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We’re dusting off mix CDs, school-disco dance moves, and radio singalongs to relive the songs that soundtracked our childhoods. Join us as we rank the decade’s most unforgettable hits—from Britney’s pop classic and NSYNC choreography to Taylor’s fairytale anthem, Miley’s ballad, Outkast’s groove and Kesha’s late‑decade takeover. Expect power‑pop bangers, emo anthems, boyband harmonies and ringtone-ready hooks. We revisit "Oops!... I Did It Again," "Love Story," "Hey Ya!" and "A Thousand Miles." Which earworm takes you back? Tell us in the comments!

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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, where we'll be ranking the most influential songs for kids of the 2000s.
00:17Number 20. TikTok. Kesha.
00:20We're starting things off at the late end of the decade, when Kesha began to dominate the charts.
00:25Her debut single, TikTok, was released in August 2009 and became a hit almost instantly.
00:36It went platinum 12 times and spent nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, a mind-blowing feat.
00:43Over a decade later, and it's still one of the best-selling singles of all time, with 14 million claimed sales.
00:55For almost an entire year, it was unavoidable. Kesha wouldn't release another single until 2010, which makes her debut all the more impressive.
01:04She wrote only one song in the 2000s, yet it's considered one of the decade's most defining tracks.
01:09It was weird because the dumber it got, the better it got, which was confusing.
01:16I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent human being, but it just got dumber and dumber and better and better.
01:21Number 19. Hollaback Girl. Gwen Stefani.
01:25Stefani rose to fame as a vocalist for the 80s band No Doubt, who entered the mainstream during the mid-90s.
01:31Don't think I know just what you said, so please stop explaining.
01:38They broke up in 2004, and Stefani pursued a solo career, which was wildly successful.
01:44The most noteworthy track from her debut album is Hollaback Girl by a huge margin.
01:48Cause there ain't no Hollaback Girl, there ain't no Hollaback Girl.
01:53A lesser known fact about the tune is that it was produced by the Neptunes, also known as Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo.
01:59Not everyone appreciated it, however, with the magazine Maxim saying it was, quote,
02:04the most annoying song ever.
02:06Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, cause there ain't no Hollaback Girl, there ain't no Hollaback Girl.
02:12The 2000s were simpler days. If they knew about What Does the Fox Say? They'd change their tune.
02:17What Does the Fox Say?
02:21Number 18. Numb, Linkin Park.
02:24Were you a bit of an edgelord during the 2000s?
02:27When Nu Metal was in its prime and pop punk was still on the charts,
02:31at the forefront of this scene was the legendary group Linkin Park,
02:34who became wildly successful with their debut album Hybrid Theory, released in 2000.
02:38But in the end, it doesn't even matter.
02:43Three years later, they released the follow-up album Meteora.
02:46It featured even more enormous hits, like Numb, which has since sold millions of copies globally.
02:52I've become so numb, I can't feel you there.
02:57The album additionally made its way into the 21st century's top 10 best-selling albums,
03:01and is still fondly remembered today.
03:03I can't feel you there.
03:05Time to be what you want me to be.
03:09Number 17. Cha-Cha Slide. DJ Casper.
03:12Right foot, let's start. Left foot, let's start. Cha-Cha, real smooth.
03:17If someone claimed the Cha-Cha Slide was played at every 2000 school disco or child's party,
03:22it would be easy to believe them.
03:24If you grew up in that decade, then this dance will be ingrained in your brain and muscle memory.
03:29It's not like it's hard to remember, though, with a slide man explaining the moves with his lyrics.
03:34Slide to the left. Slide to the right. Reverse, reverse.
03:39Those people can easily be distinguished by simply shouting something like,
03:42everybody clap your hands, then seeing who breaks out the fresh moves of Mr. C.
03:47What hop this time? Now shoot them dice. Now roll them 70s. Cha-Cha now, y'all.
03:54It was so popular, it even got a sequel, which is pretty much the same, but with a simpler instrumental.
04:00Cha-Cha now, y'all. Cha-Cha again.
04:04Number 16. Hey-Ya. Outcast.
04:06By the turn of the century, the hip-hop duo Outcast had become highly acclaimed in their genre.
04:12In 2000, they achieved mainstream fame with the track Ms. Jackson.
04:16I'm sorry, Ms. Jackson.
04:17Ooh, I am for real.
04:20Member Andre 3000 created the even more popular track, Hey-Ya, in 2003.
04:25It's potentially the most poppy and upbeat Outcast song ever written.
04:29Don't try to fight the feeling, cause the thought alone is killing me right now.
04:35As any fan will eagerly tell you, it's one of their saddest songs.
04:40The lyrics are focused on a relationship that's going sour, but the couple decides to stick together,
04:45as they're scared of being single.
04:46The upbeat melody provides a snark contrast to the lyrics,
04:50and hammers home the central theme of denying that a relationship is failing.
04:53So why-yo, why-yo, why-yo, why-yo, why-yo?
04:56I'm so in denial, but we're not happy here.
05:01Number 15. So What? Pink.
05:03So what? I'm still a rock star.
05:07I got my rock moves, and I don't need you.
05:11Singer Pink released her first album in 2000,
05:14and had dropped four more by the time the 2010s came along.
05:17These were so successful that she became one of the decade's most iconic musicians.
05:22I don't want to be too big, girl.
05:26Towards the end of that era, she released the huge track So What?,
05:30one of her most successful rock anthems.
05:32It topped a plethora of charts across the globe, selling over 6 million copies globally.
05:37I am a rock star. I got my rock moves, and I don't want you tonight.
05:44It was so loved that, in 2008, MTV Europe gave it the award for most addictive track.
05:50Years later, and many are still experiencing this addiction. But few are complaining.
05:55The single is tops on iTunes.
05:57It's a first, number one.
05:58It feels funny because of what it's about. Carrie thinks it's hilarious.
06:01Number 14. Beautiful Soul, Jesse McCartney.
06:05All My Children was an American soap opera that ran from 1970 until 2013.
06:09In the late 90s, Jesse McCartney played a main character on the show.
06:13You don't even know if she's coming back, do you?
06:15Of course she's coming back.
06:19And then what?
06:20McCartney then achieved international fame after beginning a music career in 2004.
06:25His debut single was Beautiful Soul, which sold 3 million copies in the States alone.
06:30It charted in all corners of the earth, from Europe and the Americas all the way to New Zealand and Australia.
06:44McCartney still releases music fairly regularly, but his older works are still the most treasured,
06:49carrying huge quantities of nostalgia for the 2000s kids.
06:52Beautiful Soul.
06:54Number 13. Hips Don't Lie.
07:01Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean.
07:03The queen of Latin music is still a big deal, but she was way more prominent during the 2000s.
07:08When asked what her most influential track was, many would answer Hips Don't Lie.
07:13Reading the signs of my body.
07:15I'm on tonight, but my hips don't lie.
07:18And I'm starting to feel it's right.
07:19It was released in 2006 and quickly rose to the top of America's Billboard Hot 100.
07:25It's still her only track to take that spot.
07:27It went quadruple platinum in the States and sold at least 10 million copies globally.
07:32And when that's gone, real slow, baby, like this is perfect.
07:37It was also downloaded for use as a ringtone 2 million times,
07:40a figure you don't get for tracks released before or after the 2000s.
07:44A song should feel or groove, a certain groove or anything, and it's not going quite well.
07:49I said, hmm, my hips don't lie.
07:51That's not working.
07:51Yeah, they'll tell you the truth.
07:53Number 12, Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne.
07:56Canadian singer Avril Lavigne was one of pop punk's leading figures in the 2000s.
08:00She rose to prominence with her 2002 album Let Go.
08:04It included majorly influential tracks like Complicated and Skater Boy.
08:08He was a skater boy.
08:09She said see you later, boy.
08:11He wasn't good enough for her.
08:14While almost all of her songs from the decade justify a spot on our list,
08:18we opted to settle for just one, Girlfriend.
08:21It dropped in 2007 as the lead single from her third album.
08:24Hey, hey, yeah, yeah, I don't like your girlfriend.
08:27No sway, no way.
08:29Think you need a new one.
08:30It was easily her catchiest track, with a hook anyone could memorize after one listen.
08:35This made it highly popular among the 2000s kids,
08:38even the ones who weren't into pop punk like her fan base generally was.
08:41Hey, hey, yeah, yeah, I want to see your girlfriend.
08:44No way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way.
08:48Number 11, Poker Face, Lady Gaga.
08:51Can't read my, can't read my, no way, can't read my, no way, can't read my, no way, can't read my, oh good place.
08:57Gaga came onto the pop scene later than a lot of other major figures from the time,
09:01but that didn't make her music any less influential.
09:04Her first single, Just Dance, dropped in 2008 and was an immediate classic.
09:08Oh yeah, it's gonna be okay.
09:11Gaga followed this up with Poker Face, which showed she was a force to be reckoned with.
09:19Across her entire career, she sold over 124 million records, and 14 million for just Poker Face.
09:26Pop, pop, pop, pop, Poker Face, pop, pop, Poker Face, pop, pop, Poker Face.
09:33Few musicians have had a rise to stardom as meteoric as Gaga, who is still gaining momentum years and years later.
09:40For instance, in 2025, 2.5 million people attended her free concert in Brazil, breaking attendance records.
09:482.5 million fans flew into Rio from around the world, and in that moment,
09:54Gaga set the world record for the highest attended concert by a female artist ever.
09:59Number 10, Bye Bye Bye, NSYNC.
10:02The 2000s were a marvelous decade for boy bands, and NSYNC helped our childhood selves greet the millennium in style with Bye Bye Bye.
10:12I'm doing this tonight, you're probably gonna start up a fight.
10:18The scorching breakup track is engrossing, to put in mildly.
10:22Our little hearts melted listening to the group members' perfectly synced vocals and watching them dance.
10:27But can you blame us?
10:29So, give me one good reason, baby, come on.
10:34Their sounds blend together so well, and their moves are nothing short of stellar.
10:39That farewell hand gesture alone is priceless.
10:43The chorus immediately hooked us back then, and we're not ashamed to say we're still under its spell.
10:48Bye Bye, I'm trying to sign him off.
10:51I don't wanna be the loser and I've had enough.
10:53We can't imagine ever saying Bye Bye Bye to this pop banger.
10:58One of the most iconic of its kind.
11:01It sounds crazy, but it ain't no lie.
11:04Bye Bye Bye Bye.
11:06Number 9, The Climb, Miley Cyrus.
11:10There are some experiences that 2000s kids shared.
11:13One of those was religiously watching Disney Channel shows and their spinoff films.
11:18If, like us, you grew up during the Hannah Montana years, then we're betting this song from its movie soundtrack was quite formative for you.
11:26I can almost see it, that dream I'm dreaming.
11:32The message of perseverance, paired with the moving instrumentation, immediately drew people in and made it a fan favorite.
11:39You can bet we were belting each word as if our lives depended on it.
11:48Through the comforting ballad, Miley Cyrus reminded us to embrace life's messy journey.
11:53The struggles I'm facing, the chances I'm taking.
11:59And when it plays now, it's like no time has passed.
12:02There's a reason the singer still performs it from time to time.
12:06It's that amazing.
12:07Number 8, Burnin' Up, Jonas Brothers.
12:16The Jonas Brothers had no shortage of bangers that shaped our mix CDs in the aughts.
12:20Of course, they made us want to go to the year 3000.
12:24And we were ready to answer their SOS signal.
12:27But no JoBros tune marked us quite like Burnin' Up.
12:30I'm hot, you're cold.
12:34It has everything you could want in a power pop anthem.
12:38Gusto and conviction, but also romance, passion and intrigue.
12:42And that's saying nothing of the brothers' magnetic delivery, which superbly compliments the strong beat.
12:52We'll burn into the lava, and I'm trying to keep from going under.
13:00All these years later, we can't help but smile whenever we get to Nick Jonas' red dress moment.
13:05We'll be burnin' up for this nostalgic bop until at least the year 3000.
13:11Thank you very much.
13:12Burnin' up, burnin' up for you, baby.
13:16Number 7, Leave, Get Out, JoJo.
13:20They say you only get one chance to make a first impression.
13:23Well, JoJo didn't waste her shot arriving on the scene with Leave, Get Out,
13:28a debut single for the ages.
13:30I've been waitin' all day up for you, baby.
13:33So won't you come sit and talk to me?
13:36We were eating the track up, fixating on every self-assured lyric,
13:42grooving to the poppy R&B sound,
13:44and feeling bold and independent thanks to her convincing performance.
13:48I never thought that anyone could make me feel this way.
13:52Were many of us still too young to really relate to what she was singing about?
13:58Sure, but that didn't stop us from making the ballad one of the anthems of our youth.
14:02Get out, leave right now.
14:05It's the end of you and me.
14:08Hey, it didn't hit number one on Billboard's mainstream Top 40 chart by accident.
14:12The fact that JoJo was merely 13 years old at the time makes the whole thing extra impressive.
14:18Set you to treat me right.
14:20Treat me right.
14:21Just the width of time.
14:22I know, yeah.
14:24Number 6.
14:26Misery Business, Paramore.
14:28We never meant to brag,
14:29but we also couldn't stop singing along to Paramore's emo alt-rock masterpiece in 2007.
14:35I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top.
14:38She's got a body like an hourglass, it's taking like a clock.
14:41It just felt so good.
14:43The song is filled with exactly the right amount of grit, vigor, intensity, and opportunities to headbang.
14:49The raw emotion in Hayley Williams' voice also comes across the whole way through, and it's infectious.
14:56Second chances, they don't ever matter.
14:58People never change.
14:59Now, we won't shy away from the fact that there are some problematic lyrics in there,
15:03but that doesn't change the fact that Misery Business defined a generation.
15:07I've watched his wildest dreams come true, and not one of them involving you.
15:13We'd guess the band members had us right where they wanted with this one,
15:17because there's nothing miserable about the business of listening to it.
15:21Remember when Hilary Duff invented precipitation?
15:34Okay, she obviously didn't actually, but Come Clean and its music video are so iconic that she may as well have.
15:40Let's go back, back to the beginning.
15:45A quintessential pop record expertly infused with rock and techno elements,
15:52it uses rainfall as a metaphor for telling the truth and opening up to your partner.
15:56I'm shedding, shedding every color
16:02Now, be honest.
16:05Did you stare out the window during every storm with a pensive look on your face back then,
16:10pretending to be Duff as you played the tune?
16:13We know we did.
16:13Let the rain fall down and wake my dreams
16:18Of course, it's not the only gem the star gave us throughout the decade.
16:21So yesterday was anything but outdated.
16:24Fly, meanwhile, had us ready to spread our wings.
16:27We're coming clean.
16:29We love Hilary Duff.
16:30I'm coming clean
16:32Picture it.
16:39It's 2002 and you're introduced to this new release by a woman named Vanessa Carlton.
16:43Suddenly, those opening notes play and change your life forever.
16:48We remember it well.
16:55The sweet, soft love song is wonderfully expressive and Carlton gives it her all.
17:00And don't even get us started on the production's orchestral element.
17:04It takes the already spectacular ballad to new, mesmerizing heights.
17:08It wasn't long before our young selves were regularly crooning about making our way downtown and walking a thousand miles.
17:20Now, whenever we want to feel like kids again, we simply play this track.
17:24The piano riff immediately takes us back.
17:26We may not have the ability to time travel, but this is the next best thing.
17:31Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles long and just save you.
17:40Number 3.
17:42Survivor.
17:42Destiny's Child.
17:44Life can be hard, and we start facing our first challenges when we're growing up.
17:48Now that you're out of my life, I'm for a better...
17:51Thankfully, though, we had Destiny's Child reminding us to get up and fight back
17:56in the face of adversity with Survivor.
17:58It's a message that served us in the aughts, and it's continued to serve us since.
18:02Thought I couldn't breathe without you, I'm inhaling.
18:05You thought I could see without your perfect vision.
18:08Plus, the fierce melody is unbeatable.
18:11And the final result is a hit that's been making us feel strong and empowered since 2001.
18:16I'm a survivor.
18:18I'm not gonna give up.
18:19I'm not gonna cover.
18:21I'm gonna work harder.
18:22The hugely successful single was awarded the Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo
18:27or Group with Vocals, and deservedly so.
18:30With it, Destiny's Child cemented their place in girl group history, and in the histories
18:35of our childhoods.
18:36I'm a survivor.
18:38I'm not gonna give up.
18:39I'm not gonna stop.
18:41I'm gonna work harder.
18:43Number 2.
18:44Love Story.
18:45Taylor Swift.
18:46Taylor Swift has provided much of the soundtrack of our lives.
18:49We remember hearing teardrops on my guitar and being awestruck.
18:54She then outdid herself with Love Story a few years later.
18:57We were both young when I first saw you.
19:01Putting a happier twist on the devastating tale of Romeo and Juliet, it's all about two
19:06people who end up together against all odds.
19:09At the time, many of us were children and hadn't fallen in love.
19:12So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
19:16But we were familiar with the story of Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, even though we hadn't
19:21necessarily read the play yet.
19:23And I said, Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
19:29So we got to immerse ourselves in this sweeping, hopeful, and completely entrancing ballad, fantasizing
19:35about a grand romance.
19:37And yes, the magnetic re-recording had us in our feelings like it was 2008 again.
19:42It's a love story, baby, just say yes
19:48Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
19:54Bring Me to Life, Evanescence, an angsty anthem that gives us life.
19:59Wake me up
20:00Wake me up inside
20:01I can't wake up
20:02Sugar, We're Going Down, Fall Out Boy, who wasn't rocking out to this?
20:07And sugar, we're going down swinging
20:09Complicated, Avril Lavigne
20:12It's simple, really.
20:13The song is timeless.
20:15Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
20:19Dirty Little Secret, The All-American Rejects
20:22There's nothing secret about how iconic this emo banger is.
20:26I'll keep you my dirty little secret
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20:47Number 1.
20:48Oops, I Did It Again
20:50Britney Spears
20:51Britney Spears has more than one signature song, but Oops is undoubtedly one of her best works,
20:57and it had a huge impact on us way back in 2000.
21:01I think I did it again
21:03We may have been young, but even then, we knew that the dance pop single was special.
21:09The energy is off the charts, Spears' dazzling vocals never fail to charm us,
21:14and the Titanic-inspired bridge is epic.
21:17Beyond that, each second of the tune is more exciting than the last,
21:21with the lyrics and melody working together in exquisite harmony.
21:24That is just so typical, baby, baby
21:29We're not lying when we say it helped foster our love of music.
21:33Add in the video's choreography, and you have a winner.
21:36Oops, I did it again
21:39I played with your heart
21:42Spears definitely played with our hearts with this release, but we're not complaining.
21:47I'm not that innocent
21:50Were there any particularly important songs we forgot to mention?
21:53Let us know in the comments below
21:55You can stand under my umbrella
21:58Yeah, yeah, yeah
22:01Yeah, yeah, yeah
22:02So旅 from the backаемец
22:03We'll see you next time
22:04Bye-bye
22:0522
22:10Bye-bye
22:10Six
22:11Watch, jeder
22:13behind the scenes
22:14My Turn
22:14You
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