There’s no shame in singing along to your oldest favorite songs into a hairbrush and reminiscing about the past. In fact, as VH1 aired its documentary “The Greatest Hits of the 2000s”, that’s all that I did as songs that represented the musical decade best blared out of my television set.
The show played a countdown from 100 to one, with no. 1 being the “greatest song” of the decade. Along with playing portions of the music video to the song, VH1 included interviews with musical experts, producers and comedians about each song and why it was chosen as a “greatest hit.”
Being a lover of all music, I cherished the results of the documentary. The 2000s was a very competitive decade in the music industry, which led to happy listeners as quality music was continuously realeased.
VH1 did a phenomenal job with incorporating all genres. The hit singles ranged from the soft piano melody in “Drops of Jupiter” by Train (no. 42) to the spunky and upbeat “Get the Party Started” (no. 23) sung by P!nk.
In the rap category, was the catchy yet notorious no. 74 “Ridin” by Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone. High in the charts was “Empire State of Mind” (no. 8) rapped by Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys—an upbeat duo about the crazy “concrete jungle” where dreams come true called New York City. It’s no surprise that the highest rap song in the charts was at no. 4, Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.” This song single-handedly raised the star to fame, making him one of the best rap artists of all time with 13 Grammys.
Rock n’ Roll didn’t lose its touch in the 90s when classics like “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet (no. 72) and “All the Small Things” by Blink 182 rolled right into VH1’s charts. Joining the boy bands was Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Going Down” (no. 40) and The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” (no. 55).
Country music gained popularity throughout the 2000s, both by long-time artists and rising stars. 2005 American Idol winner Carrie Underwood contributed to the “greatest hits” list with her strong-hearted single “Before He Cheats” (no. 99) while the young and free-spirited Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me” (no. 50) took its place on the charts with the best of them. But things took a surprising turn when the well-respected country artist, Johnny Cash, released a sentimental, beautiful ballad called “Hurt” (no. 33.) just months before he passed away.
Hip Hop/Pop music surely was poppin’ as it was the majority of the songs awarded. Mary J. Blige changed her style from sad, broken-hearted music to pumped-up dance music in song (no. 57) “Family Affair.” No doubt, this song could get anybody to up and moving. Pop music has the ability to make anybody dance, no matter your age, gender or preference of music—that’s why the top two “greatest hits” are both featured the video game “Just Dance” (released in 2010). At no. 2, is “Hey Ya” by Outkast. For the no. 1 spot and the title of “greatest hit of the 2000s” is Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z’s “Crazy in Love.” Not only did this song set Beyoncé apart as a solo artist from her old singing group Destiny’s Child, but it also set a standard for pop music in the entertainment industry.
The 2000s was a prominent decade as a set the mark for up and coming music in the following decade. I was taken back to my past, and I have to say—I was loving it.
