Biggest hits of the 00's Australia

Well, I thought I should make one of these lists for the biggest hits in the 00's in Australia, although I should point out that the charts were VERY unreliable when it comes to determining what was popular throughout this decade. To compromise, I'm using a list (which you can find here) to determine what were the biggest hits of the decade mainly through sales rather than chart runs. As such, you can consider the order of this list where each song would appear on the ARIA charts even though I'll still point out where they appear on my homegrown lists on this site. Also, I do apologise if some entries from 1999 and 2009 are much lower than they should be as I want to keep the integrity of the original list (OK I didn't know how to improvise where these songs would be had the decade extended longer than it did.)

He may not have won the second season of Australian idol; however, Anthony Callea can still take comfort in the fact that his cover of a showtune from a long forgotten animated film from 1998 was far bigger than the song that helped Casey Donovan claim victory over that season of the reality show.

#24 for 2005 (#27 for ARIA)

There have been plenty of ballads like this over the years to make it big, however I feel this was the first to make it big solely for why it exists which is that it's a victory single for the winner of the first season of Australian idol Guy Sebastian. This is someone I personally don't have much respect for reasons I won't get into on this site but suffice to say I'm not a fan of his music.

#64 for 2003 (#60 for ARIA)

#65 for 2004 (#64 for ARIA)

This was the theme to Eminem's autobiographical film about his rise to the height of his popularity, it was released during the album cycle of his biggest and (in my opinion) best album the Eminem show where it dominated the charts worldwide due to how big it became in the rap scene. It was also the first hip hop number to win an academy award due to how it resonated with audiences back in the day.

#7 for 2002 (#6 for ARIA)

#6 for 2003 (#7 for ARIA)

For a little while, this second single from the Black-Eyed Peas was the biggest hit of all time not just in Australia but throughout the entire world, this is mainly due to its refusal to die on the charts which is an early sign of two things. First was of course the club boom which would explode going into the new decade, and the second was how the internet refused to allow songs to completely fall off the charts.

#1 for 2009 (#1 for ARIA)

He may not have come in first place on the show, however that didn't prevent Shannon Noll from finding massive success with his cover of the Moving pictures classic from 1982 which invertedly recontextualises the song to be about how he didn't win the series which I'm guessing tugged at the heartstrings of audiences this year to make it a huge success.

#35 for 2004 (#36 for ARIA)

Also known as "Sexy chick" which was the version that played on the radio, this is a collaboration between French DJ David Guetta and Akon which became a massive worldwide hit for the two likely due to it being one of those songs that's so ridiculous that it's impossible to take seriously. Now that's not to say that I like this song because I certainly don't, however I can see why people enjoy this albeit ironically.

#3 for 2009 (#2 for ARIA)

OK fair warning that I'm no fan of Taylor Swift, this will be hard for me to contain when I'm covering the 2010's given how she dominated the music scene, however I will admit that my dislike towards her music comes from her later material and not on her earlier work which is largely inoffensive at this stage of her career. Here in particular we have her imagining herself as a Disney princess which no doubt helped her find an audience outside her native America.

#6 for 2009 (#6 for ARIA)

Well, if you ever wanted to hear what the Macarena would sound like if it were written and performed by women, then you're in luck because that's the best way to describe this track from the Spanish trio Las Ketchup who scored a massive worldwide hit with this track that seems to be recorded in Spanish, English and Portuguese and even comes with some random words that aren't from any language.

#1 for 2002 (#1 for ARIA)

#3 for 2003 (#3 for ARIA)

Does anyone even remember the film, Loser? True to its title, the film follows two teenagers who feel like outcasts in the world and eventually find and fall in love with each other. The theme song from American band Wheatus basically describes the plot of the film in the lyrics, which I'm guessing is why it managed to be more popular even at the time than the film was as it contained its premise in a short amount of time.

#1 for 2000 (#1 for ARIA)

#1 for 2001 (#1 for ARIA)

This was the lead single to BEP's third album with Fergie, it's a song that's meant to get the party started given how it was one of the first songs to make it big during the club boom of the late 00's and throughout the 2010's. I guess it succeeded as this was a massive hit for the quartet, although it was heavily criticised for being little more than scraps of other songs thrown together by the band.

#2 for 2009 (#3 for ARIA)

For the longest time, this was Lady Gaga's biggest hit given how it remains her most iconic work to this day. Of course, her biggest hit is now "Shallow" from a decade later, but that was more due to it rebounding on the charts due to it winning an Oscar for the pop star. There's an urban legend that the chorus actually goes "fu fu f**k her face" as opposed to "po po poker face" which perhaps is why this remains her most iconic work to this day.

#2 for 2008 (#2 for ARIA)

#4 for 2009 (#4 for ARIA)

To date, this is P!nk's biggest hit largely thanks to how bombastic it remains in her catalogue which many fans (me included) feel is where she's at her best. It was the lead single to her breakup album Funhouse which she made while she was separated with her husband, although the two managed to patch things up during its production which I guess makes it the opposite to an album like Rumours from Fleetwood mac.

#3 for 2008 (#4 for ARIA)

#5 for 2009 (#7 for ARIA)

If this feels like a victory single to anyone, rest assured that it isn't as it's in fact the debut single from Delta Goodrem who took a circuitous route in becoming a successful musician as she first appeared on Neighbors as Nina Tucker before translating the popularity she had on the show into her music career. I guess you can argue this is a victory single in that regard, although the rest of the album has more personality to it.

#5 for 2002 (#4 for ARIA)

#5 for 2003 (#5 for ARIA)

This was the lead single to Eminem's album the Eminem show, an album that's meant to be a display for all of the rapper's thought process given how his previous two albums had been criticised for the way it influenced the youth of the day. This is far more light-hearted compared to the rest of the album (complete with a wacky music video) however it does fit in the theme of him making art and not propaganda on the album.

#10 for 2002 (#10 for ARIA)

This was not only the second single from Nelly's sophomore album Nellyville, but also confusingly the lead single to Kelly Rowland's solo debut Simply deep which is weird because she doesn't contribute much to the song as it's mainly from Nelly's perspective. The dilemma in question is that Nelly is in love with Kelly, but Kelly is currently in a relationship even though she also has feelings for him.

#8 for 2002 (#8 for ARIA)

#8 for 2003 (#8 for ARIA)

If you ever wondered why the lyrics on this breakthrough single from Shakira were strange, that's because it's an English version of a song that was popular in the Spanish speaking parts of the world that was given a one for one translation of the lyrics. This didn't prevent this song from being a massive hit for the Columbian star worldwide as it introduced her to a wider audience.

#2 for 2002 (#2 for ARIA)

It's easy to forget that this was the theme song to Step up 2, a dance flick that I'm sure many have forgotten about since the series was never a critical darling and seemed to serve as little more than a platform for Channing Tatum to become a Hollywood star. It appears we Aussies were a bit slow in making this a phenomenon like it was worldwide given how it wasn't even released until this year despite it already being a success the previous year internationally.

#1 for 2008 (#1 for ARIA)

This is one of only two hits that the Kings of Leon had in the mainstream, in Australia at least this was because of heavy promotion of their album Only by the night on Triple J which became the stations album of the year in 2008. This was a massive flop in their native America for some reason, it's even more curious it bombed on Billboard considering the second single from the album was a huge hit over there.

#5 for 2008 (#6 for ARIA)

#8 for 2009 (#8 for ARIA)

I'm not sure if this song would've been as big as it was were it not "presented" by Timbaland for OneRepublic, however it did become a massive worldwide hit for the band regardless as it was not only produced by him but was also included on his solo album for some reason. The band would have several spikes in popularity over the years given how slow their recording output has been.

#4 for 2007 (#2 for ARIA)

#7 for 2008 (#3 for ARIA)

This was Fergie's biggest solo hit from her solo album, it's a song that showcases her talents as a vocalist which is perhaps why it remains her biggest hit despite it being far from the first song you think of when going over her catalogue. I guess if she had of released this as the lead single from the Dutchess then it would've not only been even bigger (if that was at all possible) but also a signature track in her catalogue.

#9 for 2007 (#7 for ARIA)

This was the first big hit that the Black-Eyed Peas had in most parts of the world, likely due to the inclusion of Justin Timberlake on the chorus as well as it being their first single where they included Fergie as an official member of the group. The song is also one of their rare conscious hip hop tracks given how it's about the racial injustice of the world and them pleading for there to be racial harmony.

#1 for 2003 (#1 for ARIA)

Leona Lewis was the winner of the 2005 season of X factor UK, although her debut album failed to make any waves outside of the UK likely due to international audiences finding it too dull to have any merit to it (that's how I feel about her entire discography I'm afraid, but I digress.) She won a massive international audience with the lead single to her second album, heck it even became a Billboard chart topper for her.

#4 for 2008 (#5 for ARIA)

This is where it all began for Lady Gaga, given how she would explode in the music scene with how quirky and some would say bizarre her music and especially videos would get, this debut of hers seems rather tame and ordinary compared to what was to come. This took its sweet time in finding success in her native America as her earlier entry had already topped the charts worldwide before this made it on Billboard.

#13 for 2008 (#10 for ARIA)

I guess her previous album was a commercial disappointment for Avril Lavigne, so it makes sense that she would go in the complete opposite direction with her third album by appealing to a more mainstream audience like she does with this lead single. Naturally this was a success given that it was released during a time where high school drama was all the rage in the mainstream, and this would be the perfect soundtrack to those situations.

#3 for 2007 (#3 for ARIA)

Coyote ugly gets a bit of a bad rep these days, mainly because people don't find it campy enough to be a so bad it's good film whilst also finding it to be too tired and cliched to be a genuinely good film. I personally like it mainly for its uplifting story about a songwriter finding success in the music industry, this theme song from the film being one of the songs she wrote in universe and what transitioned Leann Rimes from country to pop music.

#7 for 2001 (#7 for ARIA)

This was the first of a string of hits that American singer Anastacia had in Australia, I bring this up because she curiously never had a hit on the Billboard charts despite being a massive success throughout Europe. I guess this was due to her fellow Americans confusing her for a woman of colour initially and being taken aback when they saw she wasn't, she does admittedly have a lot of soul in her vocals.

#5 for 2000 (#4 for ARIA)

This is one of the first hits to make it big thanks to the power of the internet, specifically how Scottish singer Sandi Thom uploaded this track she recorded in her bedroom to her Myspace account (remember when that was a thing?) which attracted the attention of her eventual management. It was a huge success here in Australia likely due to it being a love letter to how much she loved both punk rock and hippy culture of the 70's.

#1 for 2006 (#1 for ARIA)

#1 for 2007 (#1 for ARIA)

This is one of those songs that people mistake the meaning of what appears to be a song about lying to cover up getting caught cheating turns out to be a song denouncing these types of tracks in the third verse. The complaint people have about this track nowadays is that they consider it false advertising, after all, the featured artist Rikrok has far more presence on here than Shaggy does.

#6 for 2001 (#10 for ARIA)

This was the only hit to come from Gabriella Cilmi, I'm guessing for a number of reasons given how much of an overnight sensation the Australian teenage singer was with this song worldwide. The first reason was that this is a song that seemed destined to come from a one hit wonder even though her album was a huge hit for her, the second was her being drunk at the 2008 ARIA awards despite being underage.

#8 for 2008 (#8 for ARIA)

This was originally released as a single from Elvis Presley in the late 60's to deafening silence, likely because it was during that period where he was more focused on his acting career rather than his singing career and the original version not being among the more memorable songs in his catalogue. This remix came to be due to the song being used in the film Ocean's eleven which allowed it to become a surprise hit worldwide.

#13 for 2002 (#17 for ARIA)

This was the debut single for the Pussycat dolls, a former burlesque troupe turned girl band who scored massive success with this track where even upon its initial release I remembered being widely mocked for how overconfident the lyrics are. I'm not that familiar with the Busta Rhymes feature as they never played it on the radio back in the day, I'm guessing to promote the song as a sexual fantasy for those attracted to the band members would have.

#4 for 2005 (#5 for ARIA)

This is one of those songs I personally find to be irritating, namely because there's only so many times I can hear the phrase shut up before I personally go insane. With that said, this was a massive follow up to "Where is the love" worldwide for the Black-eyed peas as it depicts Fergie telling the other three members to shut up in the chorus as they spit bars about how they treat her and her not putting up with it.

#10 for 2003 (#12 for ARIA)

#6 for 2004 (#6 for ARIA)

This was the world's introduction to Kesha, I bring this up because by the end of the year, Kesha reportedly begged her label to remove her credit on this track which tells you how embarrassed she was to be on here in the first place. I guess she didn't like how she helped Flo Rida interpolate the Dead or alive track from the 80's that this song is named after, although audiences this year certainly did.

#15 for 2009 (#15 for ARIA)

This was a bit of a comeback for Guy Sebastian given how he hadn't bothered the charts in three years prior to scoring a massive number one hit with this track, indeed this was such a comeback that he would stick around for most of the following decade albeit only in Australia and NZ.

#16 for 2009 (#14 for ARIA)

This was one of two big hits that TV rock had in their short time together, both of these songs share a similar formula of spoken word vocals which I'm guessing is meant to be sexy in a similar way to how "I'm too sexy" was in the 90's. I guess it paid off as this was one of the biggest hits of the decade in Australia, and even managed to crossover to NZ shortly after its release.

#2 for 2006 (#2 for ARIA)

Although this song has a relatively low placement on this list, this is mainly because it was slightly delayed here in Australia and then released where it became Kylie's biggest hit in her career despite having a relatively short chart run. This was a practice that had ruined the Billboard charts throughout the 90's and would have similar damage to the ARIA charts throughout the 00's.

#33 for 2001 (#48 for ARIA)

This was the first song that Akon had a hit with outside of his native America, I'm guessing due to the countless jokes that have been made that involve him duetting with Alvin and the Chipmunks as that's what it sounds like to most people whenever they listen to this ballad. The chorus is a sped-up version of "Mr. lonely" from Bobby Vinton released forty years prior to when this became a huge international chart topper.

#20 for 2005 (#15 for ARIA)

Given how Eminem was at the height of his popularity this year, it only seems fitting that a protegee of his would find massive success worldwide which was the case for Curtis Jackson AKA 50 cent. Here we have his club banger which became a massive success for the east coast rapper (despite it being produced by Dr Dre) which led to him having massive success from the album it came from.

#4 for 2003 (#4 for ARIA)

It seems odd that Jack Johnson never had a hit outside his native America (although he was plenty successful with his albums) considering this guy managed to score a massive hit worldwide with this track that feels ripped straight from the folk singer's discography. Evidently this guy had incorporated hip hop in his earlier work which perhaps explains why his only international hit was as stripped back as this.

#6 for 2008 (#16 for ARIA)

#9 for 2009 (#14 for ARIA)

This is one of those songs whose sole purpose is to shock an offend audiences, personally I don't find this song offensive as it's little more than Katy admitting to experimenting with her sexuality (although I'll admit that it's one of the more annoying songs of the decade.) This became the first of many of her hits worldwide likely due to audiences being shocked and offended by this track.

#23 for 2008 (#20 for ARIA)

Rihanna certainly had success prior to this lead single to her third album, however it was the theme of friendship in the lyrics that allowed audiences to make this an inescapable hit and that she was in it for the long haul which wasn't a certainty prior to the song's release. Apparently, people have misinterpreted the song to be about sex, I guess I can see that although I won't burden my readers with that thought process.

#15 for 2007 (#15 for ARIA)

Although his earlier song outranked this when it comes to their respective chart runs, this second single from Hot shot was actually the biggest hit of Shaggy's career in Australia likely due to it sampling both "Angel of the morning" (specifically Juice Newton's cover from 1981) and "The joker" from Steve Miller. It's also the second hit that he had with Rayvon who previously collaborated with him on his cover of "In the summertime."

#19 for 2001 (#25 for ARIA)

There were a lot of post grunge songs to become hits this year, one of the more prominent tracks comes to us from Lifehouse who managed to have the biggest hit of the year in their native America despite this failing to reach number one on Billboard. This is the second time this has happened as the previous year had "Breathe" by Faith Hill claim the top spot despite that also failing to reach number one.

#9 for 2001 (#5 for ARIA)

It seemed like Anastacia would be a one album wonder given how her second album was a massive flop throughout the world, that wasn't the case given how her third album was a big comeback for her in Australia and throughout Europe largely thanks to its lead single which blended gospel with pop rock in a way that no one had done around this time. It proved to be a massive hit here in Australia more than anywhere else.

#1 for 2004 (#3 for ARIA)

This was all set to become another flop for Enrique Iglesias given how it had such a slow climb to the top of the charts worldwide, however it received a sudden boost when it was chosen as the unofficial theme song to the 9/11 attacks as it would play over news coverage of the aftermath of the disaster. This allowed the album it serves as the lead single for to become a massive success for the Latin crooner.

#2 for 2001 (#6 for ARIA)

#3 for 2002 (#7 for ARIA)

This was the first big hit that Silverchair had since the turn of the millennium, sure their fourth album Diorama was a huge success for them earlier in the decade, however it failed to spawn any hits for them here in Australia or anywhere else in the world. Perhaps if digital downloads were legal when it was initially released, it would've had a big hit like this lead single to their fifth and final album.

#40 for 2007 (#38 for ARIA)

The legends are true people, there was a remix of the Beverly Hills cop theme that was a massive hit during the midpoint of the 00's from a CGI frog (although it looks more like an alien to me) complete with a video that even acknowledges how annoying this song is by having it be chased down by robots looking to destroy him. I guess if you're into memes from early YouTube videos then this is the song and video for you.

#13 for 2005 (#10 for ARIA)

This was a song that showcases a more sexually provocative side of Justin Timberlake given how it has lyrics alluding to BDSM which I'm surprised were unedited for the radio back in the day. It was an easy hit for the former N sync member given this was back in the day where former child stars moved into adulthood in the most sexual (and some might say tacky) was possible.

#8 for 2006 (#8 for ARIA)

This was one of two hits that the Finnish group Bomfunk MC's had here in Australia, we'll get to their other hit in a bit, but for now we have their song which was able to have the F-bomb played on the radio due to listeners missing the "Who the f**k is Alice" reference in the lyrics. I'm guessing this means that the song was a hit mainly for the sound as this was a bit before songs became a hit due to being a meme for its lyrics.

#11 for 2000 (#8 for ARIA)

MJ might have been reduced to a media frenzy by the 21st century (unfairly in my opinion) however that didn't mean that there wasn't any love left for his back catalogue as Alien ant farm managed to score their one and only hit in most parts of the world with their rendition of this track from his album Bad. If you can believe it, they scored a second hit in NZ later in the decade with "Glow."

#16 for 2001 (#12 for ARIA)

#17 for 2002 (#12 for ARIA)

To think this was originally commissioned for the terrible (in my opinion at least) film adaptation of the Daredevil comics starring Ben Affleck, specifically for the scene where Elektra Natchios (played by Jennifer Garner) is training in her mansion with sandbags. At least the song was effective in the scene it was used in as it single handedly launched Evanescence into the mainstream as their debut single.

#2 for 2003 (#2 for ARIA)

This was the other big hit that Kings of Leon had from their album Only by the night, it was also their one and only hit in their native America albeit months after it was a success internationally for the alternative band. I'm not sure why they weren't able to retain their popularity going into the new decade even in places like Australia where rock music still has its place in the mainstream.

#15 for 2008 (#15 for ARIA)

#13 for 2009 (#13 for ARIA)

Technically this was the big hit off of I am Sasha Fierce here in Australia as "Single ladies" and "If I were a boy" were bundled together which allowed them to both be bigger on our charts, I can see how this was the standout track down under given how it's a song about Beyonce finding the inner beauty of the person she's singing to which admittedly is a nice change of pace from her other material.

#17 for 2009 (#16 for ARIA)

To think there was a time where this ballad wasn't a meme and instead a genuine hit single for Vanessa Carlton, nowadays it's become a meme due to it being ridiculed in the film White chicks and people struggling to take it seriously since that movie came out. I guess this is why there haven't been a lot of heartfelt piano ballads from female singer/songwriters to make it big in recent years which is a shame.

#4 for 2002 (#3 for ARIA)

This was technically a hit twice in Australia, the first time was upon its initial release which was inevitable as this was during the height of Katy Perry's worldwide popularity. The second time was when the reality show MasterChef premiered early in 2009 which chose this as its theme song and thus kept it on the charts longer than it otherwise would've been.

#16 for 2008 (#16 for ARIA)

#14 for 2009 (#12 for ARIA)

Just a fair warning that you won't be seeing "Thank you" from Dido on this list, this is because that song wasn't released as a single here in Australia to avoid it stealing success from this haunting track from Eminem about an obsessed fan of his which has since become the term used for these types of people in fandoms. For what it's worth, this song underperformed in NZ where Dido's track was released as a single.

#4 for 2001 (#2 for ARIA)

This was the only hit that the Scissor sisters managed to have here in Australia, although considering they named themselves after a sexual act often used between two women, it's impressive they had any success in the mainstream at all anywhere in the world. Then again, it seemed like it was impossible for this to fail given how it's a throwback to the 70's disco (particularly in the style of Leo Sayer) which was all the rage at the time.

#3 for 2006 (#3 for ARIA)

#2 for 2007 (#4 for ARIA)

Although this came bundled with her earlier entry on this list here in Australia, ARIA was kind enough to count this as a separate entry on their charts which allows me to include both of these songs on this list. I get why this song was a hit for Beyonce even though I personally find it irritating to listen to, it's about how being single isn't a bad thing and that one shouldn't feel pressured into settling down when they're not ready.

#22 for 2008 (#31 for ARIA)

#18 for 2009 (#17 for ARIA)

It looked like Shakira would be a one album wonder as her second album in English failed to catch on in the English-speaking market, however this bonus track from the album released this year saved the album likely due to it being a song about Shakira's Columbian heritage complete with production and vocals from Wyclef Jean. It was a huge hit back in the day and likely would've been even bigger if it were released now.

#7 for 2006 (#4 for ARIA)

Well, this is a song that's become divisive in recent years, mainly because like "Justify my love" from exactly a decade prior, the song is too Avant Garde for most mainstream audiences who likely feel alienated with how Madonna experimented with her sound on this track. I guess part of this song's success at the time comes from the music video which introduced the world to Sacha Baron Cohen's character Ali G.

#36 for 2000 (#44 for ARIA)

This fifth single from Innocent eyes sort of cheated in becoming a chart topper for Delta Goodrem as it came bundled with her cover of "Happy X mas" given how it was released during the Christmas period of 2003. Even so, it allowed her to become the only artist to score five chart toppers from a single album in Australia as no other album has spawned more than three chart toppers down under over the years.

#28 for 2003 (#28 for ARIA)

#27 for 2004 (#27 for ARIA)

Well, this is certainly a surprise entry from Spiderbait for a number of reasons, first off, we have their take on a track made popular in the 70's by the one hit wonder band Ram Jam which goes to show that 70's nostalgia was still very much a thing in Australia this far into the new millennium. The other big surprise was that it features vocals from the drummer Kram (Mark spelt backwards) as opposed to Janet English.

#5 for 2004 (#4 for ARIA)

Although Nelly had already demonstrated his desires to be a country artist from the start of the decade with songs such as "Ride wit me" and "Country grammar," it was this collaboration with Tim McGraw that finally won him over with the country scene in his native America given how immensely popular this was on the Billboard country charts. It was also a massive international hit for the otherwise inner-city rapper.

#11 for 2005 (#12 for ARIA)

Although these guys had earlier singles and even albums in their native Canada, this was the song which introduced the world to what many regard as one of the worst bands to come from the new millennium. I personally feel these guys get too much hate as there's certainly worse bands and artists out there, although I can't help but notice how much quicker we Aussies were into making this a hit than the rest of the world.

#5 for 2001 (#4 for ARIA)

#6 for 2002 (#5 for ARIA)

This was the first of only two hit singles that Timbaland achieved as a lead artist here in Australia, the other was with Katy Perry at the start of the new decade which seems to be the opposite of this track with Keri Hilson as that song is about a post breakup while this was about two people hooking up with each other. This was Keri's only hit here, although she had much more success over in NZ and her native America.

#10 for 2007 (#11 for ARIA)

#14 for 2008 (#14 for ARIA)

This was one of only three hits that Jordin Sparks had here in Australia, although here she required the assistance of Chris Brown of all people to have a huge hit despite her already being successful with her victory single from American idol here (which is still to come on this list.) She was one of the rare contestants on American idol to find international success among the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Adam Lambert.

#12 for 2008 (#17 for ARIA)

This was the last hit single that Will Smith had anywhere in the world, although by this stage he was more well known as an actor than a rapper given how he only released two albums in the new millennium. I know I'm far from the first person to make this observation, but I feel this was meant to be the theme to his film Hitch which has him playing a love doctor for Kevin James in a rare rom com he stars in.

#1 for 2005 (#1 for ARIA)

Well, we've certainly come a long way from when this type of RNB was shunned by the Australian public haven't we? Here we have the one and only hit that Mario had outside of his native America as we have this tender ballad he made to the love of his life which touched the hearts of many a listener upon its initial release. Unfortunately for him, none of his other Billboard hits managed to connect with an international audience.

#7 for 2005 (#7 for ARIA)

There were no signs of the Black-Eyed Peas slowing down exiting the 00's as this was their third huge hit in a row in most parts of the world, it's also considered to be one of their best songs as it's mostly a tender duet between Fergie and the other members as opposed to her being snarky towards them on their other tracks where she was the focal point of the group.

#12 for 2009 (#10 for ARIA)

There were no signs of Akon slowing down even here in Australia where he was considerably less successful than the rest of the world, heck this lead single to his second album proved to be more successful here than in most parts of the world likely due to the presence of Eminem who reduced himself to the odd guest verse during his hiatus from recording a new album throughout the second half of the decade.

#5 for 2006 (#6 for ARIA)

#6 for 2007 (#8 for ARIA)

This was the only big hit to come from the Italian DJ Spiller, although the song is better known for having British model turned singer Sophie Ellis Bextor on vocals who would go on to have massive success with her own album later in the decade. I'm not sure why this was Spiller's only hit given how much success Sophie would have, perhaps it was seen as a novelty track at the time.

#6 for 2000 (#7 for ARIA)

#3 for 2001 (#3 for ARIA)

Nelly Furtado is the latest entry into a Canadian artist who saw massive worldwide success without necessarily being the biggest artist in their homeland that I've featured on this site, oh sure she did fine with her debut album, however it didn't exactly promise the levels of success she would go on to achieve later in the decade. I'm guessing her fellow Canadians weren't as into her spiritual vibes as the rest of the world was.

#12 for 2001 (#14 for ARIA)

Although it wasn't their highest charting single in Australia (that honour goes to "Hook me up") this was indeed the biggest hit that the Veronicas had here which allowed it to become a massive international hit for the duo worldwide by the end of the decade. They remain a one hit wonder in the northern hemisphere with this track, I'm guessing due to audiences not getting the gimmick of them singing in unison on their songs.

#16 for 2007 (#16 for ARIA)

#19 for 2008 (#18 for ARIA)

This is a song that's more well known nowadays for the behind the scenes drama it caused as two of the original members of Destiny's child only found out they were fired and replaced from the band when the music video was unveiled this year, I guess that explains why it took them so long to release a second single from their sophomore album given that "Bills bills bills" was a Billboard chart topper for the quartet.

#16 for 2000 (#14 for ARIA)

You may be surprised to learn that Kid rock is a one hit wonder outside of his native America with this track, I'm guessing it was only a hit for him internationally due to audiences feeling nostalgia for both "Sweet home Alabama" and "Werewolves of London" which this track samples both of throughout its runtime. Even though I and many others only know him for this one track (and also his personal antics due to constantly being on the news) he was much more popular on the Billboard charts.

#24 for 2008 (#23 for ARIA)

Although Barricades and brickwalls was already a solid success for Kasey Chambers upon its initial release the previous year, it was this ballad from the country star that made that album a household name due to it being an inescapable hit for her this year here in Australia. It even managed to crossover to NZ which goes to show how it managed to strike a chord with audiences from the southern hemisphere.

#12 for 2002 (#13 for ARIA)

It's funny how Joel Turner failed to make it onto Australian idol during its first season (something to do with him being "unsuitable" for the series) and yet he would have massive success with this track he released about the youth of the day being lost with what the mainstream is pushing onto them. It was a massive hit for the rapper and beatboxer, but unfortunately it was the peak of his success.

#2 for 2004 (#2 for ARIA)

#5 for 2005 (#4 for ARIA)

Although "Stupid girls" was indeed a big hit from P!nk's fourth album I'm not dead (it's still to come on this list) it was this second single from the album that made her a household name here in Australia above anywhere else in the world due to it being a massive success here upon its initial release. This and "U + ur hand" (also still to come) only became a hit in her homeland the following year for some reason.

#17 for 2006 (#14 for ARIA)

Right around the time Miley Cyrus was making it big in the music industry through her connections with Disney, her older brother Trace was the lead singer of this short-lived pop rock band who scored their one and only hit with this number. I'm guessing this was as big as it was due to the connection he had with Miley and their father and how this was considered edgy compared to the music his family was making.

#17 for 2008 (#17 for ARIA)

Following the success he had with "Love generation," Bob Sinclar released this track which heavily samples "Gonna make you sweat" from C+C Music factory which became a hit here in Australia. I will say that it was a slow rise to its success given how it lingered in and out of the top twenty at first before finally reaching the upper echelons of the charts several months after its initial release.

#10 for 2006 (#9 for ARIA)

#12 for 2007 (#10 for ARIA)

Well, the title of this song has become toxic to the music industry these days, hasn't it? Prior to being the name of a social media site that's forever going to be blamed for the decline in the music industry, it was the title of Kesha's debut single (as a lead artist that is) which was another example of how big the club boom was even in its infancy given how it was a huge hit during the transition from the 00's to the 2010's.

#7 for 2009 (#5 for ARIA)

This is one of those ironic songs where the melody is upbeat and happy, but the lyrics are actually about a relationship being on its last legs as Andre 3000 sings about the woes of his love life. It was the lead single to the duo's double album which actually comprises of two solo albums where the duo eased fans into the fact that they were thinking of splitting up which is what happened later in the decade.

#13 for 2003 (#15 for ARIA)

#10 for 2004 (#11 for ARIA)

This originally came from Kate Miller's second album Curiouser from the previous year, however it was chosen as the bumper music to this year's season of Neighbours which allowed it to become a massive surprise hit for the quirky singer. In fact, this song was so big that the album was given a second wind as it was only a minor success for the singer upon its initial release and became a massive success this year.

#27 for 2009 (#23 for ARIA)

This by all accounts should be much higher on the list given how inescapable it was on the radio in Australia back in the day, however it was unfortunately pulled from shelves as were the other singles from Avril's debut album to encourage album sales which I guess worked out as the album was a massive success for her. Still, it drives me insane that this song is much lower than it should be on this list, but rules are rules.

#37 for 2002 (#33 for ARIA)

This is a song that should be much higher on this list but isn't due to having most of its success contained in the first few weeks of its release, this is due to it being the first victory single from a reality show contestant (or in this case group) to make it big in Australia which sets the tone for how the decade would turn out down under.

#63 for 2000 (#70 for ARIA)

You know I was once a naive young child who thought this song was literally about making milkshakes, yeah it turns out this song is much raunchier than that the video would have you believe. All I'll say is that the clue comes from where milk tends to come from and the line "I can teach you, but I'd have to charge" and let my readers figure out the rest from there. It was a massive hit here in Australia likely due to us Aussies instantly figuring out the true meaning of the song and feeling titillated by it.

#17 for 2004 (#16 for ARIA)

It looked like Beyonce's second solo album would be a huge flop for her worldwide given how the singles on the standard edition failed to become hits for her, she obviously had other plans as this bonus track from the deluxe edition managed to become a huge hit for her which restored the popularity of the album shortly after its release. The song is best known for the lines "to the left to the left" which she repeats throughout the track.

#9 for 2006 (#13 for ARIA)

#11 for 2007 (#13 for ARIA)

This was the only other hit that Atomic Kitten managed to achieve in Australia, I'm guessing because they interpolate the Blondie classic of the same name in the chorus while they provide their own verses which makes the song their own. Like many British groups of the late 90's and early 00's, they were much more popular in NZ likely due to the kiwis following the British charts as opposed to the American charts like we were.

#22 for 2002 (#16 for ARIA)

#22 for 2003 (#17 for ARIA)

We have another entry from a cast member of Neighbours on this list, this time it's Holly Valance who managed to score a massive hit worldwide with this English language cover of a Turkish sex jam from the late 90's. It was the first of four hit singles the Australian singer/actress managed to achieve down under, although she remains a one hit wonder everywhere else in the world with this sex jam.

#25 for 2002 (#28 for ARIA)

Following the massive success she had from the start of the decade with Italian DJ Spiller, Sophie Ellis Bextor released her debut album which was off to a slow start given how she chose her cover of Cher's "Take me home" as its lead single which unfortunately flopped for her everywhere except her native UK. This was the second single from the album which did much better due to its hilarious video to bring these lyrics to life.

#9 for 2002 (#15 for ARIA)

So, Nelly Furtado's second album was a huge critical and commercial disaster from 2003, so much so that she felt the need to go in a completely new direction with her third album by enlisting the help of Timbaland to be its executive producer. The results were an album which had her shifting towards an early prototype of the club boom starting with this lead single which had the producer/rapper provide a guest verse for her.

#18 for 2006 (#21 for ARIA)

This song may seem low on this list due to how successful it was on the Australian digital charts; however, I've ranked these songs based on how well they did with their physical sales given how the digital charts were in their infancy when they launched this year and thus, had songs overstay their welcome on those charts. In any case, we have this lead single from Eskimo Joe's third album which finally broke them through to a mainstream audience.

#37 for 2006 (#15 for ARIA)

This had a bit of a slow rise to its peak in popularity here in Australia, I'm guessing this was due to it being huge in the indie sphere which had exploded in popularity around this time due to most of the digital downloads coming from that sector of the music industry down under. Once it did find its way to the mainstream, this proved to be one of the biggest hits of the decade for the NZ band.

#24 for 2006 (#10 for ARIA)

#28 for 2007 (#12 for ARIA)

This is the first song that Shakira recorded in English given how her earlier entry on this list was originally recorded in Spanish before it was translated into English to sell to an English-speaking market. As such, the lyrics on here are more coherent as they weren't translated from Spanish, I'm guessing this is how it managed to become her second consecutive chart topper in most parts of the world.

#19 for 2002 (#19 for ARIA)

Following the massive success of Rob Thomas's solo album from two years prior, he rejoined Matchbox 20 who released this song from their greatest hits album which proved to be their biggest hit here in Australia likely due to it being explicitly about how far they had come in their career since their initial breakthrough. Sure, you can argue that it's about a relationship, however that's my interpretation of the song.

#30 for 2007 (#22 for ARIA)

If you felt that her earlier entry on this list was too much of a victory single from a reality show, then fear not as the rest of Delta's catalogue (well at least most of it) is a lot more personal such as this second single from her debut album which details her trying to live without her partner at the time. It was the second of six consecutive chart toppers here in Australia for her which predictably led to her backlash.

#17 for 2003 (#16 for ARIA)

This is another contender for the worst song of the decade according to the internet (no arguments from me) largely thanks to the lyrics being much creepier than you would otherwise expect as well as James Blunt's performance being highly irritating to many listeners. It was also the first Billboard chart topper to not come from an American, Canadian or Jamaican artist since Savage Garden from the start of the decade.

#2 for 2005 (#3 for ARIA)

It does strike me as bizarre that rock music died out in the 2010's here in Australia considering how prevalent the genre was even as the 00's was coming to an end, here we have the final big hit that the Fray achieved throughout the world which proved to be more popular here than it was even in their native America. Heck this got to number one here, proving that we Aussies certainly loved what they had to offer.

#23 for 2009 (#20 for ARIA)

There are multiple reasons why this cover of the Bruce Channel classic was a hit in Australia this year, firstly it was due to it being selected as the theme for this year's FIFA world cup which kept up the tradition that Ricky Martin began four years prior with "The cup of life." The second reason was that it had multiple music videos including a cartoon video with the Austrian DJ performing the song live, the final was that this was a good year for remixes of older songs on our charts.

#11 for 2002 (#14 for ARIA)

If you're wondering why this song only appears on this list and not the previous list, that's because it wasn't released as a single here in Australia until this year despite it being a massive worldwide success for Hinder the previous year. This is another song that's gone down in infamy as one of the worst songs of the decade due to how melodramatic the situation is in the lyrics, although I don't agree with this sentiment.

#36 for 2007 (#37 for ARIA)