The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2001

 

The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2001

In the following article, I take a look at the followup to an uninteresting year, which was also an uninteresting year, and look at the songs that stood out in a great way.

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 2001!

I think I need a better intro. That intro just feels so, so, so generic and bland and uninteresting. I feel like anyone could use the intro “hey guys, welcome to [blog/channel], today we’re [topic of post/video]!”. But hey, speaking of uninteresting...

And yes, I didn’t bother changing that sentence from my worst list. Yeah, 2001 is another boring year, just like its predecessor, 2000. Honestly, though, 2001 is actually worse than 2000. I mean, say what you will about 2000, at least the songs that stuck out from it were excellent and there were a lot of them. Not only does 2001 not have as many excellent or even good songs, the worst stuff was so much worse. Despite that, again, it’s still not bad enough to be all that interestingly bad of a year, it was just extremely mid. The most interesting thing about 2001 is that its Pulse Music Board Hot 100 rankdown remains to this day one of the most iconic rankdowns to ever happen on that site. So what even happened on the Hot 100 in 2001? Also I honestly had completely forgotten I had not posted my best list for this year yet….not a very good sign.

Well, as I covered in my worst list, R&B was big again, teen pop was on its way out, post grunge was still growing in popularity, and country...okay country was actually really strong this year, I can’t lie. 2001 is definitely a very boring year, so now, let’s look at the songs that stood out in a great way for this year. There were 59 songs here that were good or better, including the repeats from 2000. As a rule, the songs had to debut on the year-end Hot 100 in 2001 in order to qualify, and disclaimer, I haven’t really gotten 100% better from my AVM rupture that I mentioned in my best list for 2022, so if there are any typos in this article that’s why. So let’s get started with the honorable mentions!!

HM #1: Ginuwine - Differences (YE: #50, PEAK: #4)

Yeah, this on the surface, sounds like any other R&B song from the early 2000s, but “Differences” is here because it just is elevated so much by Ginuwine himself, he has incredible charisma in this and his vocal performance here is great! He really makes what would otherwise be a pretty forgettable R&B track that much better!

HM #2: Jennifer Lopez - Play (YE: #72, PEAK: #18)

Okay, why was “I’m Real” bigger than this? This is clearly so much better. From the incredibly funky groove to J-Lo’s great charisma here, this proved that J-Lo’s club bangers, like this and “On The Floor”, work best for me.

HM #3: Erick Sermon f/Marvin Gaye - Music (YE: #83, PEAK: #22)

It’s been so long since I first drafted this list, I genuinely forgot how this went. But upon relistening, it came back to me now. I really like the Marvin Gaye sample of “Turn On Some Music” and even if Erick Sermon isn’t that impressive of a rapper, the sample and the funky groove carry this into being great. That said, even I can admit that this sample gets a bit repetitive. This isn’t higher because as mentioned it can get repetitive with repeated listens, but that said this is still a banger.

HM #4: Destiny’s Child - Survivor (YE: #23, PEAK: #2)

Such a banger! And is it weird for me to say the lines “I'm a Survivor/I'm not gon' give up/I'm not gon' stop/I'm gon' work harder” kinda resonated with me in the summer for reasons I already detailed in my 2022 best list? Probably, but whatever. Anyway, onto the song itself, the production is clattering and chaotic, with the strings and synths, which gives it the power this song needs. Plus, the girls in Destiny’s Child all have a lot of power and confidence in their delivery here. Probably their best hit.

HM #5: Jessica Andrews - Who I Am (YE: #82, PEAK: #28)

This is adorable. Yeah, it can be seen as sorta cliche, but Jessica Andrews sells the sentiment wonderfully so I don’t consider it a negative quality! Again, she has a lot of power and confidence in her delivery in stating that even if she never sees success she doesn’t care, she’s who she is, and the people around her still love her. Even if the production isn’t anything too special - honestly reminds me a lot of “Breathe” by Faith Hill, which is good but not great -  Andrews is able to really elevate this to being great. Even if the “I am Rosemary's granddaughter” line loses some pathos since Andrews said that her grandmother’s name isn’t Rosemary, hell this is still really nice.

HM #6: Shaggy f/Rik Rok - It Wasn’t Me (YE: #12, PEAK: #1)

Yeah, I said in my worst list that if I was gonna have a song about cheating from 2001, I was gonna have this and not “Follow Me” by Uncle Kracker and I meant it! For one, unlike “Follow Me”, this is hilarious,  I’m still not that wild about Shaggy’s voice but I can’t deny that it makes the lyrics just that much funnier. He helps a production that honestly feels kinda sparse but undeniably catchy, feels memorable too! And I can’t help but laugh at Shaggy telling Rik Rok that even though he was caught on camera to just say “it wasn’t me” haha.

HM #7: Nelly f/City Spud - Ride Wit Me (YE: #18, PEAK: #3)

This is here mainly because the song just feels so damn fun, with the sharp as hell banjo rollick and Nelly’s flow being delivered with enough charisma and personality to make that hook incredibly sticky. I couldn’t really justify putting this song higher because there really isn’t a lot to this song but eh, it’s a bop regardless.

Alright, now for the list proper!

10...I honestly don’t have an intro for this, so let’s get on with the entry...

10.  Nelly Furtado - Turn Off The Light (YE: #70, PEAK: #5)

“Say It Right” and “Promiscuous” are definitely more remembered today, but I think this song is better than both of those! Nelly Furtado’s playful delivery keeps the listener engaged throughout and the production is really smooth, with the guitars sounding quite elegant and the groove being really funky and it compliments Furtado’s delivery very well.

9...The early 2000s were still kinda basically the 90s in terms of most of the music scene, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a lot to like, such as this one!..

9. Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover (YE: #38, PEAK: #3)

This song is really sweet!! It feels really genuine, helped by Janet Jackson’s soft vocals that have that tone of longing for someone to love and I can’t help but smile at “Maybe we'll meet at a bar/He'll drive a funky car/Maybe we'll meet at a club/And fall so deeply in love”, it’s just so adorable. And the production sounds really nice too with the elegant guitars, and the slightly quicker-paced percussion. Yeah, this song is really adorable, really nice

8...So country music had quite a great year this year, so let’s highlight one of the reasons why!...

8. Tim McGraw - Grown Men Don’t Cry (YE: #78, PEAK: #25)

Yeah Tim, I don’t know why they say that either, because that’s patently false. This song is absolutely beautiful from the incredible melody to Tim McGraw’s delivery being very emotional but not being oversold which is just perfect for this track. But then there’s the writing, where McGraw walks through various emotional scenarios like running into a single mother and her child being homeless and even Tim McGraw going to his father’s grave and leaving a rose, it’s an incredibly emotional song and a brilliant one, for sure.

7...and we’re sticking with country music for this one...

7. Blake Shelton - Austin (YE: #76, PEAK: #18)

This is probably the best Blake Shelton song I’ve heard, it’s just simply beautiful, told entirely in third person, the song’s lyrics entail a story of a girl under the pseudonym “Austin” who moves to Austin, Texas after a breakup with a guy and a year later, the girl calls  this ex and out of curiosity but is met with a voicemail that says “If this is Austin, I still love you”, and floored, she tries calling him again a few days later on Sunday evening and spills her heart out to him that she still loves him Coupled with the beautiful guitar melody that climaxes in the final chorus, this is a great song, why would Blake Shelton go on to make the terrible “Boys Round Here” in 3013? It’s clear that this is Blake Shelton’s true masterpiece. Great little song.

6...Okay, I’m honestly kinda shocked I like this next song as much as I do...

6. Lonestar - I’m Already There (YE: #73, PEAK: #24)

This honestly sounds like something that would be on my worst list instead, but I don’t know, the melody sounds beautiful and the writing is kinda beautiful to be honest, entailing the story of a father on the road, and his family missing him dearly but the father reassures them that his spirit is still there, it honestly kinda reminds me of “Colder Weather” by the Zac Brown Band made 10 years prior but that song’s fantastic so eh, I don’t mind. Nice song.

5...Don’t worry, if you were getting annoyed with all the country music the last few entries, you’ll be delighted to hear that we’re out of that storm haha...

5. OutKast - Ms. Jackson (YE: #25, PEAK: #1)

One of the most acclaimed ever #1 hits to my knowledge, and I can’t say it’s undeserving of it at all, because “Ms. Jackson” is a great song. On production alone, this is fire, from the synth to the strong, infectious percussion. And then we get to the lyrics, which entail the narrator promising his partner that no matter what happens, he’ll be there for their child. It’s sold with genuine sincerity in OutKast’s delivery. Add on  a great hook, this is a great song and a vibe.

4...One banger right into another...

4. Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On (YE: #55, PEAK: #7)

This isn’t Missy Elliott’s best song by any means, “Work It” is quite hard to top but this is great nonetheless, from the beat that features a sharp string instrument, a tabla that supplies the rhythm to Missy Elliott having bucketloads of personality here making a repetitive chorus not even remotely annoying! Yeah, a banger for sure

3...Now going in a completely different direction for this next one...

3. Enya - Only Time (YE: #59, PEAK: #10)

It isn’t hard to see this as just another adult contemporary slog in the sea of them, at least on the surface, but “Only Time” stands out because it just simply sounds beautiful. Enya’s soft vocals compliment the haunting, beautiful, and atmospheric melody and production beautifully. Plus, the  backing vocals sound absolutely angelic. The reason why it’s not higher on this list? Well I’ll admit I have to be in a specific mood to really like this song, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is a beautiful song.

2..We’re sticking with ballads for this next one!...

2. NSYNC - This I Promise You (YE: #51, PEAK: #5)

It isn’t hard to see this as just another adult contemporary slog in the sea of them, at least on the surface, but the reason I put this sing so high, well I’ll be fully honest, I put this song high here because it reminded me of High School Musical a movie franchise which to this day I have a massive soft spot for haha. Yes, it’s extremely cheesy and sappy but damn it, I just love that melody so much Plus NSYNC are so sincere in this song that I can’t resist it haha - and not too sincere that it becomes overly sappy for me. Plus the key change is really nice. Definitely a guilty pleasure for me, but I have to be completely honest with my picks, but there was still one song I found better...

1..Okay, so I’m being honest, since I wasn’t alive during this time period, I don’t have the same personal connection to this song that I had for many of my other #1 picks, that said, this song is still excellent...

1. U2 - Beautiful Day (YE: #51, PEAK: #5)

This song is a shot of optimism when everything feels dark. And honestly this is a sentiment that I feel more people, myself included, need to hear. Coupled with magnificent crescendos that come from the more restrained verses, “Beautiful Day” was a shot of hope in an otherwise bland and uninteresting year for the Hot 100 and thus, “Beautiful Day” by U2 is the best hit song of 2001. And that’s the list! Only took me nearly 6 months to do it haha. Spotify playlist will be below this article so check it out! I hope you all are having a splendid 2023 so far, and I’ll try to work on my 2002 lists in the meantime!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dFv4zSnkwzmBoL1epuii3?si=6f0045e6ae4d47a6