10. Christina Aguilera - "What a Girl Wants"
Courtesy RCA
19 year old Christina Aguilera proved she was no one hit wonder when she roared to the top of the charts for a second time following the breakthrough "Genie in a Bottle." She earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal with her mature beyond her years vocal style.
9. Janet Jackson - "Doesn't Really Matter"
Courtesy Def Soul
Janet Jackson headed to the top of the pop singles chart for a ninth time with this song included on the soundtrack for the movie Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. It was her first trip to the top in three years.
8. Faith Hill - "Breathe"
Courtesy Warner Bros.
Country singer Faith Hill leaned heavily in a pop direction here. Although the song didn't climb higher than #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 it spent over a year on the chart and was named the top pop chart single of the year. It is a classic power ballad that also spent 17 weeks at #1 on the adult contemporary chart.
7. *NSYNC - "Bye Bye Bye"
Courtesy Jive Records
This song represents boy band *NSYNC at their peak. It was the lead-in to the album No Strings Attached and helps celebrate the group leaving a negative relationship with their manager Lou Pearlman. "Bye Bye Bye" was the most quickly added single to pop radio in history with 200 stations adding it to playlists in the same week. It was nominated for Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo or Group with Vocal.
6. Eiffel 65 - "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"
Courtesy BlissCo
"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" is one of the true nonsensical pop classics of all time. Members of Italian dance group Eiffel 65 say the writing of the song began with the piano hook, but much of the lyrical content is intentional nonsense. It was a top 10 pop hit that was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
5. Destiny's Child - "Say My Name"
Courtesy Columbia Records
R&B girl group Destiny's Child scored their second #1 pop hit with this classic. Producer Rodney Jerkins provides an infectious backing track incorporating 70's style guitar, drum machine beats and synthesized strings. Reportedly group member Beyonce originally did not like the track because it was too dense with too many elements. However, it has become one of the group's best loved songs.
4. Eminem - "Stan"
Courtesy Aftermath / Interscope
Rapper Eminem cemented his artistic standing with this chilling tale of fan obsession. The singing vocals are provided by British vocalist Dido. The song unfolds through letters sent to Eminem and finally Eminem's attempt to write back to the fan.
3. Madonna - "Music"
Courtesy Maverick
Madonna headed triumphantly into the new decade with this heavily electronic classic. The voice in the beginning that sounds male is actually Madonna's words heavily reprocessed. It was a #1 smash around the world and nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
2. U2 - "Beautiful Day"
Courtesy Island
Although "Beautiful Day" was not U2's biggest hit on initial release, it has gained a powerful reputation over time. The recording won three Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Rock Duo or Group with Vocal. Bono says the song is about, "a man who has lost everything, but finds joy in what he still has." The song had particular poignance when performed live by U2 at Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
1. Aaliyah - "Try Again"
Courtesy Blackground
One of the most tragic music losses of the decade occurred in late summer 2001 with the death of 22 year old singer and actress Aaliyah in a plane crash. "Try Again" is arguably her finest moment. It features an innovative, skeletal production from Timbaland. The song was included on the soundtrack to the film Romeo Must Die and is Aaliyah's only #1 pop hit. "Try Again" is the first song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 purely on the basis of radio airplay.
