2000s Hits: 110 the Most Popular Songs From 2000-2009
Written by: Bobby McNeill
Table of Contents
The 2000s were the heyday of casting and reality shows. The German casting show “Popstars” produced the girl group “No Angeles,” successful in German-speaking countries for many years. Your song “Daylight in Your Eyes” was the most popular single in the millennium year.
Casting shows were also perennial favorites in the U.S. and England. “Kelly Clarkson” and “Leona Lewis” were z. B. Contestants who made it to international fame.
After the horrific terrorist attacks on 11, the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 9, the song “Only Time” by “Enya” became a worldwide hit and sold millions of copies. The Good mood song “The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)” by the girl group “Las Ketchup” brought smiles back to people’s faces. Dem Spanish hit no one could escape in 2002.
The song was played on the radio in a continuous loop, and the 2000s hit didn’t stop in front of the T.V. either.
In Germany, The enthusiasm for German-language music returned in the 2000s. Xavier Naidoo”, “Herbert Grönemeyer,” “Juli” and “DJ Ötzi,” for example, achieved several chart successes. “DJ Ötzi” made it to the top of the annual charts in 2005 with his song “One star.”
The 2000s were also the decade when many female newcomers shook up the music scene. “Katy Perry,” “Rihanna,” and “Lady Gaga” stormed the charts and paved their way for many more successful years to come. “Rihanna,” in particular, was highly successful in Germany, and in this country, she is now the commercially most successful singer of all time.
In 2009, however, “Lady Gaga’s” hit “Poker Face” made it to the top of the year’s charts.
Of course, there were also new musical additions from the established stars, such as “Mariah Carey” with “We Belong Together,” “The Black Eyed Peas” with “Boom Boom Pow,” “Eminem” with “Lose Yourself,” “Usher” with “Yeah,” or “Beyoncé” with “Irreplaceable.”. So the 2000s had a good mix of new and old and German and international stars.
(At the end of the article, we’ve created a Spotify playlist for you with all the songs listed here.)
If you like to remember the musical time of the 2000s, you should listen to our playlist below. The tracklist contains the top hits of the 2000s.
01. 50 Cent – In da Club
With the energetic support of Eminem and productions by Dr. Dre – who was also responsible for this number – it was actually no wonder that Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson was able to celebrate groundbreaking success directly with his first album.
The lead single “In da Club,” which was released in January 2003, played a significant role in this, and its content keeps what the title promises: It’s a party as if it’s your birthday – and if it’s not, it doesn’t matter. In Germany and the United States, the clear message was rewarded with first place on the charts!
02. Bon Jovi – It’s My Life
At the beginning of the current millennium, Bon Jovi returned with their album “Crush”, preceded by this single, which has since become part of the repertoire of every Bon Jovi album Party with a focus on the 2000s heard! The men around frontman and namesake Jon Bon Jovi reflect on their big hit “Livin’ on a Prayer” through talkbox and lyric allusions and refer to Frank Sinatra in the extremely catchy chorus.
Because of the song’s universal message, it has developed an anthemic character that sports broadcasts and commercials like to take advantage of.
03. The Killers – Mr. Brightside
The Killers’ very first single was not to be missed on any indie-oriented dance floor, especially after the release of their debut album “Hot Fuss” in 2004, and can still be found on the playlists of countless student parties. Is this also due to the theme of the song, which is more often relevant in this phase of life?
The alternative rock band’s enduring hit from Las Vegas, U.S., deals with the head-spinning of its jealous first-person narrator, who figuratively imagines being cheated on. According to several British radio stations, the song of the decade!
04. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
Also in the case of “Crazy”, it concerns an extremely impressive debut, which Gnarls Barkley succeeded in 2006. Behind the name is a duo consisting of producer Danger Mouse and singer CeeLo Green. They unceremoniously turned a private conversation into this hit: Artists are only taken seriously when considered crazy. So rather as a joke, the two wanted to create this myth around themselves.
Meanwhile, the soundtracks of famous spaghetti westerns served as the musical inspiration for the neo-soul classic. “Crazy” was honored with a Grammy and was the first single ever in England to reach the top of the chart only through downloads!
05. Rihanna featuring Jay-Z – Umbrella
Rihanna included one of the biggest hits on her third album “Good Girl Gone Bad” from 2007. Together with rapper Jay-Z, she sings about protecting from outside influences that such an umbrella brings.
While the two performers may well have meant the whole thing metaphorically, a more literal Performeration helped “Umbrella” achieve huge success in the U.K.: its release coincided with a long spell of rain. It ensured a ten-week reign on the singles chart.
06. Amy Winehouse – Rehab
Considering that Amy Winehouse passed away in June 2011 due to alcohol poisoning, her breakthrough single released five years earlier can easily be Performered in retrospect as an ominous sign: The number, written by the soul singer herself and produced by Mark Ronson, deals with her unwillingness to go through withdrawal – however necessary it may be according to her father or record label. At the Grammy Awards, Winehouse picked up three of the coveted prizes; “Rehab” was honored for “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance” as well as in the “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year” categories.
07. Justin Timberlake – SexyBack
After the split of NSYNC, Justin Timberlake became the most successful ex-member of the band with his solo debut “Justified” Boy Band but it was only with this emphatically cool lead single to the second album “FutureSex / Lovesounds” that he established himself as one of the most popular individual performers of his time! Produced by Danja, Timbaland, and Timberlake himself, the song relies on distorted vocals, pounding bass, hard drums, and electronic elements – a combination that actually seemed futuristic in 2006, in keeping with the album title, and gave Timberlake a seven-week stay at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
08. Emiliana Torrini – Jungle Drum
This Icelandic singer and producer are probably unjustly regarded in many places as a One Hit Wonder Jungle Drum” is by far the most commercially successful release of her career – but at the same time (2009) she already had a Grammy nomination, a critically acclaimed album or a contribution to the “Lord of the Rings” soundtrack to her credit. The fact that “Jungle Drum” was able to top the charts in Torrini’s home country and German-speaking countries were due to the single-use in a well-known casting show for aspiring models!
09. Snoop Dogg – Drop It Like It’s Hot
When “Drop it like it’s hot” was released in 2004, Snoop Dogg had long been considered a veteran of the U.S. rap scene. Nevertheless, it was this collaboration with Pharell (represented both as producer and in the first verse) that would give him his first number one placement on the singles charts.
The song’s big unique selling point is its minimalist styling – Snoop and Pharell go at it on a beat that doesn’t need much other than drums, clicks, and some simple synths to be incredibly catchy. According to Billboard, the most popular hip-hop track of the decade!
10. Linkin Park – In the End
No other group is as closely associated with the rise of nu-metal as Linkin Park, who released a seminal milestone of the genre with their debut album “Hybrid Theory” (2000). While the choice at this point almost fell on the all-starting “One Step Closer,” the honor ultimately goes to “In the End”: The fourth and last single release perfectly sums up the band’s concept at the time and is rewarded with the second place on the Billboard Hot 100 – the highest-ranking Linkin Park have ever achieved there.
11. Lady Gaga – Poker Face
Lady Gaga’s unmistakable “Just Dance” request already earned her a decent boost of attention. Still, it wasn’t until she put on her “Poker Face” that the music world was all over it: The gritty dance-pop number is characterized by a driving beat as well as the interplay of downright robotic performance and emotional vocals. Along with the accompanying music video, she solidified Lady Gaga’s reputation as a flamboyant artist and earned her a Grammy Award in the “Best Dance Recording” category.
Last but not least, “Poker Face” was the most successful single of 2009 worldwide and has long since sold in the double-digit millions!
12. Eve & Gwen Stefani – Let me blow ya Mind
After rising to fame as the frontwoman of No Doubt in the previous decade, Gwen Stefani enriched the 2000s primarily as a solo artist. By the way, she almost landed on this list with “Hollaback Girl”! Fortunately, she was not opposed to tasteful collaborations, for which this song from Eve’s second album “Scorpion” might be the best proof.
On a glorious beat by Dr. Dre & Scott Storch harmonizes perfectly with each other – no wonder that the Grammy Award for “Best Rap/Sung Collaboration,” which was awarded for the first time in 2002, went to the duo.
13. OutKast – Hey Ya!
In September 2003 OutKast released the double album “Speakerboxxx / The Love Below”, which is actually a bundle of solo works by the two members Big Boi and Andre 3000. The latter landed with “Hey Ya! was a huge hit at the time: the completely blinker-free “OutKast” album Good mood number throws psychedelic pop, rock, hip-hop, or funk into one pot, could hold its ground at the top of the Billboard Top 100… and coined the call to shake a certain something like a Polaroid photo.
A-line, which a corresponding producer used for advertising purposes at that time!
14. Arctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
This is how a debut looks made to measure: With the first single from the first album, the Arctic Monkeys have jumped from a standing start to the top of the singles charts in their native England. In the fall of 2005, they gave the then-emerging indie-rock trend a huge boost with this energetic three-minute song alone, which was to put various related bands on the map in the years to follow.
A special form of appreciation for the trailblazers: seven years after the release of their resounding debut hit, they were allowed to play it live at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.
15. Katy Perry – I Kissed a Girl
Musically, the lead single from Katy Perry’s second album doesn’t offer a revolution: “I kissed a Girl” is a forward-going pop-rock number with electro leanings that is undoubtedly made for the world’s dance floors. However, it received special attention in combination with the titular confession of the U.S. singer, which caused controversial discussions, especially in her home country.
The accompanying publicity effect reliably propelled the song to the top of the U.S. charts in 2008; Katy also kissed at number one in the United Kingdom, Germany, and more than 20 other nations.
16. The Black Eyed Peas – Where is the Love?
After two albums that were primarily celebrated in the hip-hop scene, the Black Eyed Peas changed their musical direction in the course of their third album “Elephunk,” which allowed them to tap into completely new listener groups. The first single featured new band members Fergie and Justin Timberlake without being officially listed as participants.
However, this supposedly hidden feature did nothing to diminish the success of the single – while it “only” reached the eighth place in the Billboard Hot 100, the accusatory song against various social ills was the best-selling song of 2003 in England.
17. Kings of Leon – Use Somebody
Already with “Sex on Fire”, the forerunner of their fourth album, Kings of Leon could finally convince the mainstream audience of themselves. Fortunately, the power of “Only by the Night” was far from the shot, as the rock group from Nashville impressively proved at the end of 2008 with the release of “Use Somebody”: Caleb Followill’s yearning voice, the stadium-ready “Ohohoooo,” a fantastic bassline and haunting guitars were worth a whole three Grammy Awards (“Record of the Year” as well as “Best Rock Performance” and “Best Rock Song”) to the decision-makers at the time!
18. Pink – Get the Party Started
Similar to our song by 50 Cent presented here, the first single of Pink’s second album is also quite unabashedly and obviously about the high art of partying. Released in October 2001, the song was written by former 4 Non-Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry, who originally just wanted to teach herself how to work with a drum machine and wrote a few clichéd lines for it more in jest than anything else. While Madonna rejected the resulting song, Pink jumped on it enthusiastically and led it to fourth place in the Billboard Hot 100; it even reached second place in Germany.
19. The Darkness – I believe in a Thing called Love
Led by the Hawkins brothers, Justin and Dan, this rock band seemed entirely out of time to many first-time listeners when the third single from their debut album, “Permission to Land,” brought them widespread success: Long-haired men in skin-tight jumpsuits were as unusual in 2003 as guitar work inspired by the greats of the Seventies or the remarkably high-pitched vocals. The British were not only able to convince the nostalgic, because spurred on by the hype around this energetic song, they also became a hit with the public Love song the album mentioned above stayed at the top of the charts in England for four weeks!
On the wave of success of the film biography “Ray,” the 2004 Oscar winner Jamie Foxx once again joined Kanye West in the recording studio, after the rapper and producer had already convinced him to collaborate on “Slow Jamz.” In keeping with his recent movie success, West drew on a sample of Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman” to tell the story of an extremely materialistic woman.
The number, which is still popular at parties today, spent a proud ten weeks at the top of the U.S. singles chart and set the first records in the then still young download business.
Places 21-109 of the greatest 2000 hits:
Jedes Lied ist über den Titel mit dem dazugehörigen Musikvideo verlinkt.
Suppose you compare the 2000s with the previous decades. In that case, the lack of a definitive trend is quite noticeable: While one quickly associates the 70s with rock, promptly thinks of synth-pop when thinking of the 80s, and associates the 90s with grunge or Eurodance depending on one’s socialization, no clearly defining genre can be assigned to the “noughties.”
Contemporary R’n’B sounds and dance music have undoubtedly increased their popularity and firmly established themselves in the mainstream, though often relying on modernized quotes from days past. Even guitar-heavy trends like the nu-metal or pop-punk wave were ultimately too short-lived to leave their mark on the entire decade.
At least this is pleasantly diverse in retrospect!
