "Beautiful Day"

Having multiple hit songs for three straight decades is no easy feat, but U2 found a way to stay relevant throughout the 80s, 90s, and now the 00s. It wasn't without some bumps on the road, but they stayed consistent enough to keep their fans throughout the years as well as bring in new ones. When you keep making classic after classic I guess it's not hard to see why they remained successful all these years. "Beautiful Day" was a reminder of what this band was capable of after floundering in the late 90s. Starting off the new decade with a big return to form and a new classic from the band. The uplifting sound of "Beautiful Day" felt like a throwback from U2 without just feeling like a retread.

(2004) Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"

One thing that really took off in the 2000s was reality TV. With shows like Survivor, Real World, and The Bachelor dominating television, it was only a matter of time until they created a show to find the next superstar artist. While there were a lot of these shows, the one that really took off was American Idol in 2002. Lucky for American Idol that the first-ever winner of the show turned out to be a really big star named Kelly Clarkson. Her big hit "Since U Been Gone" was the perfect song for her to really kick off her career as it used her unique vocals and range perfectly. The song was heavily inspired by a song that's on this list later actually, more on that soon. 

(2005) Mariah Carey - "We Belong Together"

A big return in the year 2005 for Mariah with her biggest hit since her 1995 album "Daydream". At a time when R&B was insanely popular, it only felt right that Mariah Carey would be amongst the biggest artists putting out hits. I feel like there are some similarities between this and Usher's big hit "Confessions". That would make sense since that album came out the year before and was the biggest album of that year. Mariah brings out "We Belong Together" to remind everyone why she is one of the best voices in the genre by killing it on this track. It's all just very good. 

(2003) Beyonce - "Crazy In Love" (ft. Jay-Z)

Beyonce had her first big solo hit to kickstart her career away from Destiny's Child, the first of many more. It was obvious that she was going to be the star to emerge from Destiny's Child, I mean the group was formed by her dad to help make her a star. This new single "Crazy In Love" was the perfect start to her career as it was a massive hit, and is still really loved by many to this day. As an artist, Beyonce would grow leaps and bounds beyond this first album, but even so, it's good to come back to where it all started. 

(2002) Snoop Dogg - "Beautiful" (ft. Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson)

The 2000s were full of hip-hop "love" songs, but none did it better than Pharrell's smooth vocals and legendary rapper Snoop Dogg. The beat can get a bit repetitive, but it's a really good one so it doesn't bother me too much. All that is made up by the great verses followed by some really catchy choruses by Pharrell. Then the song kicks into super-smoothness with the romantic bridge where they actually have some really sweet lyrics for their girls. A lot of the rap love songs of this time period were missing that actual sweetness to them, often still trying to show how tough they are as rappers instead of actually showing a vulnerable side to their ladies. This song doesn't fall into that cliche like rappers Fat Joe, 50 Cent, and Ja Rule always did. For that alone, I give it a lot of credit. 

(2003) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps"

Remember that song that was the heavy inspiration for "Since U Been Gone"? That would be this song. The story goes that a big-name music producer heard this song and was really annoyed by how it never really kicks into high gear and wanted to make his own version that actually does that. He teamed up with Kelly Clarkson to write and create a harder version of "Maps". I'd be kind of annoyed at his attitude towards indie rock, but at least we got a great song out of it. I still think "Maps" is the better song though. It had such a great unique sound at the time, with some great drum and guitar work really carrying the song along with the vocals. At a time when indie rock was really growing and lots of bands were fighting for the spotlight, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs stood out by making some fantastic music. 

Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."

Speaking of innovative bands, here comes the most famous virtual band Gorillaz. In the 2000s the frontman of the rock band Blur named Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett created this band of virtual characters who would become iconic in the music world. The music would be a mix of indie/alt-rock and hip-hop, usually featuring lots of guest rappers from around the world. Their biggest hit would come from their 2005 album "Demon Days", a little song called "Feel Good Inc".  This song still feels unlike anything else I've ever really heard, even Gorillaz themselves haven't really been able to completely replicate its success. Not to say they haven't made good songs after, because that's not true either. The mix of guitar and bass mix to make a really fresh sound at the time with the mix of hip-hop elements. 

Coldplay - "Fix You"

One of the biggest rock bands of the last 20+ years had to be included in this list. The thing that I always loved about Coldplay was their ability to make their music so full of emotion through just the instruments. This song is the perfect example of that as even without the lyrics you can feel the same emotions. This song just brings a mix of sadness and hope that is almost addicting to listen to. Once the bridge kicks in it's a pretty glorious sight, especially in live performances of this song if you've seen them. 

(2004) Kanye West - "All Falls Down"

Kanye's career has been in a bit of a downward spiral the last few years with his move to more religious-focused music. With the way his music and personality have affected how people view him recently, it's easy to forget just how important his work was in the last twenty years. Right from his first album "College Dropout", he was creating interesting and unique beats and rhymes for his music. Many argue about what Kanye's best album is and this is definitely a contender. My favorite from this album is "All Falls Down", which was inspired by Lauryn Hill's "Mystery of Iniquity" on her live MTV album. Using the sample creates a perfect backdrop for Kanye's song about material possessions and how they are used to build self-worth and hide insecurities and weaknesses. Something I wish Kanye would think about nowadays.

Okay, well I probably included more special mentions than I had originally intended to, but there were so many songs I wanted to give a shoutout to. I still had to leave out a bunch of songs I really like despite having all these mentions. But anyway, here are the TEN BEST SONGS of the 2000s.  

(2006) My Chemical Romance - "Welcome to the Black Parade"

When I was a young man, I witnessed this music video on FUSE TV for the first time. My jaw dropped because I knew I had just witnessed probably the greatest emo thing I've ever seen. The mid-2000s had some of the best emo music that ever existed and My Chemical Romance was in a lot of ways the one leading the movement. They took the emo music throne in 2006 when they released this song and the album of the same name. "Welcome to the Black Parade" feels like emo music's Magnum Opus as it fell right in the middle of the genre's most popular time. I think it may have been more appropriate as a send-off to the genre's peak because it never really reached this momentum again. While the genre isn't nearly as popular as it was in the mainstream 15 years ago, it still holds a place in a lot of people's hearts. "Welcome to the Black Parade" is a perfect song to remember those times.

(2007) Lady Gaga - "Just Dance" (Ft. Colby O'Donis)

In the late 2000s, a star was born. It really felt like Lady Gaga just decided to become a huge superstar one morning and just like that she was one of the biggest names in the world. This was the big opener from her debut album and what a way to kick off her first album. One of the best pop songs of the decade showed off everything about Lady Gaga and why she deserved all the praise she was getting. The vocals, charisma, and presence are all here on display and would only get better over time. Lady Gaga has this unique charisma that makes people drawn to her and her music. Even though she came into the decade near its end, I think it's hard not to say she was incredibly important to the 2000s music scene. 

(2006) Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"

The team-up of Ceelo Green and Danger Mouse was one that led to lots of great tunes. None really reached the level of "Crazy" though, their only big hit under the name Gnarls Barkley. Danger Mouse's production mixed with Ceelo's smooth vocals created this undeniable sound that was easy to love. The great bass carrying the song along with some cool string sounds to elevate the choruses is really great. 

(2002) Eminem - "Lose  Yourself"

The 2000s was Eminem's decade that he ruled with multiple hits that made him arguably the biggest rapper of the decade. In terms of talent, it's debatable, but in terms of sales, no one is close to Eminem. In 2002 he starred in his own movie called "8 Mile" which was actually a really good movie. Along with that, he released a single as a tie-in with the movie called "Lose Yourself". The song quickly became insanely popular and is Eminem's signature song. Eminem has a lot of comedy and over-the-top violence in his songs usually, but every now and then he brings out a track like this where he sheds all that and takes a more serious route. The iconic piano intro leads into the also iconic guitar riff and Eminem brings some of the best verses he's ever written alongside a chorus that is actually really good. Eminem's choruses are almost never the best part of his song, but this actually stands out. In a lot of ways he never reached the same heights he did with this song and everything he did before this. His career past the 2000s has been hit or miss, but there's no denying how insanely popular he was during the 2000s. 

(2008) Rihanna - "Umbrella" (ft. Jay-Z)

If you asked many people what the song that defined the 2000s was, a lot of people would probably bring this song up. I think it's totally a candidate for the song that defined the second half of the decade. Rihanna was one of the biggest names in pop music in the 2000s and 2010s, this is still considered her trademark hit by many. Listening to this song again, it's the perfect embodiment of the sound that dominated the late 2000s on the radio. A mix of synth and hip-hop beats with usually a rap verse thrown in by a big-name rapper for more crossover appeal. This is the sound that artists like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Katy Perry, and even a band like Onerepublic used. This song didn't start that trend, but it pretty much perfected it. 

(2003) Linkin Park - "Numb"

In the 2000s Linkin Park owned the Nu-Metal genre and probably were the ones who kept it relevant past the early 00s. Well, them and Nickelback I guess. Despite being considered a Nu-Metal band, I think Linkin Park's sound was unique enough that it was hard to really keep them in that bubble. Lots tried to replicate them, but none could ever find that same sound and popularity. Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington's mix of rap and singing worked so well together. To me though, Chester's vocals were so amazing that he could have been successful in many other genres. The way he can transition from his screaming vocals to his cleaner vocals was always so impressive to me. "Numb," I think really showed off perfectly what he was capable of as a singer. Along with the great musicians in the band who could always make music to match Chester's passionate vocals, Linkin Park were groundbreaking and ahead of their time. 

(2003) Outkast - "Hey Ya"

One of the best Rap groups of all time featured Andre 3000 and Big Boi creating some amazing music from back in the 90s to the 2000s. In 2003 they created one of the biggest songs of the decade in "Hey Ya". A mix of their usual hip-hop sound infused with more pop and dance music. This song is so memorable that I could play any second of this song and most people will immediately recognize what song it is. It really makes me wish they had stuck around longer because this was really the last album they made together outside of a movie soundtrack album. Outkast had so many iconic songs though, it was still tough to pick just one, but considering how big this one was it made sense to put it on the list. Originally I wanted to put "B.O.B" on here because it's probably my favorite rap song, but sadly it wasn't technically a hit song. The only thing I have left to ask is: What's cooler than being cool? 

(2003) Britney Spears - "Toxic"

If you wanted to hear what a perfect pop song would sound like, you would listen to "Toxic". With Britney Spears at the height of her powers, she and her producers crafted the perfect song just for her talents. The strings kicking off the song are such a great idea, and the melody used with them became iconic in music. Britney herself puts a strong performance in the vocals, knowing just how to sing the vocals to match the lyrics of the song and not overdo it. When it comes to pop songs, it would be hard to find a song better than this one. 

(2004) The Killers - "Mr. Brightside"

The peak of the post-punk revival came in 2004 when The Killers released their album "Hot Fuss". Right from the second the guitar kicks in you know you're in for something special. It's crazy to think this was one of the first songs made by the band when they first got together. Like, imagine your first song becoming one of the most recognizable and loved songs in the world. While the band never made a song that matched the hype and popularity of "Mr. Brightside", they have had plenty of hits in their career and continue to make great music. "Mr. Brightside" just felt like it captured a moment in time perfectly, with the Post-Punk Revival at its peak this song felt like the perfect send-off to the movement. Not that it went away at all, but just that its time in the mainstream charts hasn't really reached the heights it did back then. 

(2000) Crazy Town - "Butterfly"

Honestly, I just wanted an excuse to put this ridiculous music video on here. 

(2004) Green Day - "American Idiot"

No song takes me back to the 2000s more than Green Day's "American Idiot". A song that completely changed the way I listen to music and an album that inspire me to want to learn to play music on my own. Personally, this song and album are incredibly important to me, but the song was also a huge hit that brought Green Day back into the limelight after a few years away from it. Green Day was still a pretty big band at the time, but this song led them to a peak in popularity. The song hit in the post-9/11 United States at a time when protest songs were pretty regular, especially in the punk scene. At a time when the media was trying to control the political narrative more than ever, this song stood against that. It's about fighting for what you want and believe in and not just being part of the status quo. A song that sadly seems to be relevant at all times in the USA, perhaps even more so these days. I'll be singing along to this song until the day I die.