The Best Pop Songs of the 2000s

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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.
[audio=,Britney Spears - Toxic (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Mix Edit),download]

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?

by Luis Tovar on June 25, 2009 ‡ 0 reactions