A while back, I made a list of the biggest hits in Australia throughout the 00’s. Unlike what I did for the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, I used someone else’s ranking which means I didn’t specify how well a song did on each respective chart. My reasoning was because the AMR have been unofficial since 1999 given that’s when David Kent stopped publishing them, however I then reminded myself that my rankings throughout this side of my site have been based on those charts rather than the ARIA charts as I feel the former is more reliable than the latter. And so, I present to you the biggest hits of the decade with both charts combined.
This was the only other hit that Jamelia was able to achieve here in Australia, this time it's with her version of "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera as this is about her thanking her abusive ex for making her a better person despite treating her like crap in the relationship. It's a shining example of how female empowerment in music has been around for much longer than modern pop artists give people credit for.
#66 for 2004
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#60 for 2006
I'm surprised this collaboration didn't happen much sooner in time considering how Aerosmith have been active almost as long as Santana has, I guess it was only once the latter found success by collaborating with some of the biggest names of the 90's and 00's that he finally decided to add a rock legend to his roster of collaborations with this track. Indeed, this sounds like something from the golden age of 70's rock and roll which is likely why it was a hit.
#63 for 2006
This was the lead single to Guy Sebastian's third album, an album that seemed to have better luck with its singles as the second single will be making an appearance on the next list of mine as well.
#64 for 2006
This was back when Kanye West and Jay-Z were friends (boy how times have changed) as such we have them working off each other on this track while Rihanna provides them a chorus to connect their verses with each other. Jay-Z never had a hit on his own here in Australia as he always needed the assistance of someone else (usually these two or his future wife Beyonce) to make it big down under.
#68 for 2009
This is one of those breakup anthems that's impossible to take seriously, I mean she goes about getting over this guy in the most over the top way that I don't anyone would even care that she's essentially getting even on him cheating on her by robbing him blind and leaving him homeless. Audiences obviously got the humour of this track worldwide as it was a massive hit for the American RNB singer.
#66 for 2001
This was a hit for both British DJ Tim Deluxe and Irish singer Sam Obernik here in Australia but not in their native UK, I'm guessing it was due to their fellow Brits finding the production too irritating to realise this was actually a female empowerment anthem due to Sam standing up to the person who's supposedly trying to chat her up. That's honestly my assessment of the song and why I don't enjoy it despite its good intentions.
#63 for 2002
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#64 for 2002
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#65 for 2003
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#60 for 2005
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#67 for 2004
#61 for 2005
Over a decade prior to his presence on the song which single handedly introduced the world to 2010's reggaeton "Despacito," Daddy Yankee was a one hit wonder with his own reggaeton track which became a surprise worldwide success for the Latin artist likely due to how catchy it was compared to everything else on this list. You'd think that he would've thrived during the Zumba craze of the 2010's given how his music would fit into those playlists.
#65 for 2006
Technically this was the first hit that Miley Cyrus had as Miley given how her earlier entry on this list was originally released on her Hannah Montana album before it was later repackaged as her debut single from the real world. This is a song written about her ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas (of the Jonas brothers) which was reportedly inspired by 10 things I hate about you which in turn is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Taming of the shrew.
#60 for 2008
This was another popular EDM track to come from a French producer during the first stretch of the decade, here we have the one and only hit from Supermen lovers who is a sole DJ despite their stage name implying they were a group like Modjo or Daft Punk. I think this song made it big due to the video which depicted Claymation, we haven't seen one of these videos since the 80's on this site.
#67 for 2001
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#66 for 2003
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#67 for 2003
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#61 for 2006
Given the success of their earlier entry on this list worldwide, Hinder was finally able to find massive success with their album which included this second single from the band that was a hit only here in Australia and their native America. These were the only two hits that the band was able to achieve as their second album failed to become a success for them the following year when it was released.
#70 for 2007
This is the final hit that Gwen Stefani had in her career both solo and with No Doubt, heck she hasn't even had a hit since as a featured artist which should give you an indication of how far into obscurity she's fallen since her second album. At least she ended things on a high note as this third single from said album was one of the better received in her career after two singles that still divide fans to this day.
#71 for 2007
This was a tie in song to the short-lived Aussie comedy series Summer heights high, it's a show that resonated with audiences back in the day due to it being a parody of School life in Australia (specifically that of Sydney) which no doubt boosted the popularity of this song from one of the characters of the show. The show is certainly a product of its time, however it's worth a watch if you're into politically incorrect humour.
#61 for 2008
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#69 for 2009
This is the closest that Stevie Nick's "Edge of seventeen" managed to become a hit here in Australia, Stevie of course gave her blessing to Destiny's child and even appears in the music video to prove that the trio didn't steal the track from her without her consent. Here we have them inventing a new term for sexy, which of course has since been legitimised as a word in the Oxford dictionary.
#68 for 2001
This is the victory single for the second winner of Australian idol, there's not much I can say about these songs other than them making many of these winners one hit wonders here in Australia.
#67 for 2004
#60 for 2005
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#62 for 2006
From what I can gather, this second single from Leona Lewis's sophomore album was chosen for a charity known as Sports relief in her native UK, this meant that the ballad was a hit worldwide likely due to charity which allowed her to escape the one hit wonder bin her earlier entry on this list threatened to trap her in. She wouldn't have another hit in most parts of the world after this.
#62 for 2008
This was another song from P!nk's discography that was never released as a single in her native America, although this time it was released in many other parts of Europe in addition to the countries that "Leave me alone" was released in two years prior, proving that her popularity internationally had well exceeded what it ever was in her homeland. This would continue to be the case throughout the following decade for her.
#69 for 2009
Say what you will about "Take me there" by Blackstreet, at least it was an appropriate theme song to the first theatrical Rugrats film which is more than I can say about this track from the Baha men which serves as the theme song to the second theatrical film. The song is about how the group (who refer to themselves as dogs) are on the prowl for sex, and yet this was used in a kid's film which launched them into popularity.
#73 for 2000
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#70 for 2001
This was the only hit that Mary J Blige had here in Australia, although had the digital charts been incorporated into the main charts sooner than they were, she would've also had a hit later in the decade with her cover of "One" with U2. I'm not sure why it took her nine years to find success here in Australia as it's not like her brand of RNB was that different from the tracks that made it big here in the 90's.
#69 for 2001
#64 for 2002
This was a great year for artists to discover older tracks and remix them for their own songs, here we have the German group Boogie pimps taking the Jefferson airplane song of the same name and remixing its chorus for an easy worldwide hit for them. This won't be the only song on this list to find success with this formula as we'll see other entries as we go further down.
#68 for 2004
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#68 for 2004
This is the last hit that Human Nature were able to achieve in their career, this is less because their popularity faded after this song and more because this came from their final album as a boy band before they reinvented themselves as a throwback group to the likes of Motown and other music from the mid twentieth century. Indeed, their popularity wouldn't die out for another decade because of this shift in their image.
#69 for 2004
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#73 for 2000
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#74 for 2000
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#63 for 2006
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#65 for 2002
I'm not exactly sure if this song was pulled from shelves or if it just lost its popularity unusually quickly here in Australia, I guess it was the latter as it had a similar chart run over in NZ where it wasn't burdened by any tampering from the labels, but I wouldn't rule out the former either. This felt like a passing the torch moment given how Usher would explode in popularity this year whilst Diddy would fade.
#65 for 2002
The original version of this track from Bobby Brown was a massive flop here in Australia back in the late 80's, so that means this cover from Britney Spears is likely the only version we Aussies are familiar with given that it was a huge hit for her from her first greatest hits album. Aside from gender flipping some of the lyrics to refer to her younger sister, it's essentially the same song as the original.
#70 for 2004
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#75 for 2000
This was the lead single to the Corrs third album, an album which saw them branch away from their Celtic sound they had on their previous two albums in favour of more conventional adult contemporary. This paid off for them big time internationally as this was a massive worldwide success for them, however it wasn't as big here in Australia likely due to us feeling like they sold out with this track.
#74 for 2000
This is the final hit that Brandy has had anywhere in the world, mainly because it's a completely different type of song that fans were used to throughout the 90's as it's what's known as a glitch pop track due to the production sounding like it's glitching out during the song. Although it was a hit in certain parts of the world, it was the death nail in her career as her subsequent follow ups flopped.
#66 for 2002
I may have to tread lightly with this entry as there's a bit of a dark reason why Houston is a one hit wonder with this posse cut with Chingy and Nate Dogg, that's because he had a medical episode while promoting the track which resulted in him needing to be hospitalised and subsequently dropped from his label. At least it was a massive worldwide success for the rapper that promised him a bright future.
#71 for 2004
We have another double entry to appear on this site, this time it's from Anthony Callea who offered audiences a two for one deal with an original track from him along with a cover of a Simon and Garfunkel classic. It was an easy hit for the singer, and one that compelled him to come out as gay shortly after its success.
#61 for 2005
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#62 for 2005
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#67 for 2007
This seems like it was made for the club boom about twelve months prior to when it officially launched by the end of the decade, as such it wasn't as big a hit for Usher here in Australia as it was internationally where this became almost as big as his earlier entries from the decade.
#63 for 2008
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#66 for 2002
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#69 for 2004
This is the last hit that the Rogue traders achieved in their career, mainly because Natalie Bassingthwaighte would leave the group after the third single to their second album failed to become a hit for the group, suggesting she only joined them to further her singing career which in turn led to backlash against her when she released her solo album the following year.
#64 for 2008
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#58 for 2008
This was the first sign of Gwen Stefani wanting to branch out in a pop direction, or at least that's what people who dislike this song will tell you as the song which made No doubt a household name was "Just a girl" which was only slightly less pop friendly than this lead single to their third album. It features a guest verse from Jamaican rapper Bounty Killer who adds his flavour of reggae to the mix.
#67 for 2002
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#67 for 2002
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#70 for 2004
#63 for 2005
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#64 for 2005
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#64 for 2006
This was the second hit that the Young divas had here in Australia that was a cover of a song produced by Stock Aiken and Waterman back in the day and was a huge flop down under, this time they update the Lonnie Gordon classic from 1990 which I'm willing to bet was many people's introduction to the dance pop classic of that era given how popular this cover was.
#66 for 2006
#72 for 2007
This may seem a little low to my Australian readers given how inescapable this was on the radio and even to this day how often it appears in commercials, however it wasn't as big a hit as you might think likely due to some of its success being eaten up by illegal downloads as well as it being the lead single to a highly successful album from him. It was a much bigger hit in NZ where it didn't have these hinderances.
#70 for 2001
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#68 for 2002
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#65 for 2006
If you thought that "How do I deal" was a fluke hit for Jennifer Love Hewitt due to it being the theme to a film she starred in, it turns out it wasn't as she was able to score two more hits here in Australia with songs that were akin to what Avril Lavigne and Michelle Branch were releasing at the time. This was the first of those two songs which was well received here in Australia and nowhere else in the world.
#68 for 2002
It appears we Aussies were a bit amused with this fourth and final single from JT's solo debut album, not amused enough to make it a massive hit like his earlier entry on this list but amused enough to make it a hit despite it flopping everywhere else in the world except for NZ. The reason why this wasn't that big is likely due to the outro where Justin does a call and response for guys and girls listening, specifically him impersonating his female audience in the outro.
#65 for 2003
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#59 for 2008
This song was reportedly inspired by the reality series of the same name, in fact Beyonce was supposedly watching the show when she decided to theme a breakup anthem around the show which resulted in the song's creation for the album of the same name. It was a massive hit for the trio upon its initial release, in fact I'm surprised it wasn't a bigger hit here in Australia given its status as a feminist anthem.
#71 for 2001
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#60 for 2008
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#61 for 2008
Well at least these girls were back on track with this second single from their sophomore (and to date final) album, I guess this was meant to be the opposite of "Stickwitu" as this was a breakup ballad as opposed to that being about how in love with their partner they were. I would say that this was also referring to them hating the part they were irrelevant except they had two more hits the following year before that happened.
#65 for 2008
Much like the album cycle for I'm not dead, this title track from Funhouse also got pushed back as the fifth single here in Australia in order for P!nk's earlier entry on this list to be released as the fourth single which proved to be the right move as both of these songs were massive hits in the southern hemisphere as well as in certain parts of Europe just like "Leave me alone" and "Dear Mr President" was two years prior.
#70 for 2009
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#69 for 2002
This was the last hit that Bardot were able to achieve in their short time together, mainly because the main star of the group Sophie Monk wanted to embark on a solo career following the departure of one of their other members during the production of their second album. While Sophie did achieve moderate success on her own with her solo album, it didn't reach the success she had with her group.
#72 for 2001
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#70 for 2002
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#68 for 2003
Following the massive success she had with her sophomore album, Kasey Chambers decided to hold fans over between that and her third album by releasing this cover of the Cyndi Lauper classic from the 80's which proved to be a massive hit for the Australian country singer upon its immediate release.
#66 for 2003
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#69 for 2003
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#71 for 2004
The Wrights were a supergroup consisting of members of bands and artists that were some of the biggest names in Australian music during the 00's, here they cover the Stevie Wright classic for its thirtieth anniversary (they were a little late when they released it as a single) which was promoted for charity and thus became a success as a result.
#62 for 2005
This was the second single to come from Christina Aguilera's Back to basics, it's a standards ballad that harkens back to the days of Vera Lynn that wasn't as appealing to audiences this year as her earlier entry on this list. It was a decent success for her, however the big hit off the album wouldn't come until the third single which was more of an Andrews sisters' tribute.
#67 for 2006
This arrived a little late to the party here in Australia given how it was already a huge hit for Sean Kingston months prior in NZ and his native America, however it did eventually find success here likely due to the popularity of his debut single "Beautiful girls." He would have one more hit down under with Justin Bieber on "Eeenie meenie" before fading into obscurity worldwide.
#73 for 2007
#66 for 2008
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#70 for 2009
Given how this was coming from not one but two of the biggest albums of the decade, you'd think that this collaboration would've been more inescapable back in the day given how it was a song about protecting the children of the world from two former teen idols. I can't even say if this song's success came from Kylie's fans or Robbie's as neither fanbase seems to be that fond of the collaboration.
#75 for 2000
#73 for 2001
This was the other big hit that Ashlee Simpson managed to score from her sophomore album, again it was only a success here in Australia which suggests that only we Aussies were able to overlook the SNL blunder she made back in 2004 when she released said album. The success she had down under likely convinced her to make a third album later in the decade, although that was a flop even here when it released.
#68 for 2006
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#62 for 2008
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#63 for 2008
This was the only hit to come from Leah Haywood, a rising star in the Australian music scene who curiously called it quits after just one album likely due to her feeling that she couldn't adapt with the times after said album underperformed on our charts. Indeed, this feels like it was only a hit due to the success that Mandy Moore and Jessica Simpson had this year with their ballads being similar to this one.
#76 for 2000
This was the second single from Bomfunk MC to make it big worldwide, it's more or less like their earlier entry on this list only without the bizarre music video or the shout out to Smokie that the radio somehow missed had an f-bomb in. There's not much I can say about this song, it was a hit for the band that didn't lead them to have any further success.
#77 for 2000
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#76 for 2000
This is the final hit that Janet Jackson scored in her career worldwide, mainly because she would find herself getting cancelled at the 2004 Superbowl for her wardrobe malfunction despite the fact that Justin Timberlake was the reason for why the world got a peak at her breasts that night. She hasn't made any comment about how she feels about that night, although I doubt she has positive feelings towards the N sync member.
#74 for 2001
This was the solo debut single for Justin Timberlake following the demise of his band N sync earlier in the year, it was meant to showcase him as a more mature pop star than his time as a boy band member which is perhaps why it was an instant success for him worldwide upon its initial release. Nowadays it's been overshadowed by the other three singles from the album due to them being more interesting.
#69 for 2002
Well, I did warn you that this song would be much lower on this list than you'd think, once again you can thank Sony for this blunder who not only delayed this song's release by a month, but also had the audacity to pull it from shelves two months after it did come out. I'll go into details with these songs that suffered this sort of fate when I get around to the NZ side of these lists.
#72 for 2004
While this wasn't the debut single to come from Ricki Lee (we'll get to that in a bit) it was the song that confirmed the Australian idol contestant from season two that she was the real deal despite being eliminated early on that season. Indeed, she was a fan favourite for that season which makes her early elimination that much more shocking at the time and especially in retrospect.
#63 for 2005
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#66 for 2006
This was both the lead single to Linkin Park's third album Minutes to midnight as well as the theme song to the first Transformers film, it also serves as the turning point with their sound as they moved on from nu metal into alternative rock which would only last for the remainder of the decade before they changed their sound again in 2010. It seems weird that they would recycle this song for "New divide" later in the decade.
#74 for 2007
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#77 for 2000
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#71 for 2002
This was originally the B-side to Elvis's hit single "Don't cry daddy" from 1970, there it was a big hit here in Australia and in most parts of the world given that it was the first song he released after the success of "Suspicious minds." British DJ Paul Oakenfold decided to remix the track where it became a big success for the king of rock and roll posthumously just like "A little less conversation" the previous year.
#67 for 2003
It's a bit weird that "Me myself and I" flopped here in Australia and yet this sex jam from Beyonce's debut album was a hit, then again, I don't remember hearing the third single from the album much back in the day and yet remember this being inescapable. This samples "Love to love you" by Donna Summer and has an added flavour of middle eastern music to give it that erotic sound she was going for.
#73 for 2004
(THIS IS THE ARIA ENTRY)
#72 for 2004
This was the last hit that Destiny's child was able to achieve in their career internationally, although they had one more hit on Billboard with "Cater 2 u" which is the opposite of what Beyonce would become known for throughout her solo career. Indeed, most of their catalogue saw a more lovestruck side of Beyonce and company which she would distance herself from the further into her solo career she got.
#64 for 2005
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#68 for 2007
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#64 for 2008
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#78 for 2000
#71 for 2001
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