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2001 Music Hits: Top Songs, Radio Favorites, and Pop Classics

2001 music was a transitional mix of pop, hip-hop, R&B, dance music, rock, country, teen pop, movie soundtrack songs, and early internet-era favorites. Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil’ Kim, Mýa, *NSYNC, Usher, Shaggy, Nelly, Destiny’s Child, Daft Punk, Shakira, Alicia Keys, Lifehouse, Train, Nickelback, and Janet Jackson helped define a year still driven by radio, CDs, MTV, and music videos, with online sharing beginning to make more noise.

This PopCultureMadness guide starts with the Top 10 songs of 2001, then groups more 2001 music hits by style so you can browse the year by sound, mood, and memory. It was the year Cha Cha Slide became a party instruction manual, Lady Marmalade turned a movie soundtrack into a pop event, and Because I Got High proved novelty songs still knew how to sneak into the mainstream.

Quick Answer: What Music Was Popular in 2001?

Popular music in 2001 included pop, R&B, hip-hop, dance, teen pop, pop-rock, post-grunge, country, and movie soundtrack songs. Songs like Cha Cha Slide, Lady Marmalade, Get the Party Started, U Remind Me, It Wasn’t Me, Ride wit Me, One More Time, and Fallin’ helped define 2001 music.

Top 10 Songs of 2001

  1. Cha Cha Slide – Mr. C The Slide Man
  2. Lady Marmalade – Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil’ Kim & Mýa
  3. I’m a Believer – Smash Mouth
  4. Get the Party Started – Pink
  5. Ms. Jackson – OutKast
  6. Pop – *NSYNC
  7. Perfect Day – Hoku
  8. Dance with Me – 112
  9. Hero – Enrique Iglesias
  10. I Wanna Talk About Me – Toby Keith

More 2001 Music Hits by Style

Beyond the Top 10, 2001 music gets more useful when grouped by style. The year had teen-pop leftovers, R&B smashes, hip-hop crossovers, dance-club hits, country-pop songs, rock radio staples, soundtrack favorites, and songs that became part of early-2000s school dances, wedding receptions, and burned CD history.

2001 Pop, Teen Pop, and Big Radio Hits

Pop music in 2001 was still shaped by teen-pop energy, but it was starting to shift. *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Pink, Destiny’s Child, Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Branch, Nelly Furtado, Hoku, Samantha Mumba, and Backstreet Boys all helped define the year’s radio sound. This was pop with choreography, glossy hooks, and the faint smell of a CD booklet.

Lady Marmalade – Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil’ Kim & Mýa
I’m a Believer – Smash Mouth
Get the Party Started – Pink
Pop – *NSYNC
Perfect Day – Hoku
Hero – Enrique Iglesias
Bootylicious – Destiny’s Child
Breathless – The Corrs
Nobody Wants to Be Lonely – Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera
Survivor – Destiny’s Child
Never Had a Dream Come True – S Club 7
Bouncing Off the Ceiling (Upside Down) – A*Teens
This Is Me – Dream
I Wanna Be Bad – Willa Ford
Turn Off the Light – Nelly Furtado
The Call – Backstreet Boys
I’m Like a Bird – Nelly Furtado
Love Don’t Cost a Thing – Jennifer Lopez
All or Nothing – O-Town
Stronger – Britney Spears
All for You – Janet Jackson
Everywhere – Michelle Branch
I’m a Slave 4 U – Britney Spears
Play – Jennifer Lopez

2001 R&B, Soul-Pop, and Smooth Vocal Songs

R&B was one of 2001’s strongest lanes. Usher, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Sade, Tamia, 112, India.Arie, City High, Janet Jackson, Mýa, and Jennifer Lopez helped shape a smooth, radio-friendly sound that blended pop polish with hip-hop production. This section is where the year slowed down, leaned in, and let the vocals do the heavy lifting.

U Remind Me – Usher
U Got It Bad – Usher
Dance with Me – 112
Stranger in My House – Tamia
Fallin’ – Alicia Keys
By Your Side – Sade
Family Affair – Mary J. Blige
You Rock My World – Michael Jackson
Free – Mýa
Video – India.Arie
Peaches & Cream – 112
All for You – Janet Jackson
What Would You Do? – City High
Let Me Blow Ya Mind – Eve featuring Gwen Stefani
Fiesta (Remix) – R. Kelly & Jay-Z

2001 Hip-Hop, Rap, and Pop-Rap Hits

Hip-hop and pop-rap were all over 2001, with Nelly, Shaggy, Ja Rule, Missy Elliott, OutKast, Ludacris, Petey Pablo, Mystikal, Eve, Jay-Z, R. Kelly, and Trick Daddy pushing rap deeper into mainstream playlists. The sound ranged from playful and party-ready to sharp and swagger-heavy. It was also prime “feature credit” territory, which meant the artist line sometimes needed a seatbelt.

Ms. Jackson – OutKast
It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy featuring Ricardo Ducent
Ride wit Me – Nelly featuring City Spud
Where the Party At – Jagged Edge featuring Nelly
Put It on Me – Ja Rule featuring Lil’ Mo
Because I Got High – Afroman
Livin’ It Up – Ja Rule featuring Case
Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!) – Blu Cantrell
Get Ur Freak On – Missy Elliott
Bow Wow (That’s My Name) – Lil Bow Wow featuring Snoop Dogg
My Baby – Lil’ Romeo
Danger (Been So Long) – Mystikal featuring Nivea
Take It to da House – Trick Daddy featuring The Slip-N-Slide Express
So Fresh, So Clean – OutKast
Raise Up – Petey Pablo
Fiesta (Remix) – R. Kelly & Jay-Z
Cross the Border – Philly’s Most Wanted
#1 – Nelly
Oochie Wally – QB Finest featuring Nas & Bravehearts
Southern Hospitality – Ludacris featuring Pharrell

2001 Dance, Club, Electronic, and Party Songs

Dance music had a big place in 2001, from line-dance staples to electronic crossover tracks. Cha Cha Slide became a party-floor standard, while Daft Punk, Darude, ATC, The Wiseguys, and Jennifer Lopez helped keep dance and club sounds in the pop conversation. The year did not always ask people to dance politely; sometimes it gave step-by-step instructions.

Cha Cha Slide – Mr. C The Slide Man
One More Time – Daft Punk
Sandstorm – Darude
Start the Commotion – The Wiseguys
Around the World (La La La La La) – ATC
Play – Jennifer Lopez
All for You – Janet Jackson
Get the Party Started – Pink

2001 Rock, Alternative, Pop-Rock, and Post-Grunge Hits

Rock and alternative music were still very strong in 2001. Lifehouse, U2, Coldplay, Limp Bizkit, Gorillaz, Train, Dave Matthews Band, Staind, Nickelback, Blink-182, Sugar Ray, American Hi-Fi, Tool, and Fuel all helped define the rock side of the year. The sound stretched from emotional post-grunge to pop-punk, alternative ballads, and electronic-leaning cartoon-band weirdness.

Hanging by a Moment – Lifehouse
Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm
Beautiful Day – U2
Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of – U2
Thank You for Loving Me – Bon Jovi
Yellow – Coldplay
My Way – Limp Bizkit
Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz
Drops of Jupiter – Train
The Space Between – Dave Matthews Band
It’s Been Awhile – Staind
How You Remind Me – Nickelback
The Rock Show – Blink-182
Flavor of the Weak – American Hi-Fi
When It’s Over – Sugar Ray
Again – Lenny Kravitz
Bad Day – Fuel
Schism – Tool

2001 Country and Country-Pop Hits

Country music had a visible place in 2001, with Toby Keith, Lee Greenwood, Faith Hill, and country-friendly crossover songs showing up in the larger pop culture mix. God Bless the USA became especially prominent again after September 11, while Toby Keith brought talk-singing humor to country radio with I Wanna Talk About Me. Country had patriotism, romance, attitude, and a whole lot of direct eye contact.

I Wanna Talk About Me – Toby Keith
God Bless the USA – Lee Greenwood
The Way You Love Me – Faith Hill

2001 Latin, Reggae, and Global Pop Hits

Latin, reggae, and global pop were part of 2001’s mainstream sound. Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Shaggy, Daft Punk, and ATC helped make the year more international, more rhythmic, and more open to songs that traveled across borders. The charts were still very American-radio-driven, but the world was clearly getting through the door.

Whenever, Wherever – Shakira
Hero – Enrique Iglesias
Nobody Wants to Be Lonely – Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera
It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy featuring Ricardo Ducent
Angel – Shaggy featuring Rayvon
One More Time – Daft Punk
Around the World (La La La La La) – ATC

2001 Movie, TV, and Soundtrack Favorites

Movie and TV soundtrack songs helped shape 2001 music memory. Lady Marmalade came from Moulin Rouge!, I’m a Believer and Perfect Day were tied to Shrek, and Freedom appeared in the immediate post-9/11 pop culture moment. Soundtracks still had real chart power, especially when a movie became a full cultural event.

Lady Marmalade – Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil’ Kim & Mýa
I’m a Believer – Smash Mouth
Perfect Day – Hoku
Freedom – Paul McCartney
Only Time – Enya

2001 Viral, Novelty, and Early-Internet Favorites

2001 was still early for internet-driven music, but novelty and shareable songs were already spreading through email, message boards, file-sharing services, and school-hallway repetition. Cha Cha Slide, Because I Got High, Sandstorm, and Clint Eastwood all had that “you heard this somewhere before you owned it” quality. The internet was not fully driving music yet, but it was warming up the engine.

Cha Cha Slide – Mr. C The Slide Man
Because I Got High – Afroman
Sandstorm – Darude
Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz
Start the Commotion – The Wiseguys
Around the World (La La La La La) – ATC

How PopCultureMadness Looks at 2001 Music

PopCultureMadness looks at 2001 music through the lens of chart activity, radio presence, CD sales, MTV visibility, soundtrack importance, dance-floor memory, cultural impact, and long-term trivia value. Some songs were official chart leaders, some were movie moments, some were club staples, and some captured the exact sound of a year when pop culture was still mostly offline — but the online shift was already tapping on the window.

Top 100 Hits of 2001

  1. Cha Cha Slide – Mr. C The Slide Man
  2. Lady Marmalade – Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil’ Kim & Mýa
  3. I’m a Believer – Smash Mouth
  4. Get the Party Started – Pink
  5. Pop – *NSYNC
  6. Perfect Day – Hoku
  7. Dance with Me – 112
  8. Hero – Enrique Iglesias
  9. I Wanna Talk About Me – Toby Keith
  10. U Remind Me – Usher
  11. It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy featuring Ricardo Ducent
  12. Ride wit Me – Nelly featuring City Spud
  13. Follow Me – Uncle Kracker
  14. Where the Party At – Jagged Edge featuring Nelly
  15. One More Time – Daft Punk
  16. Whenever, Wherever – Shakira
  17. Bootylicious – Destiny’s Child
  18. U Got It Bad – Usher
  19. Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm
  20. God Bless the USA – Lee Greenwood
  21. Breathless – The Corrs
  22. Beautiful Day – U2
  23. Dance with Me – Debelah Morgan
  24. Nobody Wants to Be Lonely – Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera
  25. Survivor – Destiny’s Child
  26. Sandstorm – Darude
  27. The Way You Love Me – Faith Hill
  28. Never Had a Dream Come True – S Club 7
  29. Put It on Me – Ja Rule featuring Lil’ Mo
  30. Because I Got High – Afroman
  31. Livin’ It Up – Ja Rule featuring Case
  32. Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!) – Blu Cantrell
  33. Get Ur Freak On – Missy Elliott
  34. Bouncing Off the Ceiling (Upside Down) – A*Teens
  35. Superman (It’s Not Easy) – Five for Fighting
  36. Stranger in My House – Tamia
  37. Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of – U2
  38. Thank You – Dido
  39. This Is Me – Dream
  40. Bow Wow (That’s My Name) – Lil Bow Wow featuring Snoop Dogg
  41. Thank You for Loving Me – Bon Jovi
  42. I Wanna Be Bad – Willa Ford
  43. Hanging by a Moment – Lifehouse
  44. Only Time – Enya
  45. Start the Commotion – The Wiseguys
  46. Fallin’ – Alicia Keys
  47. My Baby – Lil’ Romeo
  48. By Your Side – Sade
  49. Danger (Been So Long) – Mystikal featuring Nivea
  50. Around the World (La La La La La) – ATC
  51. Take It to da House – Trick Daddy featuring The Slip-N-Slide Express
  52. Yellow – Coldplay
  53. I’m Real – Jennifer Lopez
  54. So Fresh, So Clean – OutKast
  55. My Way – Limp Bizkit
  56. Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz
  57. Angel – Shaggy featuring Rayvon
  58. You Make Me Sick – Pink
  59. Ms. Jackson – OutKast
  60. Turn Off the Light – Nelly Furtado
  61. Family Affair – Mary J. Blige
  62. Drops of Jupiter – Train
  63. Raise Up – Petey Pablo
  64. The Space Between – Dave Matthews Band
  65. It’s Been Awhile – Staind
  66. How You Remind Me – Nickelback
  67. The Call – Backstreet Boys
  68. You Rock My World – Michael Jackson
  69. The Rock Show – Blink-182
  70. Free – Mýa
  71. Video – India.Arie
  72. Flavor of the Weak – American Hi-Fi
  73. Baby, Come On Over (This Is Our Night) – Samantha Mumba
  74. I’m Like a Bird – Nelly Furtado
  75. Love Don’t Cost a Thing – Jennifer Lopez
  76. Peaches & Cream – 112
  77. When It’s Over – Sugar Ray
  78. All or Nothing – O-Town
  79. Fiesta (Remix) – R. Kelly & Jay-Z
  80. Stronger – Britney Spears
  81. Cross the Border – Philly’s Most Wanted
  82. All for You – Janet Jackson
  83. My Everything – 98 Degrees
  84. Again – Lenny Kravitz
  85. Everywhere – Michelle Branch
  86. Freedom – Paul McCartney
  87. I’m a Slave 4 U – Britney Spears
  88. #1 – Nelly
  89. What Would You Do? – City High
  90. Let Me Blow Ya Mind – Eve featuring Gwen Stefani
  91. What It Feels Like for a Girl – Madonna
  92. Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning) – Vertical Horizon
  93. Play – Jennifer Lopez
  94. Oochie Wally – QB Finest featuring Nas & Bravehearts
  95. Puppy Love – Lil Bow Wow
  96. Dig In – Lenny Kravitz
  97. Still on Your Side – BBMak
  98. Bad Day – Fuel
  99. Schism – Tool
  100. Southern Hospitality – Ludacris featuring Pharrell