The 2000s ushered in the dawn of the blog and the age of the iPod, sending the music industry into a chaotic spiral; suddenly, it seemed every niche pocket of the industry now had a fighting chance at making it big. What ensued was a glorious 10-year run where rap and hip-hop reclaimed commercial success, indie rock leaned into its subversive pop side, and pop music had to rethink its dependency on the mass-produced boy band blueprint.
To celebrate the early aughts in all its expansiveness, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite songs of the era: from Timbaland and Pharrell’s back-and-forth beats to pop princesses Britney and Christina and the ever-adapting indie mainstays like Animal Collective and The White Stripes, here are our picks for top songs of the 2000s.
"Love Sex Magic" (feat. Justin Timberlake) by Ciara
While the hitmaker had many outstanding records in the ‘aughts, this is the culmination of her once-in-a-generation talent that decade. Sultry, irresistibly catchy, and something I’d still request the DJ bump in 2023? That’s a classic to me!
"crushcrushcrush" by Paramore
It’s been 15 years since Paramore’s breakthrough Riot! and the album has stood the test of time. While its many memorable singles and b-sides have maintained a slot in our AUX cables’s rotation, none are quite as memorable as “crushcrushcrush,” the sound and production of which has made a resurgence amongst today’s younger pop generation.
"D.A.N.C.E." by Justice
I DJed my middle school’s Sadie Hawkins dance in 2008 and mostly played Justice’s self-titled album and Beyoncé, and I felt justified in doing so! “D.A.N.C.E.” was on constant rotation in 2007 and is still in constant rotation now.
"Behind These Hazel Eyes" by Kelly Clarkson
There was a time in American pop music history when Kelly Clarkson was genuinely everywhere. After her historic, industry defining run on American Idol, she released hit after hit after hit. However, none can activate me after two decades quite like “Behind These Hazel Eyes.”
"Don’t Stop the Music" by Rihanna
“Don’t Stop the Music” was surprisingly prescient on Rihanna’s part, as it would become the primary rallying cry of her fans after the release of her most recent studio album Anti. Back before Fenty or the Navy’s quest to get her back in the studio, Rihanna ruled the ‘00s with an iron fist. You literally had to be there to understand her power that decade!
"He Wasn’t Man Enough" by Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough” is nasty work. Rather than lamenting a man who’d moved on, the single was a declaration: “He wasn’t man enough for me!” Produced by the legendary Darkchild, “He Wasn’t Man Enough” is more than an anthem; it’s a feminist text.
"Rollout (My Business)" by Ludacris
Before Fast & Furious brought him to the big screen, Ludacris was one of the most influential rappers of his generational cohort. Everything he touched turned to gold in those days, from “What’s Your Pleasure” to “Southern Hospitality.” But 2001’s “Rollout” is most emblematic of his impact on fashion and pop culture. That bobblehead effect was legendary!
"Someone to Call My Lover" by Janet Jackson
By 2001, Janet’s career had spanned three decades and seven albums. She was at the top of her game and the apex of her career, and still had no plans of stopping. “All For You,” a product of her long-time collaboration with legendary producer-writer duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, showed that Janet could continue to innovate her sound amongst a crowded landscape of new pop talent.
"Untouched" by The Veronicas
I bet most would expect “Untouched” to make this list, and they’d be correct in the assumption. A cult classic in its own right, it’s hard to imagine a time when this was the most emulated sound in rock and pop music. As the Y2K craze finally passes into the afterlife, I’d be on the lookout for raccoon tail extensions and side bangs and string sections in pop songs.
"Damaged" by Danity Kane
There are teens approaching college age that were born after Making the Band 3: Danity Kane premiered in 2005. After failures to launch similar projects in earlier iterations, Diddy returned with a tyrannical vengeance with Danity Kane. While drama soon engulfed the music mogul and the group, “Damaged” stands as the most memorable song of the MTV reality television age.
"I Decided" by Solange
I was shocked to learn in the wake of A Seat At the Table that most did not remember Solange’s genre bending 2008 classic, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams. I debated whether to put “I Decided” or “T.O.N.Y.” on this list, and there’d be an argument to include both. Still, “I Decided” was an early showcase of Solange’s sonic and political proclivities. What a good album!
"I Hate This Part" by The Pussycat Dolls
Ballads underwent a sonic renovation in the aughts, and The Pussycat Dolls’ “I Hate This Part” is the quintessential example of this shift. While the group was mostly a front for Nicole Scherzinger’s vocal prowess, who cares? This song still goes extremely hard.
"Itty Bitty Piggy" by Nicki Minaj
Is there a more quoted rap mixtape than Nicki Minaj’s Beam Me Up Scotty? I’m confident enough to say no. Excuse me honey, but nobody’s in her lane! Discovering this song in 2009 felt like a revelation. From her earliest songs, it was clear a tidal wave of talent was about to crash into the music industry. After “Itty Bitty Piggy,” nothing was ever the same.
"Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga
You’re a gay kid in rural America and you’re watching the 2009 MTV VMA’s unaware your life and tastes were about to be irreparably changed forever. Lady Gaga storms the stage in white with similarly clad, and by the end, she’s dangling above the crowd, soaked in blood. I still haven’t recovered.
"Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, Pink
What is there to say about Lady Marmalade that hasn’t already been said before? It’s one of the single most memorable collaborations in female rap and pop music history, and the quintessential female empowerment anthem of its time. Actually, scratch that. It’s still the quintessential female empowerment anthem. Hey sisters, soul sisters! Better get that dough, sisters!
“Back To Black” by Amy Winehouse
The early 2000’s did not give Amy what she deserved. As she battled addiction, she became the face of the early 2000’s tabloid craze, making her first single “Rehab” an easy pun for lazy late night pundits. Obviously, there was much more to be said. Amy was a jazz scholar and perhaps one of the best singer-songwriters of the decade. She had an innate ability to write about heartbreak and unyielding despair in a way that few ever rivaled. “Back To Black” was one of her best showcases, a stinging take down of a wronged lover and the subsequent melancholia via Mark Ronson’s signature retro funk production.
“Jesus Walks” by Kanye West
For all of the “genius” talk that surrounds (and is perpetuated by) Kanye, “Jesus Walks” is one of the handful of tracks that makes the claim seem more real than ridiculous. It was the first big hit from the Chicago rapper and it was shockingly political when compared to other MTV hits of the era, as West questioned the place of Black culture, capitalism, and religion in America.
“Paper Planes” by MIA
“Paper Planes” had an entire nation making finger guns and cheerily singing along to a song about scamming and robbing. It catapulted the ever-mischievous Sri Lankan-born rapper MIA into quick fame, and over a decade later, she’s still making a ruckus.
“The Seed 2.0” by The Roots
The Roots remains one of the most criminally underrated bands of the 21st century. “The Seed 2.0” is one of their biggest commercial successes. It’s a perfect mix of funk, R&B, and rap, and of course, a promise to name their first-born “Rock-N-Roll.”
“All The Things She Said” by t.A.T.u
t.A.T.u. walked so hyper pop could run. The Russian duo manipulated the press by cosplaying as a queer couple in their videos, and, most famously, by making out during their 2003 MTV VMA performance. While they had everyone’s attention, the pair pumped out a handful of decadent, vast, and vaguely electronic pop singles, including “All The Things She Said."
“American Idiot” by Green Day
“American Idiot” was the standout headbanger of a track from Green Day’s 2004 magnum opus by the same title. The rock opera album opened the door for a lot of the pop punk that followed, proving that Billie Joe’s punk prowess still had a kick.
“Weird Fishes” by Radiohead
Caught somewhere between a propulsive trip-hop loop and industrial noise, Thom Yorke’s voice pokes through the noise. Like watching a slow-moving car wreck, Radiohead is disarming and hypnotic, and never straightforward.
“Clint Eastwood” by Gorillaz
Behind a veil of animated characters, the Gorillaz have painted a surrealist world of genre-less music for over twenty years. Spouting off fantastical one-offs with collaborators like Elton John, Madonna, and Snoop Dogg, it’s hard to think of a time when the group wasn’t one of music’s greatest equalizers. But when they did come onto the scene, they entered with the perfectly weird single “Clint Eastwood,” which includes an airtight rap and a conversation between multiple voices inside the narrator’s head.
“99 Problems” by Jay-Z
There are very few songs that have anointed a phrase into the cultural lexicon in the way that “99 Problems” did. Jay-Z wrote about the woes of being a womanizer and the rap game hasn’t been the same since.
“Untitled” by D'angelo
In the 2000’s, D’Angelo reluctantly became a sex symbol, emerging as the handsome face of a new wave of neo-soul and R&B, among contemporaries like Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott. His biggest single “Untitled” is often unfairly remembered solely for its (shirtless) music video, but in its entirety, it’s one of D’Angelo’s most telling proclamations of his own roots in soul music. The song slowly unravels itself across seven minutes, as D’Angelo leads with an inimitable guiding hand.
“Toxic” by Britney Spears
Britney Spears has lived many lives. From enduring the suffocating, squeaky-clean pop princess frame, to finding some freedom as a sexually liberated grown woman, to all the shaky moments in between, every step of Spears’s iconic career has been lived out in front of us. “Toxic” sits at the intersection of her many sides, as her signature airy baby-girl vocals clash with unexpected violins and an insanely high falsetto.
“Rock the Boat” by Aaliyah
In her entirely-too-short career, Aaliyah gave us a lifetime of material. “Rock the Boat” was one of her final gems: a sun-soaked, breezy anthem to making love that made its obvious euphemisms feel cozy and natural with Aaliyah’s undeniable charm.
“Lose Control” by Missy Elliott featuring Ciara and Fat Man Scoop
“Lose Control” packs in its excellence from all sides. Missy Elliott’s unpredictability, Fat Man Scoop’s hypeman hollers, and Ciara’s silky-smooth hook somehow seamlessly combine to produce a mind-melting dance track.
“Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell
At some point in the early 2000s, hip-hop beats embraced a homegrown, almost experimental aspect to them, as Timbaland and Pharrell incorporated beatboxing, hydraulics, and the sound of a baby wailing into their catalogue. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” followed suit, constructed with tongue pops and an elongated, falsetto “Snoooooop!” Paired with a user-friendly dance, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” is a downright classic.
“Fighter” by Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera, who spent her preteens as a prominent presence on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, alongside stars like Spears and Ryan Gosling, endured a restricting early career that found her churning out bubblegum-pop hits, like “Genie in a Bottle,” before really hitting her own stride. By 2002, Aguilera had rebranded herself as a fully liberated woman with Stripped, a record dedicated to the new Christina, a young woman who was bolder ... and a bit dirtier. “Fighter” celebrates her new freedoms and acknowledges the power in learning from the past: “’Cause if it wasn’t for all of your torture / I wouldn’t know how to be this way now,” she sings.
“We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey
In the ’90s, Mariah Carey was the It girl. She was a fresh-faced, doe-eyed vocal assassin, gracing the hook of every rap song that was smart enough to have her and shocking the nation with a register that was so expansive it made almost no sense. But by the 2000s, Carey was a certified icon, a grown woman who knew her worth and asked for what was rightfully hers. This made “We Belong Together” an even more noteworthy performance, as Carey stripped herself back a bit, offering a moment of unexpected, angelic vulnerability.
“Bootylicious” by Destiny’s Child
Without the consummate harmonies and the convincingly sharp confidence, it might be hard to sell a word like bootylicious or make a statement like, “I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly,” sound anything but incredibly cringe. But with a perfectly timed Stevie Nicks sample and Prince-like squealing ad-libs, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams were able to do just that.
“Maps” by Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
“Maps” is a lasting haunt, a devastating song that lingers in the subconscious well after it’s finished. Karen O, a queen of the post-punk revival of the early aughts, warbles through the first verse before succumbing to a wave of vulnerability, repeating the iconic plea (immortalized nearly 12 years later in Beyoncé’s “Hold Up”): “Wait, they don’t love you like I love you.” Between the airtight drumming and building propulsion of an electric guitar beneath her, “Maps” captures the despair and rage that comes with unrequited love, while still honoring the preserved power in O’s emotional ownership.
“My Boo” by Alicia Keys and Usher
Schoolyard love will forever hit different. “My Boo” is the official puppy-love anthem centering on first kisses and playground flirtation, and the special spot those memories hold.
“Hot in Herre” by Nelly
While Gen Z might be more familiar with the Nelly track for its “Buss It” infamy on TikTok, “Hot in Herre” had a life of its own in the early aughts. With an almost comically straightforward hook and poetic, painfully relatable conversations among friends about butt size, Nelly offers a simple solution to the all-too-familiar, too-hot-in-the-club problem: Just take off all your clothes.
“My Girls” by Animal Collective
Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion redefined the idea of commercial indie music. As their unofficial magnum opus, the album amplified their already-unhinged sound to unheard-of new levels, while simultaneously ushering in pop-adjacent, approachable melodies that were never on previous projects. Through the multiple layered vocal tracks, hand drumming, and warped instrumentals, “My Girls” is a whimsical sing-along with lyrics focused on life’s simple pleasures: “I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things … I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls.”
“Me, Myself, and I” by Beyoncé
For all of Beyoncé’s high-energy empowerment anthems and dance tracks, there’s the rarer side of her that’s present on songs like “Me, Myself, and I.” A woman eerily calm in the face of infidelity, Beyoncé proves her composure through reserved vocals and angelic whispers of self-actualization as she makes a promise to herself to protect her heart in the future.
“Someday” by The Strokes
In his signature sleepy drawl, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas works his way through a series of fleeting promises, questionable proclamations, and backward figures of speech. Sparing the usual lofty romanticism, “Someday” indulges in the realistic longevity of a fun relationship, offering no long-term vows. It’s a beautiful summation of The Strokes’ appeal: honest and straightforward rock and roll with no added frills, just endearing realness.
“What You Waiting For” by Gwen Stefani
“What You Waiting For” was Gwen Stefani’s explosive step into her own path. The opening song of the former No Doubt front woman’s first solo record, the track is a saucily sleek and urgent take on electronic pop.
“Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake
Everything Timbaland touches is gold. In the early 2000s, there wasn’t a track that Timbaland couldn’t make hot, and somewhere in the mix, Justin Timberlake became one of his most effective vehicles. With the help of Scott Storch on lyrics, “Cry Me a River” is a timeless and ruthless cut on the consequences of adultery.
“I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” by Arctic Monkeys
Before Alex Turner coiffed his hair and cleaned up the Arctic Monkeys’ sound to something a bit slinkier, there was 2006’s “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.” Propelled by madman Matt Helders’s impossibly fierce drumming, the track is a supercharged anthem for the lads that fills every crack and crevice with grime and noise, as Turner drunkenly “makes the eyes” with someone flirting at the bar.
“My Happy Ending” by Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne’s aesthetic promised a much harder sound than her actualized prowess as a pop superstar. But Lavigne didn’t owe us anything, and this is a fact she didn’t let us forget, as she cosplayed a petulant punk girl with a pink tie and pin-straight waist-length hair for much of the early 2000s. “My Happy Ending” is Lavigne at her best, as she trash-talks an ex and his “dumb friends” on a punchy ballad.
“Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn and John
“Young Folks” is whimsical and simple, placing its melody on the back of a sweet little whistled hook. Its endearingly stripped-back nature lent itself to new interpretations and samples from the likes of Kanye West, James Blake, and even Halsey.
“Love” by Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Cole’s “Love” is a vocal performance for the ages, but you don't need to have require her pipes to sing along. From karaoke basements and sticky bar floors, “Love” is the undisputed people’s anthem, as every woman, man, and child can seemingly relate to falling in love with an unavailable partner.
“Always on Time” by Ja Rule featuring Ashanti
Ja Rule and Ashanti were the 2000s’ Sonny and Cher, or Marvin and Tammi. With nearly 10 collaborations between them, Ja Rule’s gruff New York style of rap is the sonic equivalent of a fine wine when paired with Ashanti’s ethereal hot-girl vocals. “Always on Time” interpolates between Ja yelling about “late-night loving” and Ashanti smoothly swearing to be better about answering calls.
“I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” by Jay-Z featuring Pharrell
Rick James’s “Give It to Me Baby” was the ultimate ’80s horny anthem, making it the perfect callback for Jay-Z and Pharrell at the height of their himbo stage. With an endearingly off-key wail from Pharrell on the chorus, “I Just Wanna Love You” sticks out as one of the best in a handful of collaborations between the two.
“Can’t Get You Out of My Head” by Kylie Minogue
“Can’t Get You Out of My Head” followed its title: a groovy, disco‐fueled dance track that seems to embed itself into the deep crevices of the subconscious. Kylie Minogue picks the perfect moments to pull back vocally, opting for an occasional smooth and quiet vibrato, making the moments of intensity hit even harder.
“Ms. Jackson” by OutKast
On “Ms. Jackson,” Big Boi and André 3000 take on the tall task of apologizing to single mothers everywhere on behalf of absent fathers who are elsewhere, as they delicately work through the plights of thoughtless young love and its consequences. Over a beat that audibly warps as the song progresses, André 3000 speaks on a tender sentiment that remains largely untouched in hip-hop, adding Beach Boys-esque dog barks over mentions of “puppy love” and apologies.
“Chasing Pavements” by Adele
Devastating and arresting, “Chasing Pavements” was Adele’s first major entrance into pop culture’s continuum. Just a teenager at the time, her emotional depth and soaring vocal range was well beyond her years, and captivated us all.
“No Letting Go” by Wayne Wonder
If we’re being technical, “No Letting Go” is a ballad. Flooded with the already effervescent stylings of traditional dancehall production, Wayne Wonder’s earnest proclamations of love (“very special, really and truly”) seem to pour out of him, and yet for all the self-indulgent romanticism, Wonder still lets the beat rock enough to save some room for shaking ass.
“Electric Feel” by MGMT
MGMT’s “Electric Feel” was an omnipresent force when it dropped in 2007. The song offered a new era of psychedelic, synth-heavy pop rock that called back to the psych dawn of the ’60s, but the reception alone proved that the band was onto something with their groove renaissance.
“In Da Club” by 50 Cent
Sandwiched between a song about nearly being shot to death and a track about constantly being high lies 50 Cent’s biggest commercial success. “In Da Club” was 50’s crossover from beloved rap icon to household name, and though the radio still had to edit out his drug offerings and weapon talk, it was continued proof that the “gangster rap” of the ’90s was not some sort of subculture dying out anytime soon.
“Confessions Pt. 2” by Usher
To say that Usher was guilty is an understatement. The man made an entire album dedicated to his infidelities, a searing tale of cheating incessantly and then sloppily fighting to get his partner back, and somehow … it worked. Blame it on the incomparable vocals, the incredible narrative, or the six-pack seen around the world, but Usher’s “Confessions Pt. 2” remains one of modern R&B’s best tracks, a song that is deeply likable despite its undeniably flawed subject.
“So Sick” by Ne-Yo
“So Sick” is a breakup song meant for a very specific moment in the healing process. It’s a track that laments on that stage of melancholy when there seems to be nothing left to cry about, but there’s still somehow a lot of self-indulgent sadness left. “I’m so sick of love songs / So sad and slow / So why can’t I turn off the radio?” Ne-Yo asks, before succumbing to fantasies of what could have been.
“New Slang” by The Shins
Among the insurgence of pop punk, rap, and manufactured pop, The Shins’ presence in the early 2000s felt like an unintentionally subversive breath of fresh air. “New Slang” is a standout from their 2001 record Oh, Inverted World, a delicate, folky pop morsel with soft hums and softer guitar strums.
“Hips Don't Lie” by Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean
“Hips Don’t Lie” is a fusion of horns and hips with a delightfully catchy hook, thanks to an unforgettable trumpet loop and the perfect pairing of the Fugees’ Wyclef Jean and Colombian icon Shakira. While the song was originally written to spark a Fugees revival, Wyclef had to flip it quickly, adding Shakira as a writer and a producer, making its backstory nearly as fascinating as the song itself.
“Hey Ma” by Cam'ron featuring Juelz Santana, Freekey Zekey, and Toya
“Hey Ma” is quintessential Cam. The New York rapper puts on a relentlessly flirty show, only to call on a fleet of friends, including a baby Juelz Santana, to come along with and spit their best game right alongside him.
“Leave (Get Out)” by JoJo
JoJo was just 13 years old when “Leave Get Out” reached the top of the Billboard charts. For someone who was barely a teenager, the R&B-minded pop star somehow captured the rage of an unhealthy relationship, famously asserting, “You were just a waste of time.” The song’s success catapulted her into well-deserved fame.
“Fell in Love with a Girl” by The White Stripes
“Fell in Love with a Girl” is the pulsing, head-banging single from The White Stripes that came at a moment when the band still hadn’t completely earned their Hall of Fame plaque in indie rock. Meg White’s searing but straightforward drumming is perfectly timed with Jack White’s wails, as he begs to be freed from a brain completely taken over by a new love.
“Grindin’” by Clipse
In the early 2000s, any beat that could be played out by banging on a lunch table had a shot at commercial success. But “Grindin” didn’t just work because of an undeniably hot Neptunes beat, it also shined because of airtight verses from No Malice and Pusha T, who unconvincingly apologizes for his newfound arrogance: “Excuse me if my wealth got me full of myself.”
“Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley
Danger Mouse and CeeLo Green’s St. Elsewhere was an unhinged record that tackled and celebrated moments of madness, its hooks interpolating between retro funk and pop-heavy disco-infused morsels. “Crazy” became an omnipresent song of the summer (and eventually undisputed song of the year) thanks to Green’s vocal performance, as he cosplayed a madman aware of his insanity.
“Family Affair” by Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige is a beacon of hope, a fabled success story that includes rags to riches and triumph over tragedy. For all that she’s been through, Blige’s moments of bliss seem to hit even harder. “Family Affair” invites us to dance with her as she sails over a Dr. Dre beat, leaving us with an iconic request: “Don't need no hateration, holleration in this dancerie.”
“I Write Sins Not Tragedies” by Panic! at the Disco
Every era has its own version of teen-angst music. For the mid-2000s, it was the very online branch of emo pop punk. “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” somehow made its way to the mainstream, becoming an unexpected ubiquitous smash hit. And it still finds itself a fan favorite at karaoke joints and sticky college bars across the country.
“All Falls Down” by Kanye West
Despite the shakiness of his political legacy in 2021, Kanye West’s 2004 track “All Falls Down” is an evergreen sociopolitical portrait. Co-written by none other than The Ms. Lauryn Hill, the track is a two-person perspective on the plights of consumerism and status as a Black American, oscillating between both a man and woman’s perspective. “We buy our way out of jail but we can’t buy freedom,” West quips.
“Like Glue” by Sean Paul
Somewhere in the early 2000s, dancehall made its way to the United States, ushered in by its unofficial ambassador Sean Paul. “Like Glue” remains one of its brightest moments, as he delivers three straight minutes of absolute sunshine.
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Natalie Maher is a contributor to BAZAAR.com's music section. She's also covered similar topics for sites like COMPLEX and Billboard. Aside from writing, Natalie enjoys reading Sixers’ conspiracy theories on Twitter, adding exorbitantly expensive sneakers to make-believe online shopping carts, and watching slime videos on Instagram.
