25. The Rock Show- Blink 182 (2001)
While Blink-182 enjoyed success from their hit album Enema of the State in 1999, the band followed up strong in their 2001 album , Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, which chartered the hit single “The Rock Show.” During this time rock music was in a battle between two sub-genres, pop punk and nu-metal. The pop-punk trailblazers proved they still had a voice in this catchy tune about meeting a girl at one of the local punk venues in their hometown of Poway, Calif. The song peaked at number two on Billboard’s Hot 100 Modern Rock Tracks in 2001.
24. Forgot About Dre – Dr. Dre (2000)
Just when the new millennium thought they had gotten rid of “The Father of Rap,” Dr. Dre throws another track in their face. Charged with the anger from the criticisms of his former employer Death Row Records, Dre added the up and coming rap superstar, Eminem, in this lyrical punch in the face to Death Row. While the album 2001 was actually released in November of 1999, the single was not released until January of 2000 categorizing this track as a 2000s banger.
23. Welcome to the Black Parade- My Chemical Romance (2006)
Reminiscent of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” My Chemical Romance puts their own spin on the rock opera sound in this seemly dark song about death. The opinion of many is that the song is about the last memories a person has before they die. Lead Singer Gerard Way uses dark imagery in his lyrics along with an extreme change of tempo in order to make “Welcome to the Black Parade” an explosive song in the decade.
22. In One Ear- Cage the Elephant (2009)
While pop punk and nu-metal took the forefront of the rock genre in the mid 2000s, Cage the Elephant returned the genre to its more original sound with “In One Ear.” Mixing the old school sound of The Rolling Stones and a hint of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, “In One Ear” is an energizing head banger that revolts against mainstream music. Released in 2009, this song ignited the career for one of the decade’s most popular rock bands. The song placed number one on Billboard’s Top 100 Alternative Songs.
21. Dead and Gone- T.I. (2009)
While some rap fanatics may argue that this song was a little too pop oriented for rapper T.I., the song presents a great story of the rapper’s fight to better himself for his family. It also discusses other issues such as the adversity of losing a close friend.
While Blink-182 enjoyed success from their hit album Enema of the State in 1999, the band followed up strong in their 2001 album , Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, which chartered the hit single “The Rock Show.” During this time rock music was in a battle between two sub-genres, pop punk and nu-metal. The pop-punk trailblazers proved they still had a voice in this catchy tune about meeting a girl at one of the local punk venues in their hometown of Poway, Calif. The song peaked at number two on Billboard’s Hot 100 Modern Rock Tracks in 2001.
24. Forgot About Dre – Dr. Dre (2000)
Just when the new millennium thought they had gotten rid of “The Father of Rap,” Dr. Dre throws another track in their face. Charged with the anger from the criticisms of his former employer Death Row Records, Dre added the up and coming rap superstar, Eminem, in this lyrical punch in the face to Death Row. While the album 2001 was actually released in November of 1999, the single was not released until January of 2000 categorizing this track as a 2000s banger.
23. Welcome to the Black Parade- My Chemical Romance (2006)
Reminiscent of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” My Chemical Romance puts their own spin on the rock opera sound in this seemly dark song about death. The opinion of many is that the song is about the last memories a person has before they die. Lead Singer Gerard Way uses dark imagery in his lyrics along with an extreme change of tempo in order to make “Welcome to the Black Parade” an explosive song in the decade.
22. In One Ear- Cage the Elephant (2009)
While pop punk and nu-metal took the forefront of the rock genre in the mid 2000s, Cage the Elephant returned the genre to its more original sound with “In One Ear.” Mixing the old school sound of The Rolling Stones and a hint of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, “In One Ear” is an energizing head banger that revolts against mainstream music. Released in 2009, this song ignited the career for one of the decade’s most popular rock bands. The song placed number one on Billboard’s Top 100 Alternative Songs.
21. Dead and Gone- T.I. (2009)
While some rap fanatics may argue that this song was a little too pop oriented for rapper T.I., the song presents a great story of the rapper’s fight to better himself for his family. It also discusses other issues such as the adversity of losing a close friend.
The hook, sung by Justin Timberlake, added an aspect of catchiness to the otherwise very deep and conscientious song. “Dead and Gone” was the 10th best selling digital single in 2009 and peaked at number one of Billboard’s Top 100 Pop chart.
20. Bring Me to Life- Evanescence (2003)
While women have been involved with rock music for decades, none brought the same emphasis on metal as Evanescence’s Amy Lee. Lee’s impressive vocal range and the band’s mixture of tempos in “Bring Me to Life” gave an innovative sound to the early 2000s. The band even took a page from Linkin Park and added a few rap vocals in the chorus of the song adding to its uniqueness. “Bring Me to Life” peaked within the top 10 in 15 different countries charts.
19. Ignition (Remix)- R. Kelly (2002)
This is the one song you can play at a party and no one will ever complain. “Ignition” was one of, if not the most, catchy songs of the decade. With a soothing sexy track and R. Kelly’s seductive voice, it was hard not to sing along to this jam. The song peaked at number two for five straight weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100, falling just behind 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.”
18. My Life- The Game (2006)
I feel like there are very few songs that can tap into a person’s emotions like Game’s “My Life.” While the song never ranked very high on the charts, the power of this song is truly underrated. The song depicts the struggle of Game’s life in Compton and what it is like for people who go through the struggle of gang violence. Lil Wayne’s raspy vocals sing a powerful and forceful hook to add to Game’s fiery and realistic lyrics. It is a great song by a rapper who is truly overlooked in the industry.
17. Snow (Hey Oh)- Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006)
You cannot have a top 25 list without listing one of the most successful bands in the last 25 years. As always, John Frusciante presents articulate guitar work under the distinct description of Anthony Keidis’ struggle with drug abuse. Keidis claims that the song is about surviving drug abuse and starting over fresh. The song peaked as high as number one on Billboard’s Hot Modern Rock Tracks.
16. A Milli- Lil Wayne (2007)
Lil Wayne had a bunch of popular songs within the decade. However, none got stuck in your head quite as often as “A Milli.” After a long battle with Jay Z over who held reign over the rap throne during the 2000s, Weezy dominated the latter half of the decade with Tha Carter III. “A Milli” was just one of the many hits off of the album, which later he dubbed the song “Obama” as a remix to show his support for the future 44th President of the United States. It placed at the top of both the Rap and R&B charts.
20. Bring Me to Life- Evanescence (2003)
While women have been involved with rock music for decades, none brought the same emphasis on metal as Evanescence’s Amy Lee. Lee’s impressive vocal range and the band’s mixture of tempos in “Bring Me to Life” gave an innovative sound to the early 2000s. The band even took a page from Linkin Park and added a few rap vocals in the chorus of the song adding to its uniqueness. “Bring Me to Life” peaked within the top 10 in 15 different countries charts.
19. Ignition (Remix)- R. Kelly (2002)
This is the one song you can play at a party and no one will ever complain. “Ignition” was one of, if not the most, catchy songs of the decade. With a soothing sexy track and R. Kelly’s seductive voice, it was hard not to sing along to this jam. The song peaked at number two for five straight weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100, falling just behind 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.”
18. My Life- The Game (2006)
I feel like there are very few songs that can tap into a person’s emotions like Game’s “My Life.” While the song never ranked very high on the charts, the power of this song is truly underrated. The song depicts the struggle of Game’s life in Compton and what it is like for people who go through the struggle of gang violence. Lil Wayne’s raspy vocals sing a powerful and forceful hook to add to Game’s fiery and realistic lyrics. It is a great song by a rapper who is truly overlooked in the industry.
17. Snow (Hey Oh)- Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006)
You cannot have a top 25 list without listing one of the most successful bands in the last 25 years. As always, John Frusciante presents articulate guitar work under the distinct description of Anthony Keidis’ struggle with drug abuse. Keidis claims that the song is about surviving drug abuse and starting over fresh. The song peaked as high as number one on Billboard’s Hot Modern Rock Tracks.
16. A Milli- Lil Wayne (2007)
Lil Wayne had a bunch of popular songs within the decade. However, none got stuck in your head quite as often as “A Milli.” After a long battle with Jay Z over who held reign over the rap throne during the 2000s, Weezy dominated the latter half of the decade with Tha Carter III. “A Milli” was just one of the many hits off of the album, which later he dubbed the song “Obama” as a remix to show his support for the future 44th President of the United States. It placed at the top of both the Rap and R&B charts.
15. Cry Me a River- Justin Timberlake (2004)
While I would hate to place anybody who was a member of NSYNC in the top 25, Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” was a powerful song about a man getting over his feelings for his ex girlfriend. It is true that people tend to bash on Justin for his time with NSYNC but cannot argue that he has one of the best voices of our generation. Even shock rocker, Marilyn Manson, gave Timberlake high regards for his work on “Cry Me a River.” “People underestimate how badass Justin Timberlake can be. Coming from a boy band, he probably wanted to break that mold and show people his darker side, and that’s Cry Me a River,” Manson said in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. The song landed as high as number 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 songs.
While I would hate to place anybody who was a member of NSYNC in the top 25, Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” was a powerful song about a man getting over his feelings for his ex girlfriend. It is true that people tend to bash on Justin for his time with NSYNC but cannot argue that he has one of the best voices of our generation. Even shock rocker, Marilyn Manson, gave Timberlake high regards for his work on “Cry Me a River.” “People underestimate how badass Justin Timberlake can be. Coming from a boy band, he probably wanted to break that mold and show people his darker side, and that’s Cry Me a River,” Manson said in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. The song landed as high as number 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 songs.
14. Paper Planes- M.I.A (2007)
If you had to pick a stoner’s anthem of the 2000s, M.I.A’s “Paper Planes” was definitely a great selection. M.I.A’s simple lyrics and soothing beat gave this song the chilled vibe necessary in order to be a hit. Unfortunately, this was the only hit song M.I.A had in the U.S. It was used in the trailer of the movie Pineapple Express furthering its association with marijuana use. “Paper Planes” reached as high as number six on the Rap charts.
13. Crazy- Gnarles Barkley (2006)
It is hard to find a catchier song than “Crazy” by Gnarles Barkley. Even if you are a person who can’t stand Cee Lo Green’s voice you will still find yourself singing along. This song ignited Green’s career which led to solo success in the following decade.
12. Rehab- Amy Winehouse (2006)
There have been many successful female artists in pop music, but Amy Whitehouse’s “Rehab” brought an interesting perspective to the realm of music. Utilizing slow bluesy vocals the artist brought introspective to her desire to live freely through drug use. Its stylistic difference made it one of the 2000s most original Pop tracks. The song placed at number 10 on the charts in 2006.
11. Seven Nation Army- The White Stripes (2003)
Taking over the role of Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll,” “Seven Nation Army” has become the sporting event anthem. Every sports stadium around the country has played this song at least once in its lifetime. Using special effects to make his guitar sound like a bass, Jack White revolutionized the idea of a minimalist rock duo. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked White within the top 100 guitar players of all time for usage of effects in “Seven Nation Army.”
If you had to pick a stoner’s anthem of the 2000s, M.I.A’s “Paper Planes” was definitely a great selection. M.I.A’s simple lyrics and soothing beat gave this song the chilled vibe necessary in order to be a hit. Unfortunately, this was the only hit song M.I.A had in the U.S. It was used in the trailer of the movie Pineapple Express furthering its association with marijuana use. “Paper Planes” reached as high as number six on the Rap charts.
13. Crazy- Gnarles Barkley (2006)
It is hard to find a catchier song than “Crazy” by Gnarles Barkley. Even if you are a person who can’t stand Cee Lo Green’s voice you will still find yourself singing along. This song ignited Green’s career which led to solo success in the following decade.
12. Rehab- Amy Winehouse (2006)
There have been many successful female artists in pop music, but Amy Whitehouse’s “Rehab” brought an interesting perspective to the realm of music. Utilizing slow bluesy vocals the artist brought introspective to her desire to live freely through drug use. Its stylistic difference made it one of the 2000s most original Pop tracks. The song placed at number 10 on the charts in 2006.
11. Seven Nation Army- The White Stripes (2003)
Taking over the role of Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll,” “Seven Nation Army” has become the sporting event anthem. Every sports stadium around the country has played this song at least once in its lifetime. Using special effects to make his guitar sound like a bass, Jack White revolutionized the idea of a minimalist rock duo. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked White within the top 100 guitar players of all time for usage of effects in “Seven Nation Army.”
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