Vh1 100 Greatest Songs Of The: 2000s

A modern anthem for New York City that closed out the decade with a powerful, soul-stirring chorus.

Brought futuristic electronic dance-funk into mainstream pop. "Empire State of Mind" Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys A towering, modern civic anthem for New York City. 9 "We Belong Together" Mariah Carey

The VH1 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s list was a comprehensive ranking of the most iconic and enduring tracks of the decade, as voted by music enthusiasts and industry experts. The list was compiled by VH1, a popular American music television channel, and was broadcast in 2009.

VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s is not a definitive musical ranking but a . It prioritizes songs of transition: between analog and digital, between pre- and post-9/11 innocence, between R&B and electronic production. The list tells us more about what industry insiders in 2011 thought the 2000s meant (anxious, hip-hop dominated, fragmented) than what was most popular (by sales or streams). For students of media, it remains a vital primary source for understanding the decade’s emotional core.

Whether you agree with the rankings or believe your favorite song was robbed, one thing is certain: the soundtrack of the 2000s never gets old. And somewhere, Pete Wentz is still counting them down, one syncopated beat at a time. vh1 100 greatest songs of the 2000s

The top tier of the list represents a masterclass in production, vocal prowess, and cultural impact, highlighting the artists who moved from rising stars to permanent global icons. Release Year Why It Mattered "Crazy in Love" Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z

| Rank | Artist | Song Title | |:----:|:---|:---| | 100 | Sisqó | “Thong Song” | | 99 | Carrie Underwood | “Before He Cheats” | | 98 | 3 Doors Down | “Kryptonite” | | 97 | Shaggy | “It Wasn’t Me” | | 96 | Pussycat Dolls (feat. Busta Rhymes) | “Don’t Cha” | | 95 | James Blunt | “You’re Beautiful” | | 94 | Daughtry | “It’s Not Over” | | 93 | OK Go | “Here It Goes Again” | | 92 | Flo Rida (feat. T‑Pain) | “Low” | | 91 | Creed | “With Arms Wide Open” | | 90 | Mystikal | “Shake Ya Ass” | | 89 | M.I.A. | “Paper Planes” | | 88 | Fountains of Wayne | “Stacy’s Mom” | | 87 | The Darkness | “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” | | 86 | Aerosmith | “Jaded” | | 85 | Macy Gray | “I Try” | | 84 | Linkin Park | “In the End” | | 83 | D’Angelo | “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” | | 82 | Matchbox Twenty | “Unwell” | | 81 | Bruce Springsteen | “The Rising” | | 80 | Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz (feat. Ying Yang Twins) | “Get Low” | | 79 | Enrique Iglesias | “Hero” | | 78 | Plain White T’s | “Hey There Delilah” | | 77 | Nickelback | “How You Remind Me” | | 76 | T.I. (feat. Rihanna) | “Live Your Life” | | 75 | Gavin DeGraw | “I Don’t Want to Be” | | 74 | Chamillionaire (feat. Krayzie Bone) | “Ridin’” | | 73 | Nelly Furtado (feat. Timbaland) | “Promiscuous” | | 72 | Jet | “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” | | 71 | Colbie Caillat | “Bubbly” | | 70 | Chris Brown (feat. Juelz Santana) | “Run It!” | | 69 | Evanescence | “Bring Me to Life” | | 68 | Ludacris (feat. Shawnna) | “Stand Up” | | 67 | Leona Lewis | “Bleeding Love” | | 66 | Snoop Dogg (feat. Pharrell) | “Drop It Like It’s Hot” | | 65 | Aaliyah | “Try Again” | | 64 | Jennifer Lopez (feat. Ja Rule) | “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” | | 63 | Andrew W.K. | “Party Hard” | | 62 | Avril Lavigne | “Complicated” | | 61 | Kelis | “Milkshake” | | 60 | Kesha | “Tik Tok” | | 59 | Justin Timberlake | “Cry Me a River” | | 58 | Jason Mraz | “I’m Yours” | | 57 | Mary J. Blige | “Family Affair” | | 56 | DMX | “Party Up (Up in Here)” | | 55 | The Killers | “Mr. Brightside” | | 54 | Norah Jones | “Don’t Know Why” | | 53 | blink‑182 | “All the Small Things” | | 52 | Shakira (feat. Wyclef Jean) | “Hips Don’t Lie” | | 51 | Natasha Bedingfield | “Pocketful of Sunshine” | | 50 | Taylor Swift | “You Belong With Me” | | 49 | Lady Gaga | “Bad Romance” | | 48 | Kings of Leon | “Sex on Fire” | | 47 | Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, Pink | “Lady Marmalade” | | 46 | Kid Rock (feat. Sheryl Crow) | “Picture” | | 45 | Eve (feat. Gwen Stefani) | “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” | | 44 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | “Californication” | | 43 | Katy Perry | “I Kissed a Girl” | | 42 | Train | “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” | | 41 | R. Kelly | “Trapped in the Closet” | | 40 | Fall Out Boy | “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” | | 39 | Adele | “Chasing Pavements” | | 38 | Miley Cyrus | “Party in the U.S.A.” | | 37 | Britney Spears | “Oops!…I Did It Again” | | 36 | *NSYNC | “Bye Bye Bye” | | 35 | John Mayer | “Daughters” | | 34 | Janet Jackson | “All for You” | | 33 | Johnny Cash | “Hurt” | | 32 | Maroon 5 | “This Love” | | 31 | Amy Winehouse | “Rehab” | | 30 | Gwen Stefani | “Hollaback Girl” | | 29 | Foo Fighters | “The Best of You” | | 28 | Madonna | “Music” | | 27 | Usher (feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris) | “Yeah!” | | 26 | The White Stripes | “Seven Nation Army” | | 25 | Nelly | “Hot in Herre” | | 24 | Missy Elliott | “Get Ur Freak On” | | 23 | Pink | “Get the Party Started” | | 22 | Alicia Keys | “Fallin’” | | 21 | Jay‑Z | “99 Problems” | | 20 | Britney Spears | “Toxic” | | 19 | Destiny’s Child | “Bootylicious” | | 18 | Christina Aguilera | “Beautiful” | | 17 | Coldplay | “Clocks” | | 16 | Beyoncé | “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” | | 15 | U2 | “Beautiful Day” | | 14 | Gnarls Barkley | “Crazy” | | 13 | Green Day | “American Idiot” | | 12 | The Black Eyed Peas | “I Gotta Feeling” | | 11 | Rihanna (feat. Jay‑Z) | “Umbrella” | | 10 | 50 Cent | “In Da Club” | | 9 | Mariah Carey | “We Belong Together” | | 8 | Jay‑Z (feat. Alicia Keys) | “Empire State of Mind” | | 7 | Justin Timberlake (feat. Timbaland) | “SexyBack” | | 6 | Kanye West (feat. Jamie Foxx) | “Gold Digger” | | 5 | Kelly Clarkson | “Since U Been Gone” | | 4 | Eminem | “Lose Yourself” | | 3 | Lady Gaga | “Poker Face” | | 2 | OutKast | “Hey Ya!” | | 1 | Beyoncé (feat. Jay‑Z) | “Crazy in Love” |

Brought futuristic, distorted electro-funk to the absolute mainstream. "Empire State of Mind" JAY-Z ft. Alicia Keys Became the modern definitive anthem for New York City. 9 "We Belong Together" Mariah Carey Billboard’s Song of the Decade; a massive vocal comeback. 10 "In Da Club" 50 Cent Defined the club-ready, Dr. Dre-produced rap landscape. Iconic Genre Eras Highlighted by VH1 1. The Dance-Pop & R&B Royalty

The 2000s saw R&B and pop merge completely. Tracks like utilized Bollywood strings and surf guitar to create a futuristic spy thriller in pop form. Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake’s "Cry Me a River" used Timbaland’s beatboxing and ambient rain sounds to reinvent male pop stardom. The Garage Rock and Indie Revival A modern anthem for New York City that

: Published by Hal Leonard , this 688-page collection includes sheet music for hits like "Rehab," "Mr. Brightside," and "Hollaback Girl".

As noted by television critics during its original broadcast, VH1's list heavily reflected an R&B and hip-hop world, where traditional rock bands took a backseat to solo pop powerhouses and rap icons. Traditional guitar rock didn’t make a major appearance in the upper tier until Green Day hit number 13 and U2 surfaced at number 15. Analyzing the Top 10 Hits

A brilliant blend of Ray Charles samples and sharp social commentary, this track defined the mid-2000s rap-pop crossover.

VH1's full 100-song list serves as a time capsule, highlighting several distinct musical movements that fought for dominance throughout the ten-year span. The Hip-Hop and R&B Hegemony Alicia Keys A towering, modern civic anthem for

Guitars did not disappear in the 2000s; they just got dirtier. and The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" rejected the overproduced gloss of the late '90s. The latter track features a simple, pitch-shifted guitar riff that has since mutated into a global stadium chant used across sports worldwide. Nu-Metal and Pop-Punk

The list also highlights major career reinventions. Justin Timberlake successfully shed his boy-band image with the futuristic, Timbaland-produced "SexyBack" at number 7. Kelly Clarkson bridged the gap between reality television and genuine rock credibility with "Since U Been Gone" at number 5. 2. Hip-Hop Rules the Mainstream

serves as the definitive time capsule for a decade that completely upended the music industry.

While pop and hip-hop dominated the singles charts, rock music underwent a massive stylistic pivot. Disillusioned with the post-grunge era, bands looked backward to post-punk and garage rock. VH1 highlighted this crucial sub-movement by inclusion of (No. 15), featuring a guitar riff that has since become a global sports stadium chant, alongside The Killers' "Mr. Brightside" (No. 70), a track that has achieved near-unparalleled longevity on streaming charts. The Teen Pop Evolution