MUSICAL MUSINGS
by Josh Hosler
October 26, 2004
TOP ARTISTS OF THE MILLENNIUM
Microsoft makes some great products, but when there's something I can't figure out how to do, there's no help in "Help." I just don't speak that language.
So it was with great delight this week that I finally figured out how to crunch my custom database of Billboard charts in such a way that I could tally the most successful artists over a period of time without spending hours typing numbers into a calculator. Sure, it involved exporting Access data to Excel, and then installing something from the original Office CD-ROM, but I won't go into all that. My head is still spinning, and I don't want to inflict that on you.
And so, I bring you the top 100 artists of the millennium ... so far. The song title shown is the artist's biggest hit of the past five years. (In some cases, an artist may have been featured on a bigger hit; I have included only top billers where possible.) This list is computed from combined performance on Billboard's Hot 100 and Top 40 Tracks charts.
|
# |
Artist |
Biggest (Top-Billing) Hit |
from Yr |
|
1 |
Nelly |
Dilemma |
2002 |
|
2 |
Usher |
Yeah! |
2004 |
|
3 |
Jennifer Lopez |
I’m Real |
2001 |
|
4 |
Pink |
Get the Party Started |
2002 |
|
5 |
Christina Aguilera |
Lady Marmalade |
2001 |
|
6 |
Santana |
Smooth |
2000 |
|
7 |
Destiny’s Child |
Independent Women Part I |
2000 |
|
8 |
Ja Rule |
Always on Time |
2002 |
|
9 |
matchbox twenty |
Unwell |
2003 |
|
10 |
Ashanti |
Foolish |
2001 |
|
11 |
P. Diddy |
I Need a Girl (Part One) |
2002 |
|
12 |
Beyoncé |
Baby Boy |
2003 |
|
13 |
OutKast |
Hey Ya! |
2004 |
|
14 |
3 Doors Down |
Kryptonite |
2000 |
|
15 |
Eminem |
Lose Yourself |
2002 |
|
16 |
’N Sync |
Bye Bye Bye |
2000 |
|
17 |
Alicia Keys |
Fallin’ |
2001 |
|
18 |
Ludacris |
Stand Up |
2003 |
|
19 |
Creed |
With Arms Wide Open |
2000 |
|
20 |
Jay-Z |
’03 Bonnie & Clyde |
2003 |
|
21 |
Avril Lavigne |
Complicated |
2002 |
|
22 |
50 Cent |
In Da Club |
2003 |
|
23 |
R. Kelly |
Ignition |
2003 |
|
24 |
No Doubt |
Underneath It All |
2002 |
|
25 |
Nickelback |
How You Remind Me |
2002 |
|
26 |
Janet Jackson |
All for You |
2001 |
|
27 |
Sean Paul |
Get Busy |
2003 |
|
28 |
Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott |
Work It |
2002 |
|
29 |
Lil Jon |
Get Low |
2003 |
|
30 |
Mya |
Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do) |
2000 |
|
31 |
Aaliyah |
Try Again |
2000 |
|
32 |
Michelle Branch |
All You Wanted |
2002 |
|
33 |
Eve |
Let Me Blow Ya Mind |
2001 |
|
34 |
Enrique Iglesias |
Hero |
2001 |
|
35 |
Madonna |
Music |
2000 |
|
36 |
Chingy |
Right Thurr |
2003 |
|
37 |
Maroon5 |
This Love |
2004 |
|
38 |
Britney Spears |
Toxic |
2004 |
|
39 |
Lil’ Kim |
Magic Stick |
2003 |
|
40 |
Faith Hill |
Breathe |
2000 |
|
41 |
Shaggy |
Angel |
2001 |
|
42 |
Justin Timberlake |
Rock Your Body |
2003 |
|
43 |
Joe |
I Wanna Know |
2000 |
|
44 |
Train |
Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) |
2001 |
|
45 |
Mary J. Blige |
Family Affair |
2001 |
|
46 |
Jessica Simpson |
With You |
2004 |
|
47 |
Ginuwine |
Differences |
2001 |
|
48 |
Linkin Park |
In the End |
2002 |
|
49 |
Vertical Horizon |
Everything You Want |
2000 |
|
50 |
Evanescence |
Bring Me to Life |
2003 |
|
51 |
Jagged Edge |
Where the Party At |
2001 |
|
52 |
Uncle Kracker |
Follow Me |
2001 |
|
53 |
Lifehouse |
Hanging by a Moment |
2001 |
|
54 |
Marc Anthony |
I Need to Know |
2000 |
|
55 |
Backstreet Boys |
Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely |
2000 |
|
56 |
Fabolous |
Into You |
2003 |
|
57 |
Murphy Lee |
Wat Da Hook Gon Be |
2004 |
|
58 |
Dido |
Thank You |
2001 |
|
59 |
Savage Garden |
I Knew I Loved You |
2000 |
|
60 |
Lonestar |
Amazed |
2000 |
|
61 |
Black Eyed Peas |
Where Is the Love? |
2003 |
|
62 |
Sheryl Crow |
The First Cut Is the Deepest |
2004 |
|
63 |
Hoobastank |
The Reason |
2004 |
|
64 |
Vanessa Carlton |
A Thousand Miles |
2002 |
|
65 |
Lenny Kravitz |
Again |
2001 |
|
66 |
Fat Joe |
What’s Luv? |
2002 |
|
67 |
Sisqó |
Thong Song |
2000 |
|
68 |
Kelly Clarkson |
Miss Independent |
2003 |
|
69 |
John Mayer |
Your Body Is a Wonderland |
2003 |
|
70 |
Nelly Furtado |
Turn Off the Light |
2001 |
|
71 |
Mario Winans |
I Don’t Wanna Know |
2004 |
|
72 |
Staind |
It’s Been Awhile |
2001 |
|
73 |
Puddle of Mudd |
Blurry |
2002 |
|
74 |
Juvenile |
Slow Motion |
2004 |
|
75 |
Twista |
Slow Jamz |
2004 |
|
76 |
Brian McKnight |
Back at One |
2000 |
|
77 |
Craig David |
Fill Me In |
2001 |
|
78 |
Rob Thomas |
Smooth |
2000 |
|
79 |
Chad Kroeger |
Hero |
2002 |
|
80 |
Shakira |
Whenever, Wherever |
2002 |
|
81 |
The Calling |
Wherever You Will Go |
2002 |
|
82 |
Petey Pablo |
Freek-A-Leek |
2004 |
|
83 |
Blu Cantrell |
Hit ’Em Up Style (Oops!) |
2001 |