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I was thinking about this a lot the other night, and I think its time to being the great debate of the Best Pop Song of the 00s over to PMA. Before everyone starts mouthing off some obscure Scandinavian pop songs, here are a few rules.
1. The song had to have achieved notoriety from 2000-present.
2. It pains me to say this, but the song has to have been a nationwide (or worldwide) hit. The bigger, the better, in most cases.
Why? Because pop music is supposed to be universal. Everyone is supposed to enjoy it and love it and everyone can’t love something if they’ve never heard it before. Simple as that.
3. Only one song per artist. Pick their best single, if that helps.
I have a few submissions in mind. Read on to find out
Here are my picks for the Best Pop Songs of the 2000s
Britney Spears, “Toxic”
There is little doubt left in my mind that Britney Spears’ “Toxic” is the best pop song of the decade. Is it the icy strings permeating throughout the track, that sets this track apart? Or maybe it’s that ridiculously infectious bass line that Bloodshy & Avant have concocted that I love so much? The production on “Toxic” is otherworldly and designed to inject sheer happiness to your brain, but the greatness is mostly due to Britney’s on-record persona. Britney’s now-signature sex kitten purrs and coos were perfected on “Toxic,” and nobody does sex-kitten like Britney Spears. And no one can ride a hook harder.
The other day, I rediscovered Spears’ remix album, B in the Mix, and fell in love with Peter Rauhofer’s “reconstruction” of “Toxic.” Truly epic.
Here are the rest of my picks for Best Pop Songs of the 2000s, in no particular order.
Rihanna, “Umbrella”
50 Cent, “In Da Club”
Beyonce, “Crazy In Love” ft. Jay-Z
Madonna, “Hung Up”
Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy”
Santana, “Smooth” ft. Rob Thomas
**This song was released in October 1999, but the song’s popularity extended well into 2000**
Eminem, “Without Me”
Shakira, “Hips Don’t Lie” ft. Wyclef
Nelly, “Dilemma” ft. Kelly Rowland
Justin Timberlake, “Cry Me A River”
Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together”
Maroon 5, “This Love”
OutKast – “Hey Ya”
No Doubt, “It’s My Life”
Gwen Stefani, “Hollaback Girl”
Green Day, “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”
Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone”
Timbaland, “I Way I Are” ft. Keri Hilson
Coldplay, “Viva La Vida”
What are your favorite pop songs of the 2000s?
Tags: 50 Cent, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Coldplay, Eminem, Gnarls Barkley, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Maroon 5, Nelly, No Doubt, OutKast, Rihanna, Rob Thomas, Santana, Shakira, Timbaland
nelly – e.i
very loose definition of pop you’ve got there.
Indeed, but it is what it has become – popular songs in popular culture.
Knaye West- Gold Digger
Black Eyed Peas- My Humps
Viva la Vida, Toxic, Hey Ya, She Will Be Loved, Chasing Cars, Mr. Brightside, The Zephyr Song, She Wants to Move, Relax (Take It Easy), etc.
It’s not all strictly pop but w/e
Hold up.
We cannot go any further without mentioning
Lady Marmalade – Christina Aguilera, P!NK, Mya and Lil Kim
and then also
Never Be The Same Again – Mel C feat. Lisa Left Eye Lopes
Drops Of Jupiter – Train
Can’t Get You Out Of My Head – Kylie Minogue
Whenever, Wherever – Shakira (better than Hips Don’t Lie imho)
Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne
Don’t Cha – Pussycat Dolls
Valerie – Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse
Poker Face – Lady GaGa
I Kissed A Girl – Katy Perry
That’s Not My Name – The Ting Tings
And then there are so many that I want to say, and then I remember this is an American site and you missed out
Notably,
What Took You So Long – Emma Bunton
Don’t Stop Movin’ – S Club 7
Round Round – Sugababes
Superstar – Jamelia
That was kinda exhaustive right? Sorry, got carried away…
A few of those artists I really can’t stand (Avril) but I think pop appeal is undeniable. Yay pop!
I think I Kissed A Girl should be up there, definitely, and as Gary says, being American means you’ve missed out on the delights of S Club 7 and B*witched. I’ve got a playlist called ‘Guilty Pleasures’ for this kind of stuff. What about T. L. C. – No Scrubs?
What about 2009?
Tinchy Stryder – Number 1
Freemasons & Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Heartbreak Make Me a Dancer
Gossip – Heavy Cross
Killers – Human
3OH!3 – Don’t Trust Me
Lily Allen – Fuck You
Dizzee Rascal – Bonkers
Calvin Harris – I’m Not Alone
La Roux – In for the Kill
Noisettes – Don’t Upset the Rhythm
Kid Cudi & Crookers – Day N Nite
R. Kelly – Ignition (Remix)
Missy Elliott – Get Ur Freak On
Annie – take your pick, but my favorite is Heartbeat
Kanye West – Love Lockdown
Kid CuDi – Day and Night
Modest Mouse – Float On
Ted Leo – Me and Mia
Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You
Hot Chip – Ready for the Floor
Basement Jaxx – Where’s Your Head At?
Daft Punk – Digital Love
Kelis – Milkshake
Amerie – One Thing
Le Tigre – Deceptacon
Rihanna – Don’t Stop the Music
Luomo – Tessio
M.I.A. – Paper Planes
Robyn – Cobrastyle
Lyrics Born – Callin’ Out
Tracey Thorn – It’s All True
!!! – Me and Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard
De La Soul – Rock Co.Kane Flow
Jay-Z – The Takeover
Liz Phair – My Bionic Eyes
Lupe Fiasco – Kick, Push
Outkast – The Way You Move
The Go-Betweens – Boundary Rider
Belle and Sebastian – I’m a Cuckoo
no way adam. ted leo? pshhhhh
I’d say Beyonce – Crazy In Love
Hands down. No contest. When I first heard that song I think a little pee came out.
Man!
How is USHER – Yeah not on here?
I would have to say it defines everything that is US Pop from this past decade. And it was a huge Worldwide Hit. Should be #1
These three songs instantly come to mind when I hear the phrase “Best Pop Song of the 2000s”:
1. Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (Can’t believe you left this one out! This one still sounds so futuristically awesome!)
2. Britney Spears – Toxic
3. Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone
After two to three seconds of thinking, I thought of:
1. My Love – Justin Timberlake (This one is infinitely bigger and better than “River”. I’m not from the US, I have no idea of the impact “River” had over there, but I’m starting to think that it’s “the Britney factor” that made it bigger than what it really should have been.)
2. Outkast – Hey Ya!
3. Maroon 5 – This Love
4. Beyonce feat. Jay-Z – Crazy In Love
5. Rihanna feat. Jay-Z – Umbrella (Though I personally think “Disturbia” is way better than this one. Still, this record’s appeal was utterly undeniable)
6. N’Sync – Bye Bye Bye (The single that moved 2.4 million copies of an album in its first week. Maybe kinda irrelevant now since bubblegum pop of the yesteryear has now become a phase. Still, this song was HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!)
I also agree with “Mr. Brightside”, though I think I’d have to think for a few more seconds for me to realize it.
“Poker Face” was the best pop song of ‘08 (probably until the end of ‘09) for me, however, you really can’t deny that it sounds generic and derivative. At least with the songs that I mentioned above, you know that there’s something special about them, whether you can put your finger on it or not.
Hah, sorry if this comment came out too long. What can I say? I love pop! Hahaha.
Oh yeah, “Yeah!”.
That’s what I was supposed to list right after N’Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye”, but then I thought of Britney’s “Oops” since they’re both big bubblegum hits. But then I remembered, only one song per artist and I already forgot what I was supposed to write down. LOL.
Peter Bjorn and John’s “young folks,” (once heard it in a 7-11 in Taipei). And backstreet boys’ “I want it that way” is still on heavy rotation in china.
oh yeah, theat Kylie Minogue track for sure belongs up there.
cant get you outta my head….totally….you beat me to it.
for madonna, though hung up is a wayyyy better song, music (2000) might have been more of a massive hit.
justin should be sexyback instead, no?
lily allen smile
Madonna – Music
Nelly Furtdao – I’m like a bird
Justin Timberlake – Cry me a river
Robyn – With every heartbeat
Sugababes – About you now
Kylie Mongue – Slow and or Can’t get you out of my head
You know, looking at everyone’s selections, I’m starting to realize that this decade hasn’t been half bad when it comes to pop music. It’s just the past couple of years that have been killing me!
Liz Phair – Bionic Eyes! Love it, but not sure it was international enough.
I think its Madonna’s Hung up for the win.
Also the Britney single doesnt work above.
Usher – Yeah
Eminem – Lose Yourself
50 Cent – In Da Club
Coldplay – Viva la Vida
Flo Rida – Low
Soulja Boy – Crank Dat
Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake
The Killers – Mr Brightside
The Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
Kanye West – Gold Digger
Kelly Clarkson – Breakaway or Since U Been Gone
spaceman the killers
Soulja Boy – Crank That. All of the songs you guys have listed are better songs, but Crank That wins for starting a dance craze. Even I watched the youtube on how to Crank That. Hmmm. How many songs can you say that about?
Gotta go with a few:
Kanye West – Stronger
Lil Wayne – Lollipop
Usher – U Remind Me
Just three off the top of my head that I haven’t seen put up yet. Three songs that, when I think about pop culture, come to mind, among others.
Aside from the ones mentioned above — the ’00s belonged to NSYNC – “Bye Bye Bye,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” “Dirty Pop” (’01)
I think it’ll be a lot easier to answer this in 5 or 6 years: as of right now, its hard to group newer songs like Viva la Vida and Just Dance with the ones that have been on our minds for a decade. However, in time those 2 will go down as my top dawgs.
That being said, as of now these are my tops:
1.) “Clocks” – Coldplay
2.) “Mr. Brightside” – The Killers
3.) “What Goes Around Comes Around” – JT
4.) “Hips Don’t Lie” – Shakira
*again pop in the sense of “popular” music, as in radio