Do you remember the days when we used to have iPods and listen to songs like “Hero” [by Enrique Iglesias] or “Lonely” [by Akon], thinking about someone?
Those were the golden days that we will never be going to get back no matter what. Certainly, the 2000s was a turning point for the music industry and we got many iconic artists as well as songs that gave us mixed emotions and feelings that for some reason songs these days just can’t give.
Just take 2022’s world cup song for example. I mean I have never heard a lame song like this year’s world cup song, while world cup songs like Hips Don’t Lie and Wavin’ Flag from the 2000s are still fresh and iconic.
What are some good old songs from the 2000s?
| Song Title | Artist/Band |
|---|---|
| Shalala Lala | Vengaboys |
| With You | Chris Brown |
| I Gotta Feeling | The Black Eyed Peas |
| So Sick | Ne-Yo |
| Tik Tok | Kesha |
| It Wasn’t Me | Shaggy |
| In da Club | 50 Cent |
| Beautiful | Eminem |
| No One | Alicia Keys |
| I’m Yours | Jason Mraz |
| Numb | Linkin Park |
| The Reason | Hoobastank |
| One Last Breath | Creed |
| Wake Me Up When September Ends | Green Day |
| Road to Zion | Damian Marley ft. Nas |
| Yellow | Coldplay |
| Forever | Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem |
| You Belong With Me | Taylor Swift |
| Beautiful Girls | Sean Kingston |
| Me, Myself and I | Beyoncé |
| Whiskey Lullaby | Brad Paisley ft. Alison Krauss |
| You’re Beautiful | James Blunt |
| Smack That | Akon ft. Eminem |
| Drop It Like It’s Hot | Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams |
| Dilemma | Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland |
| Melt The Snow | Shayne Ward |
| Fireflies | Owl City |
| Hey Soul Sister | Train |
| Crush | David Archuleta |
| Complicated | Avril Lavigne |
Not only the world cup but comparing the songs these days, most of the 2000s songs are far better than the songs we listen to today be it hip-hop or pop. In this piece, we will look at the 30 best songs from the 2000s.
1. Shalala Lala (Vengaboys)
Released in 2000 Vengaboys’ Shalala Lala used to be played on the radio all the time. Although the song was originally released in 1973 by the Danish band The Walkers, Vengaboys’ cover version made the song globally popular. Their version was also certified 3x Platinum by RMNZ.
It was featured in Vengaboys’ second studio album The Platinum Album which was released on March 13, 2000.
And certainly, as it is the cover song, we can see Vengaboys’ own style, like the drums and synth. Furthermore, it’s one of the hit songs by the band as it topped the music charts in several countries including Germany, Sweden, the UK, Australia, and Ireland.
2. With You (Chris Brown)
Certainly, Chris Brown was our favorite music artist and he still is. He stole many people’s hearts with his single With You from his second studio album Exclusive.
The song was released in 2007 and it instantly blew up as it topped the music charts in five different countries. In Australia and the United States, this song was certified Quadruple Platinum.
I have to say it, although we love his new songs, we miss the old Chris Brown. Moreover, we can’t forget his dance moves in that song, it was such simple yet cool moves and I bet that every one of us tried his moves.
3. I Gotta Feeling (Eyed Peas)
This used to be played in clubs over and over and certainly, it’s one of a gem from the 2000s. Even now after more than a decade, this song still gives us the party vibe we used to get back then.
I don’t even have to mention anything about this song as there might only be a few people who don’t know this song.
It was the Grammy Award winner, furthermore, it was even listed in the fifth position of the Billboard Hot hundred songs of the decade. It is also the first song to sell more than seven million digital copies in the US.
4. So Sick (Ne-Yo)
Even after 16 years of its release, So Sick still remains the most loved break-up song. We’ve all listened to this song hundreds of times while we were in a healing process from a bad breakup. It’s a beautiful song about being sick of love song and tired of crying which at one point we all could relate to.
And we can relate to this song very much because Ne-Yo was inspired by his ex-girlfriend to write this song. He told Billboard Magazine, “It’s about the first time I fell in love with a girl in a way that I completely screwed it up. So it was a story that I didn’t have to think really hard about putting it together.
A lot of heartbreak went into that song, so that’s why I think a lot of people dug it the way they did – because you can feel it”
5. Tik Tok (Kesha)
Before the Tik Tok application was launched we had Kesha’s popular song Tik Tok. It was her debut single from her debut studio album Animal.
This song was a banger as it stayed at the top for straight nine weeks on the Billboard Hot Hundred. Moreover, RIAA certified this song as eightfold platinum.
Released in 2008, Kesha’s Tik Tok was again listed 61st on the all-time Billboard Hot Hundred ten years after its release in 2018.
6. It Wasn’t Me (Shaggy)
Shaggy’s It Wasn’t Me is a classic pop song that is one of the best of all time. In the United Kingdom, this song became the best-selling single back in 2001 with more than a million copies sold.
It’s a pretty entertaining song where a man asks for his friend’s advice after his girl catches him red-handed getting all romantic with another woman in a bathroom. Furthermore, this is also Shaggy’s first super hit song in the United States.
7. In da Club (50 Cent)
In da Club is such an iconic hip-hop song that is still a banger to this day. This is a song from 50 Cent’s debut studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and certainly, it’s one of the greatest songs of all time, moreover, this is also the song that made 50 hip-hop stars overnight.
Furthermore, this is also one of the songs that used to get played repeatedly “In da Club.” 50 is certainly one of the greatest rappers after all he was discovered by the rap god Eminem.
8. Beautiful (Eminem)
There are several songs Eminem released in the 2000s like Stan, Mockingbird, Till I Collapse, and more.
However, Beautiful tells the struggle of a drug addict, and its pure emotion touched millions of his fans.
Even Eminem considered this song to be his best from his sixth studio album Relapse. Talking with Vibe magazine, he said, “It’s the best song out of that batch that I did when I wasn’t sober.”
He wrote that song while he was in rehab, however, he finished writing it only after getting clean. It was nominated for the Grammy Awards and was certified 3x Platinum by RIAA.
9. No One (Alicia Keys)
Released in 2007, Alicia Keys’ single No One was a very successful song that topped the United States Billboard Hot Hundred chart for five weeks.
Moreover, this song also won the Grammy Awards. Certainly, it remains one of the best single hits of Alicia Keys to this day.
The idea behind this song is that someone who loves you or you love will be by your side always no matter the circumstances.
And it is true that in a relationship there are times when many things try to distract you however, the distraction can’t get in the way of someone you love.
10. I’m Yours (Jason Mraz)
This is one of the very few songs that we still hear in various cafes or streets even though it has already been fourteen years since I’m Yours was released.
Without a doubt, this is Jason Mraz’s biggest hit. Moreover, although it was officially released in 2008, Mraz also released a limited EP in 2005 where he also included the song I’m Yours.
On Billboard Hot Hundred, it was listed in the sixth position that too for 76 weeks straight. Moreover, this song talks about giving yourself up for someone you love which is such a beautiful thing.
11. Numb (Linkin Park)
Clearly, one of Linkin Park’s best as well as the hit songs. Numb has over a billion views on YouTube alone and back when it was released in 2003, it topped the music charts in several countries including the United Kingdom, Greece, and the United States. Furthermore, the band also was awarded the Grammys for this song.
Although nowadays parents are more understanding they still have high expectations from their children and this song speaks on those children’s behalf.
12. The Reason (Hoobastank)
One of the best apology songs out there. The Reason was released back in 2004 and it is also Hoobastank’s most popular and successful song.
It was featured in their second studio album, this song also topped music charts in various countries including Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Furthermore, it was also nominated for the Grammys.
Talking about this song, as mentioned above, is an apology song where we can see the narrator apologizing to his lover for something he did.
Furthermore, he also says that he is going to change his lifestyle because he has found his reason [a lover] to do so.
13. One Last Breath (Creed)
One of Creed’s finest creations, One Last Breath was written by Scott Stapp, as per the reports, it took him around three weeks to write this song.
Moreover, this is a great rock song that every late 1990s and early 2000s kid knows of because we grew up listening to this masterpiece.
This song is from Creed’s third studio album and it shows how we can seek our friends’ help when we reflect on our past mistakes. Furthermore, Creed’s guitarist Mark Tremonti said that this song has one of his favorite guitar lines.
14. Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day)
Wake Me Up When September Ends was a banger from Green Days’ seventh studio album American Idiot. Although the song was released in 2005, it became a dedication to the victims of 9/11.
It was written by the band’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and it showed he still had the kick. Moreover, the song is about Billie’s father who died when Billie was just ten years old.
15. Road to Zion (Damian Marley ft. Nas)
Although this song is not much popular and many people don’t know about it, however, this certainly is one of the greatest tracks you will ever listen to.
It’s a song by Bob Marley’s son Damian Marley and it features one of the greatest rappers Nas. Furthermore, this song is from Damian’s third studio album Welcome to Jamrock which he released back in 2005.
This song also inspired Damian and Nas to collaborate again for a full album Distant Relatives which was released in 2010 and the album reached the fifth position on the Billboard 200 chart.
16. Yellow (Coldplay)
Undoubtedly Coldplay’s one of the most popular tracks from their debut album Parachutes. And even though it was released 22 years ago, it still is very fresh, moreover, it recently went viral on Tik Tok.
This song immediately made Coldplay one of Britain’s great rock bands as various artists covered the song. Definitely Yellow took Coldplay to heights they never could have imagined. This is a really beautiful love song.
17. Forever (Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem)
The rap god Eminem has just killed it in this track however, you will still have a hard time between the four verses.
Released in 2009 from LeBron James’s More than a Game, Forever is said to be the greatest posse cut in the history of rap. The RIAA certified this track as 6x Platinum and it also topped the Billboard weekly Hot Rap Songs.
Kanye rewrote his verse after he listened to Eminem’s verse. He said that he went back and canceled all his appointments and wrote the verse for two days. Likewise, Lil Wayne also rewrote his verse.
18. You Belong With Me (Taylor Swift)
One of Taylor’s first big breakthroughs, You Belong With Me is a classic love song and since it’s Taylor’s song, it is based on a real person.
Taylor said that it was about her friend who she heard talking to his girlfriend on the phone and his girlfriend was screaming at him for a tiny matter. In the music video of the song, we see a similar thing where a guy gets yelled at by his girlfriend.
It is certified 7x Platinum by RIAA and topped the music charts in countries like Canada and the United States.
The music video of this song is pretty amazing as the track brings us all the memory from our high school days and many can even relate to this song.
19. Beautiful Girls (Sean Kingston)
Certainly, Beautiful Girls is the most popular and known song by Sean Kingston. Released in 2007, this song was featured in Kingston’s eponymous debut.
Furthermore, this song contains a sample of Ben E. King’s popular 1962 track Stand By Me. This song is about a guy who feels suicidal after his relationship his girlfriend lied to him and dated other guys.
Furthermore, his trust in love is gone as he feels that all beautiful girls just want to break his heart.
20. Me, Myself and I (Beyoncé)
Beyoncé’s 2003 single Me, Myself and I is one of her biggest hits. Moreover, it seems that the song is personal to her because she wanted something personal for her third single in her debut solo Dangerously in Love.
Furthermore, the theme or the story behind this song is about a girl who is coping with a cheating partner and learning her lessons. Furthermore, Beyoncé mentioned on MTV News that the song is basically like a breakup celebration.
21. Whiskey Lullaby (Brad Paisley ft. Alison Krauss)
Whiskey Lullaby is a lovely yet sentimental country song by Brad Paisley ft. Alison Krauss. This song is from Paisley’s third studio album Mud on the Tires which was released back in 2004.
Moreover, Whiskey Lullaby landed in Billboard’s third position and was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. This song is about a couple who drinks themselves to death.
22. You’re Beautiful (James Blunt)
Probably James Blunt’s most iconic song, You’re Beautiful is certainly one of the best and our favorite songs from the 2000s.
There are times when we see someone we instantly fall for in the streets or in other crowded places and never see them again and Blunt has written about a similar situation beautifully in this song.
In the song, Blunt speaks about a girl whose beauty got him captured, however, he will never see her again and the only thing that is going to last is the brief moment he shared with her.
23. Smack That (Akon ft. Eminem)
Akon was one of the most prominent music artists in the 2000s, his single Smack That featuring Eminem could be heard everywhere back in 2006.
It topped the music charts in various countries including Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Romania, the United Kingdom, and more. Furthermore, it also got nominated for the Grammys Awards.
24. Drop It Like It’s Hot (Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams)
Snoop Dogg’s funky and cool rap flow is something that helped him climb the heights. Furthermore, his early 2000s iconic song Drop It Like It’s Hot has both Snoop’s flow and crazy experimental beats produced by The Neptunes. The tongue pops and spray sound in this song is what makes it very unique and totally different than the usual beats.
This song is also Snoop’s first single to top the Billboard chart. Furthermore, this song is certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA and was also nominated for the Grammys.
25. Dilemma (Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland)
Having over a billion views on YouTube, Nelly’s song Dilemma is an iconic classic Pop R&B from the early 2000s.
The song features singer Kelly Rowland, moreover, this song is about a woman who is married and has a child but she is in love with another man.
Certainly, the critics loved the song and got good reviews. It also topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and the music charts of several other countries.
26. Melt The Snow (Shayne Ward)
It seems that many people don’t know of this song by Shayne Ward but it is undoubtedly one of the most iconic classic Pop R&B songs from the 2000s you will find. This song is from Shayne’s second studio album which was released in 2007.
This song kind of has the same story as Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me because the theme of Melt The Snow is about a girl whose man does not treat her right and the narrator or the singer wants her to leave her man and be with him, who will treat her right.
Furthermore, the song speaks about the most important thing about love, that love at first seems everything will be fine and no one thinks the love will ever end.
27. Fireflies (Owl City)
Fireflies is a debut single from Owl City’s second album Ocean Eyes which was released back in 2009. You know when we can’t fall asleep we start to imagine or fantasize about various things and that is what Owl City’s Fireflies song is about.
The singer basically can’t fall asleep and he starts fantasizing about the ten million fireflies lit up the world. Furthermore, he also says in the song that he’d rather stay awake than fall asleep because his imagination of fireflies is more interesting than reality.
It is one of Owl City’s most iconic songs and it was also covered by music artists like Cheryl Cole and Christina Grimmie.
28. Hey Soul Sister (Train)
Released in the late 2000s, Train’s single Hey Soul Sister is their most popular and iconic song. Moreover, in 2010 it became the second best-selling song in the United States.
The RIAA certified this song as 6x Platinum, moreover, Train also got the Grammys Awards for this song.
Moreover, this song topped the music charts in countries like Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United States, and Australia.
In this song, the singer talks about a girl who he is meant to be with but can’t be together because of their commitment issues.
29. Crush (David Archuleta)
I remember everyone singing this song back when it was released in 2008. It was a really special song that everybody memorized the lyrics.
This song was featured in David’s debut self-titled album. And as the song title speaks, this tells how having a crush is an emotional and physical experience.
30. Complicated (Avril Lavigne)
For us 2000s music lovers Avril Lavigne is someone like Billie Eilish for kids today, the only difference is that Avril was not overrated like Billie.
Avril’s songs like Girlfriend ruled the pop music industry back in the day however, before Girlfriend, her single Complicated was the ruler.
Other than being nominated for the Grammys, this song won several music awards and certainly topped the music charts globally.
Many girls could relate to this song as the song’s theme was about a fake relationship, the song speaks about girls’ boyfriends who are great when they are alone with their girlfriends however when they are with their friends their character changes and tries to act cool which only makes them an idiot.
FAQs
What song was trending in 2000?
In the year 2000, several songs were trending and gaining significant popularity. One notable song that dominated the charts and became a massive hit during that year was “Breathe” by Faith Hill.
“Breathe” is a country-pop song by American singer Faith Hill, released in late 1999 but continued to gain momentum and remained highly popular well into 2000. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became one of Faith Hill’s most successful and recognizable tracks.
Other songs that were also trending in 2000 include:
- “Smooth” by Santana featuring Rob Thomas
- “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child
- “I Wanna Know” by Joe
- “Maria Maria” by Santana featuring The Product G&B
- “Amazed” by Lonestar
- “Oops!… I Did It Again” by Britney Spears
- “It’s Gonna Be Me” by *NSYNC
- “Incomplete” by Sisqó
- “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC
- “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down
What is 2000s rock called?
2000s rock is often referred to as “post-grunge” or “alternative rock.” It includes a range of rock subgenres that emerged and gained popularity during the 2000s.
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