The 10 Best Songs of the Decade

How does one pick the top 10 songs of the 2000s? Even for this music lover it was no simple task. Ultimately the songs that made this list were not only Number One hits, but also great songs. Let's face it, not all Number One hits are worthy of the title. I am not going to name names, but I am sure that all of you can guess some of them.

Even though every one of the songs on this list were chart toppers, they were primarily chosen for their own merit. These songs were great to listen to. These were the top 10 songs of the decade.

The top songs of the decade are:

1st On The List: Shaggy's, It Wasn't Me.

Being possibly the most popular crossover reggae artist of the decade, Shaggy scored his biggest hit with "It Wasn't Me" in 2000. Not only did the song have a pop friendly beat and feel, it also featured a catchy chorus: "Honey came in and she caught me red-handed creeping with the girl next door. Picture this, we were both butt naked, banging on the bathroom floor." With its theme of getting caught "with the girl next door" it became not only a "playas" anthem, but also a number one hit.

2nd On The List: Outkast's, Ms. Jackson.

"Ms. Jackson" was made back in Outkast's best days, back when they were being sued by none other than Rosa Parks. In this writer's opinion there are two different Outkasts out there, the one that was groundbreaking and the new one that has a split personality. But enough about that.

2000's "Ms. Jackson" wasn't just some rap song, it was a song with soul. With its lyrics about heartache and love gone wrong it went to number one. Too bad there are not more "rap" songs like this out there.

3rd On The List: Nickelback's, How You Remind Me.

Nickelback, being quite possibly the biggest rock group of the decade, have a "Greatest Hits Album" worth of hits under their belts. According to Rhapsody, with Chad Kroeger as its lead singer, Nickelback became the first Canadian band since The Guess Who to reach number one in the U.S. and Canada simultaneously.

Their 2001 hit "How You Remind Me" showcased what was to come from this Canadian band. "How You Remind Me" was a simple, but strong song about love and the hardship that can come along with it. That is why it went to number one.

4th On The List: 50 Cent's, In Da Club.

50 Cent was a force to reckon with in the "rap game" well before his 2003 smash hit "In Da Club". Some rappers talk the talk, but few have walked the walk like Curtis Jackson (50 Cent's real name). He was a crack dealer and he was even shot, need I say more?

Though it cannot be argued that 50 cent is not talented, some have started to question him. Even though he has had hits since, he has been unable to recapture the massive crossover success of "In Da Club". With its "Go Shawty it's your birthday" lyrics coupled with Dr. Dre and Eminem at the helm, "In Da Club" skyrocketed 50 cent to superstardom. He has not regained that level of superstardom since.

5th On The List: Justin Timberlake's, Sexyback.

Justin Timberlake has really made a name for himself since leaving N'Sync in 2002. With several hits under his belt, he is well on his way. His most notable hit since his N'Sync departure has to be his 2006 song "Sexyback". With work from superproducer Timbaland, "Sexyback" was a fun and flirty song that went right to number one.

6th On The List: Maroon 5's, Makes Me Wonder.

With several of their songs worthy of this list, Maroon 5's 2007 hit "Makes Me Wonder" really show cases the bands ability to put together all around good songs. With its catchy flow and lyrics, "Makes Me Wonder" helped Adam Levine and the boys to, once again, hit the top of the charts.

7th On The List: One Republic and Timbaland's, Apologize.

In 2007, with the help of Timbaland, One Republic scored their first big hit with Apologize. This song was tearing up the radio for quite awhile. With Timbaland's beat and One Republics performance Apologize was a song loved by a lot of people. Many of whom did not realize that the song was about suicide.

8th On The List: Katy Perry's, I Kissed A Girl.

In 2008 we were hit in the face with Katy Perry's proclamation that she had kissed a girl. Not only did Katy love kissing a girl, we also loved that she did it. With its bubbly tune and beat combined with Katy's pure talent, "I Kissed A Girl" went straight to the top. For quite some time we were all singing about how we had "Kissed A Girl" with cherry Chapstick.

9th On The List: Lady Gaga's Poker Face.

2009 is without a doubt the Year of Gaga. With at least five hits in roughly a year, Lady Gaga is here to stay. Regardless of what you may think of her and her quirky sense of style, you cannot deny Lady Gaga's talent for hit making.

With the help of "Of Just Dance", "Poker Face" pushed Lady Gaga right to the top. With its undeniably catchy and almost hypnotic tune combined with Gaga's voice and lyrics, "Poker Face" enjoyed a ton of airplay. The question we are left with is, if this is Lady Gaga's poker face, do we really want to see her real face?

10th On The List: Owl City's, Fireflies.

In 2009 Adam Young the mastermind behind Owl City had a certified hit on his hands, called "Fireflies". With its cheerful lyrics and beat, it is a song that many people do not want to admit to loving. I on the other hand have no trouble admitting that this is one of my favorite songs of the decade.

Even though Adam Young started out making music in his parent's basement, he now has a hit to his name. Let's hope that it is not his only one. Even if Owl City ends up being a one hit wonder, it will be a pretty cool one hit wonder.

At first the 2000's seemed like a fairly weak decade for music, but when I started looking back at the decade I realized that it was truly a treasure trove of songs. Some were hits, while some were not. While this is a list of the best songs of the decade, there are a lot more great songs out there. I encourage all of you to review your music collection from the last decade and check it all out again.

You can see more of the decade's chart toppers at: http://www.billboard.com/#/features/best-of-the-2000s-1004051233.story