When we think of the 2000s, we think of low-rise jeans, flip phones, the rise of YouTube, and the transition from CD burners to iTunes playlists. But the backbone of the decade was, without question, the music. VH1 originally released their "100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s" list in 2011, just as the decade had closed. But more than a decade later, culture has shifted. Gen Z has rediscovered indie sleaze, TikTok has revived deep cuts from 2007, and streaming metrics have rewritten the rules of "longevity."
To update the list, we considered the following factors:
The horn blast heard 'round the world. This track didn't just launch Beyoncé’s solo career; it established her as the definitive artist of the millennium.
U2, Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters fill out VH1's '100 ... vh1 100 greatest songs of the 2000s upd
Despite their cultural impact, several iconic tracks landed further down the list: , "Rehab" – #31 Johnny Cash , "Hurt" – #33 The Killers , "Mr. Brightside" – #52 M.I.A. , "Paper Planes" – #89 Linkin Park , "In the End" – #84
: Tracks like The Killers' "Mr. Brightside" or Britney Spears' "Toxic" (#20) continue to pull billions of streams globally, showing a cultural endurance that outpaces some of the songs originally placed ahead of them in 2011.
. @MissyElliott says “Get Ur Freak On” almost never happened — and now it's Number One on our list of the Greatest Songs of the 21... Get Ur Freak On Can't Get You Out of My Head When we think of the 2000s, we think
Conversely, the decade's nu-metal and post-grunge booms—represented at the time by bands like Nickelback and Linkin Park—have faced differing fates. While Nickelback became a frequent target of internet meme culture, Linkin Park’s has achieved a revered legacy, recognized for its masterful blending of hip-hop dynamics with deeply emotional rock choruses. The Legacy of the 2000s
The 2000s were a chaotic, transformative, and brilliant decade for music. It was a time when pop music got a digital makeover, hip-hop took over the airwaves, rock experienced a revival, and file-sharing changed the industry forever. To capture this frenetic era, released a definitive list—"100 Greatest Songs of the '00s"—that serves as a time capsule of the decade.
Launched her solo career into the stratosphere. Indie Rock and Alternative Breakthrough But more than a decade later, culture has shifted
: A power-pop narrative that dominated MTV's Total Request Live ( TRL ) rotations. Retrospective Critiques: How Has the List Aged?
Brought vintage retro-soul and dark synth-pop into the mainstream. "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback & "Thong Song" by Sisqó
Original Rank: #24 It never left. Thanks to its eternal reign on UK charts and every American dive bar’s jukebox, "Mr. Brightside" has aged like fine wine. The jealousy anthem of the millennium is now a sporting event staple.
The top 10 of VH1's list captures the musical evolution that defined the 2000s.