Top 10 Songs of the 2000s: From Bedroom Producers to Arena Anthems
A roundup from Time Out, republished by Quartz, lists the ten best and most influential songs of the 2000s, a decade defined by the shift to digital music distribution. The list includes Beyoncé's 'Crazy in Love' (2003), The Killers' 'Mr Brightside', The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army', Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone', Rihanna's 'Umbrella' (2007), Madonna's 'Hung Up', Arctic Monkeys' 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor', Franz Ferdinand's 'Take Me Out', M.I.A.'s 'Paper Planes' (2008), and Daft Punk's 'Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger'. The songs span pop, rock, indie, and dance, reflecting the genre-blending playlists enabled by MP3s and iPods. Notable details include Jay-Z's guest verses on 'Crazy in Love' and 'Umbrella', the Chi-Lites sample in 'Crazy in Love', the pitched-down guitar riff in 'Seven Nation Army', Max Martin's co-writing on 'Since U Been Gone', the ABBA sample in 'Hung Up' cleared via a handwritten letter from Madonna, the internet-driven hype behind Arctic Monkeys, and the social commentary in 'Paper Planes'. The list is drawn from Time Out's broader 50-song roundup and is presented without numerical ranking.
Key facts
- The list of top 10 songs of the 2000s is from Time Out, republished by Quartz.
- The decade saw music distribution shift to digital formats like MP3s and iPods.
- Beyoncé's 'Crazy in Love' (2003) features a horn sample from the Chi-Lites and a rap verse from Jay-Z.
- The Killers' 'Mr Brightside' remains a UK chart staple over a decade after release.
- The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' riff is widely used in sports stadiums.
- Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone' was co-written with Max Martin and marked her transition from reality TV winner to pop star.
- Rihanna's 'Umbrella' spent ten consecutive weeks at number one in the UK in 2007.
- Madonna's 'Hung Up' samples ABBA, cleared via a handwritten letter to Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
- Arctic Monkeys' debut single 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor' was propelled by early internet communities.
- M.I.A.'s 'Paper Planes' reached number four on the US chart in 2008, featuring a sample from The Clash's 'Straight to Hell'.
- Daft Punk's 'Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger' is a nu-disco anthem with robotic vocals, later sampled by Kanye West.
Entities
Artists
- Beyoncé
- Jay-Z
- The Killers
- Brandon Flowers
- The White Stripes
- Jack White
- Kelly Clarkson
- Max Martin
- Rihanna
- Madonna
- Benny Andersson
- Björn Ulvaeus
- Arctic Monkeys
- Alex Turner
- Franz Ferdinand
- M.I.A.
- Diplo
- Daft Punk
- Rich Harrison
- The Chi-Lites
- ABBA
- The Clash
Institutions
- Time Out
- Quartz
- Destiny's Child
Locations
- UK
- United States
- Glasgow
Sources
- Quartz —