Take a quick look at the 25 biggest hits of the first decade of the 21st century according to Billboard and you’ll find a wide representation of recent music, from rap to pop to R&B to good old rock and roll. (For a ranking including more recent songs, see the 20 biggest pop hits of the last 20 years.)
To determine the biggest hits of the 2000s, 24/7 Tempo reviewed performance data on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Songs were ranked based on an inverse score wherein a week at No. 1 is worth 100 points, a week at No. 2 worth 99 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 100 worth one point. In some cases, rankings for songs originally released between 2000 and 2009 reflect chart position after 2009. Chart data is current through the week of August 20, 2022.
The 25 songs on our list have nearly all endured in popularity since the time of their release. Examples include “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon, “Yeah!” by Usher (featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris), and “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas, to name just a few. Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift landed two hits each on the list and so did the bands Lifehouse and Train.
Click here to see the biggest hits of the 2000s according to Billboard
Then we have Mariah Carey’s immortal holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which debuted in the mid-1990s but didn’t crack the Billboard Hot 100 until January of 2000. More recently, it went on to become the only song to reach No. 1 in four consecutive years – 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. (It’s a prime example of the classic songs that have returned to the Billboard Hot 100.)
25. Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O’Donis, “Just Dance”
> Entered Hot 100: August 16, 2008
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 49
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24. Kelly Clarkson, “Breakaway”
> Entered Hot 100: August 28, 2004
> Peak position on Hot 100: #6 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 46
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23. The Fray, “How To Save a Life”
> Entered Hot 100: April 15, 2006
> Peak position on Hot 100: #3 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 58
22. Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone”
> Entered Hot 100: December 18, 2004
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 46
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21. Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic, “Apologize”
> Entered Hot 100: April 21, 2007