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
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 47
20. Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody”
> Entered Hot 100: October 11, 2008
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 57
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19. Usher Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris, “Yeah!”
> Entered Hot 100: January 10, 2004
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 12 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 45
18. Faith Hill, “The Way You Love Me”
> Entered Hot 100: March 11, 2000
> Peak position on Hot 100: #6 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 56
17. 3 Doors Down, “Here Without You”
> Entered Hot 100: August 30, 2003
> Peak position on Hot 100: #5 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 51
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16. Fergie, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”
> Entered Hot 100: May 5, 2007
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 48
15. Train, “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)”
> Entered Hot 100: March 17, 2001
> Peak position on Hot 100: #5 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 53
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14. Nickelback, “How You Remind Me”
> Entered Hot 100: September 8, 2001
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 49
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13. 3 Doors Down, “Kryptonite”
> Entered Hot 100: April 8, 2000
> Peak position on Hot 100: #3 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 53
12. Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”
> Entered Hot 100: November 22, 2008
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 50
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11. Taylor Swift, “Love Story”
> Entered Hot 100: September 27, 2008
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 49
10. Coldplay, “Viva La Vida”
> Entered Hot 100: May 24, 2008
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 51
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9. Train, “Hey, Soul Sister”
> Entered Hot 100: October 17, 2009
> Peak position on Hot 100: #3 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 54
8. matchbox twenty, “Unwell”
> Entered Hot 100: March 22, 2003
> Peak position on Hot 100: #5 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 54
7. Mariah Carey, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
> Entered Hot 100: January 8, 2000
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 8 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 50
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6. Lifehouse, “You and Me”
> Entered Hot 100: February 12, 2005
> Peak position on Hot 100: #5 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 62
5. Lifehouse, “Hanging by a Moment”
> Entered Hot 100: February 10, 2001
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 54
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4. Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats”
> Entered Hot 100: September 16, 2006
> Peak position on Hot 100: #8 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 64
3. Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
> Entered Hot 100: August 29, 2009
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 60
2. The Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
> Entered Hot 100: June 27, 2009
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 14 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 56
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1. Jason Mraz, “I’m Yours”
> Entered Hot 100: May 3, 2008
> Peak position on Hot 100: #6 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 76
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