The 2000s ushered in the dawn of the blog and the age of the iPod, sending the music industry into a chaotic spiral; suddenly, it seemed every niche pocket of the industry now had a fighting chance at making it big. What ensued was a glorious 10-year run where rap and hip-hop reclaimed commercial success, indie rock leaned into its subversive pop side, and pop music had to rethink its dependency on the mass-produced boy band blueprint.
To celebrate the early aughts in all its expansiveness, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite songs of the era: from Timbaland and Pharrell’s back-and-forth beats to pop princesses Britney and Christina and the ever-adapting indie mainstays like Animal Collective and The White Stripes, here are our picks for top songs of the 2000s.
“Love Sex Magic” (feat. Justin Timberlake) by Ciara
“crushcrushcrush” by Paramore
“D.A.N.C.E.” by Justice
“Behind These Hazel Eyes” by Kelly Clarkson
“Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna