The Top 10 Best Hit Songs Of 2003

 

The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2003

In the following article, I take a look at the worst year of the 2000s for the Hot 100 and try to salvage some quality.

Hey guys, welcome back to Fire’s Flaming Hot Takes for another year-end list. Today, we’re examining the top 10 best hit songs of 2003!

So if you read my worst list for this year, you know my assertion that 2003 is kinda a lousy year for the Hot 100.

That’s not to say there were 0 good songs on the year-end list for 2003 because there were some damn great songs on this year-end list, because there were some quite great and even excellent tracks here. There were 41 songs here that were good or better, including the 2002 repeats, honestly way more than I was expecting; haha. As a rule, the songs had to debut on the year-end Hot 100 in 2003 in order to qualify, which means both “Work It” and “Lose Yourself” are unfortunately ineligible for this list, so let’s get things started as always with our honorable mentions!

HM #1: Erykah Badu f/Common - Love Of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop) (YE: #78, PEAK: #9)

Erykah Badu’s soulful voice is a perfect fit for this minimal production and the content consists of personification of hip hop and how it was a friend to her when she needed it, and it exemplifies how I feel about the music I listen to and love, a shoulder to cry on or to distract myself from it all, elevating me when I need it the most. Great song, ultimately didn’t put it higher here because it kinda feels like a song I respect more than like, but it’s still quite nice.

HM #2: Frankie J - Don’t Wanna Try (YE: #71, PEAK: #19)

Um...okay, this kinda feels like a song that’d be on my worst list instead but, I don’t know what to say, Frankie J is a compelling performer and the production honestly sounds pretty from the twinkling keys to the piano melody that sounds really nice. Yeah, I really like this.

HM #3: Norah Jones - Don’t Know Why (YE: #97, PEAK: #30)

Probably the last real jazz hit on the Billboard Hot 100 at least but it’s a delightful one indeed, from Norah Jones’ beautiful voice to the really nice sounding piano, this is indeed a very unique hit, but a great one nonetheless.

HM #4: 3 Doors Down - Here Without You (YE: #62, PEAK: #5)

I don’t have any claim of nostalgia here so maybe I can’t justify putting this song on my list but whatever, this is a great song and I’ll die on this hill with that assertion, with that amazing sounding melody and Brad Arnolds selling this song greatly, he sounds genuinely devastated here but he doesn’t sound needy. It helps the song not feel insufferable to me, Great little song.

HM #5: Baby Bash f/Frankie J - Suga Suga (YE: #77, PEAK: #7)

“Don’t Wanna Try” was not Frankie J’s best hit this year, that would go to this! This is so smooth, with that great sounding guitar mixed with that piano line is just such a great combo and ultimately creates a rap song from 2003 that doesn’t at all sound dated!!

HM #6: Jason Mraz - The Remedy (I Won’t Worry) (YE: #15, PEAK: #5)

Okay, what convinced Jason Mraz to record the atrocity that was “I’m Yours” in 2009, spoilers for that future worst list, when he had this great song right here? I’ve said that I’m not really that big of a fan of Jason Mraz, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one, the guitar melody is incredibly fun and makes the song just sound super liberating, and as a nice reminder to not worry about things too much because life is too short Yeah, if any Jason Mraz song deserved to stick around, it wasn’t “I’m Yours”, it was this bop.

HM #7: YoungbloodZ f/Lil Jon - Damn! (YE: #46, PEAK: #4)

Arguably one of the first seeds of crunk’s mainstream popularity that would later explode in 2004 and yeah, this is an absolute banger. With that 3-note synth that doesn’t get irritating because of Lil Jon’s incredible personality where even if YoungbloodZ aren’t that impressive of rappers, Lil Jon just carries this song so hard, and goddamn, this is great, Lil Jon probably suffered back injuries from carrying this so hard.

Alright, now for the list proper!

10...So at least rock had some gems this year...

10.  Audioslave - Like A Stone (YE: #69, PEAK: #31)

I’ll admit, I’m not that big of a fan of Chris Cornell’s lower register delivery in this song, it honestly reminds me a bit of Creed and that’s a pretty bad thing though I can’t deny his dead-eyed delivery just feels all the more haunting here, helped by the grim instrumentation, but all of this works here for a reason: this song is literally about an old man who lost everyone and everything he cared about and is sitting in his house awaiting his death. And this makes the song honestly carry a heavier weight with Chris Cornell taking his own life at the relatively young age of 52 in 2017, it makes the song feel all the more grim. Plus the guitar solos here are killer, a heavy and dark song but a great one for sure.

9…Yeah, ”Lose Yourself” may be ineligible for this list, but Eminem’s still finding a way on this list!..

9. Eminem - Sing For The Moment (YE: #14, PEAK: #89)

Let me just say that the biggest reason I put this song on this list is the “Dream On” sample, a song that I also really like, hell Joe Perry of Aerosmith even provided a guitar solo at the end of the song, but this song does pack quite a punch all the same, attacking his critics who claimed he should be locked up for influencing others to turn to crime, he lays it all out that he just wants people to use his music for an escape from any hardship they’re going through, the same way rap music helped Eminem through his struggles. But he does acknowledge that some people consider him a role model and it terrifies him  - “But all they kids be listenin' to me religiously/So I'm signin' CDs while police fingerprint me”. And quite frankly, pinning the blame on entertainment for kids committing crimes is pretty stupid - “They say music can alter moods and/talk to you/Well, can it load a gun up for you and cock it too?” Quite a great song, and in the same level of quality as his most acclaimed work, I’m saying it.

8...Well, I’ll give 2003 this, unlike its predecessor 2002, it had a pretty great year-end #1...

8. 50 Cent - In Da Club (YE: #1, PEAK: #1)

So you could probably argue that 2003 was 50 Cent’s year, he scored 6 year-end appearances on the 2003 list, including the biggest hit song of the year in 2003, and this is a damn banger for sure. The synth beat is extremely menacing and supports 50’s flow effectively, plus the iconic “it’s your birthday” line, and 50 Cent brings in tons of personality in this song which helps elevate this to being a fun as hell party banger.

7...Why can’t posthumous releases today be like this?...

7. 2Pac f/ Nas & J Pheonix - Thugz Mansion (YE: #80, PEAK: #19)

So honestly, nowadays, posthumous releases seem to just be rushed out as unfinished and obvious cash grabs, just look at pretty much any of the posthumous Juice WRLD or XXXTENTACION songs for proof of that. Built off of an acoustic guitar melody that sounds kinda devastating, it’s a pretty dark song about 2Pac needing a place to rest in peace and have his struggles in life come to an end, a place he refers to as “thugz mansion”. He goes on about him contemplating suicide - “I once/contemplated suicide, and woulda tried/But when I held that 9, all I could see was my mama's eyes”. It’s a  really haunting song and the line “Dear Mama, don't cry, your baby boy's doin' good/Tell the homies I'm in Heaven” kinda hits hard knowing 2Pac is gone. And most importantly, this just doesn’t feel like a cash grab, which separates this from many other posthumous releases.

6...Well, that one felt pretty heavy, thankfully this next song is just plain great...

6. Coldplay - Clocks (YE: #81, PEAK: #29)

I wouldn’t consider this Coldplay’s best song by any means, “Fix You” is quite difficult to top for me, but this song is still great and rightfully considered a classic by many and oh, where to start? I  guess I could start with that brilliant piano riff or Chris Martin’s restrained delivery, or the crescendos at around the 3rd minute, but words genuinely cannot do this song justice. Only not higher because of stronger competition, maybe I underestimated you 2003.

5...So crunk wouldn’t explode until the following year, but 2003 is arguably when you could say its seedlings were planted, such as this!...

5. Lil Jon & The East Side Boys f/Ying Yang Twins - Get Low (YE: #11, PEAK: #2)

If you don’t go absolutely nuts when this goes on, you’re not doing it right. “Get Low” is widely known for breaking crunk into the mainstream and it’s such a damn great song to do it too! From the amount of energy and personality everyone brings to the table to the synths having so much energy too! Everyone and everything here has so much energy and helps make this a great and iconic banger. TO THE WINDOW TO THE WALL TILL THE SWEAT DROP DOWN MY BALLS. Haha, this is such a fun song and you’re a fun-killer if you hate this.

4...So if my worst list was any indication, rock kinda had a bad year in 2003 but there were gems here, like this!...

4. Evanescence - Bring Me To Life (YE: #12, PEAK: #5)

Amy Lee’s vocals sound extremely haunting here with her shouts of “wake me up inside” just piercing right through your soul as a plea, helped by the haunting minor key melody to the point where even if the male vocals don’t remotely match the atmosphere and were reportedly only added in to fit this song in  with trends at the time, I don’t really care! Yeah, this kicks ass, a banger without a doubt.

3...Wow,2003 had more iconic songs than I thought...

3. Beyonce f/JAY-Z - Crazy In Love (YE: #4, PEAK: #1)

Might be one of the most acclaimed and well-known songs in either artists’ discographies and it’s absolutely deserving of that! From the triumphant and infectious horns to the clattering percussion the song just feels extremely triumphant and energetic plus Beyonce’s focus on being sultry rather than belting compliments the production so well.  Songs that tempt fate like this can usually be a bit risky and age kinda poorly, just look at “Him & I” by G-Eazy and Halsey for proof of that, yikes, but hey, regardless of how this one ages, at least it’s a banger for the ages.

2..Before I found my #1 pick for this list, I was set on putting this at #1...

2. Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love? (YE: #26, PEAK: #8)

You don’t have to tell me the Black Eyed Peas tried recreating this song in 2016 to kinda disastrous results, that doesn’t detract from the original song at all, which may be the Black Eyed Peas’ best hit to date. A song asking for world peace and equality, it’s a sentiment that honestly hits hard even today. I mean, I remember the spike in recurrent airplay this song got in the wake of the George Floyd protests in 2020. Not to mention, the production sounds pretty beautiful as well! The string work provides a beautiful melody, in addition to a pretty great hook and the outro constantly reminding us that we only have one world, yeah considering some of the tracks the Black Eyed Peas would go on to make later this decade, yeah this is an excellent little song.

1..So I mentioned in my best list for 2002 that I found out that while going through the year-end lists for the 2000s I liked this artist more than I had thought, welcome to the #1 spot Avril Lavigne!...

1. Avril Lavigne - I’m With You (YE: #18, PEAK: #4)

Avril Lavigne said that if she could dedicate any song to her fans, it’d be this one and it’s a great choice! People remember Avril more for songs like “Girlfriend”, which I do really like, but this displays a more mature side of Avril that I can’t help but really appreciate. With the rock production swelling into that explosive chorus and Avril proving that she’s an underrated singer with great range, especially with her belting in the chorus, it legitimately gives me goosebumps. And the writing is nice here too, pleading for literally anyone to be with her even if she doesn’t know the person, and the production and Avril herself do a great job of bringing out that desperateness, yeah, this is Avril’s best song, and with that, “ I’m With You” by Avril Lavigne is the best hit song of 2003.

Next stop on our journey through the 2000s is 2004, stay tuned for those lists and in the meantime, as always, Spotify playlist is below this article and if you wanna comment your own lists of the best hit songs of 2003 or predict what my 2004 worst list could be, please comment below, I’m eager to see them! But until then, you’ve been reading Fire’s Flaming Hot Takes, and I’ll see you next time!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1q6U6lUSO2K8tNsHnGkpvp?si=d23fb73a60f1422d