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 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 2007
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#1 for 2009
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#1 for 2006
#1 for 2007
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
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#2 for 2006
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#2 for 2009
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#1 for 2008
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#3 for 2009
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#2 for 2008
#4 for 2009
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#1 for 2003
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#1 for 2000
#1 for 2001
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
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 2001
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
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
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#3 for 2006
#2 for 2007
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#3 for 2007
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
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
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#3 for 2008
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
#4 for 2009
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
#2 for 2007
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
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#5 for 2009
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#6 for 2009
Well, here's a nostalgia bomb for everyone who grew up during the late 90's, we have the breakthrough single for the Italian trio Eiffel 65 as well as one of the first hit singles to incorporate egregious usage of autotune which even at the time seems to have driven people up the wall. Then there's the strange music video complete with the awful CGI used for the aliens.
#2 for 2000
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#4 for 2008
#7 for 2009
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#5 for 2008
#8 for 2009
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#2 for 2003
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#4 for 2007
#6 for 2008
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#7 for 2008
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
#5 for 2009
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#2 for 2000
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
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
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
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#8 for 2008
#9 for 2009
It had been two decades of silence from Santana when they released this lead single to their comeback album Supernatural this year, it's hard to say if the album would've been a success without this track given that many people attribute this as a Rob Thomas solo project more than a Santana track with Rob's vocals on it. What I do know is that it made both Santana and Matchbox 20 international superstars.
#3 for 2000
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#4 for 2006
#5 for 2007
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#1 for 2002
#3 for 2003
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
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#9 for 2008
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
#8 for 2009
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
#9 for 2009
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#10 for 2009
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#5 for 2006
#6 for 2007
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
#7 for 2008
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
We already looked at the EDM version of this track in my 1995 list, so now let's look at the most popular version of this Alphaville track in the southern hemisphere from the Australian band Youth group which took the music scene by storm thanks largely due to its music video which pays homage to the home videos people used to make throughout the twentieth century.
#4 for 2006
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
This was the last hit single that Christina Aguilera achieved as a lead artist, even then it was a massive flop in the UK and her native America likely due to the Brits and her fellow Americans not taking to her third album as much as we Aussies and kiwis did back in the day. I guess this does achieve the goal of sounding like it was made for the troops coming home from WWII from the 40's.
#5 for 2007
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#6 for 2006
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#7 for 2007
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#8 for 2007
#10 for 2008
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 2007
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#7 for 2006
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
#3 for 2003
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#8 for 2006
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#9 for 2006
#9 for 2007
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#10 for 2006
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#3 for 2000
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#1 for 2005
There were no signs of Lady Gaga slowing down exiting the 00's given how this lead single to her E.P The fame monster managed to be a huge success for her worldwide, it was a sign that she would be the biggest pop star of the 2010's much like her obvious influence Madonna was throughout the 80's and 90's.
#10 for 2009
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#11 for 2006
It really does pain me to admit that the original version of this track from Donna Summer was a complete flop here in Australia as it remains one of her best songs in her catalogue, I guess this cover from four of the more popular female contestants from Australian idol becoming one of the biggest hits of the decade was meant to be a consolation for that song being a flop.
#6 for 2006
For whatever reason, Alicia Key's second album was a complete dud outside of her native America, I'm guessing this was due to the existence of the bootleg remix of "Karma" known as "Karmastition" which I vividly remember playing on the radio in lieu of anything from the album back in the day. Fortunately, her third album was able to spawn a massive hit with its lead single which restored her popularity worldwide.
#7 for 2007
#9 for 2008
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#10 for 2007
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
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#11 for 2008
#11 for 2009
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
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
Now if I were going by the ARIA charts, this song would be much lower on this list as this lead single to Beyonce's first (and to date only) album as her alter ego Sasha Fierce wasn't nearly as successful here in Australia according to those charts, however I'm using the AMR charts for these rankings where this was bundle with "Single ladies" which allowed both songs to be a massive success here as a result.
#10 for 2008
#11 for 2009
It looks like Santana was able to get in one more big hit in the new millennium before they were once again relegated to a legacy act, here they recruit Chad Kroeger of all people who managed to give them their second biggest hit in their career (behind "Smooth" with Rob Thomas of course) proving how much the general public loved him and Nickelback before the internet told them not to love them anymore.
#8 for 2007
#11 for 2008
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
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#4 for 2003
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
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
While this wasn't the debut single from Vanessa Amorosi (that honour goes to "Have a look") it was the song which made her a household name given how it was considered to be the unofficial anthem for the 2000 Sydney Olympics with how inescapable it was upon its initial release. This resulted in the song being a huge success over in NZ and even sparked interest for Vanessa throughout Europe.
#4 for 2000
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
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#2 for 2002
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#12 for 2006
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
#3 for 2001
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#3 for 2002
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#2 for 2005
#13 for 2006
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#11 for 2007
#12 for 2008
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#4 for 2000
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#12 for 2009
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#14 for 2006
#12 for 2007
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#13 for 2008
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
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
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
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
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
#3 for 2002
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#5 for 2000
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
#14 for 2008
One of the catchiest female empowerment anthems to ever be released, this debut single from Madison Avenue created plenty of international success, so much so that it managed to top both the NZ and UK charts despite it getting stuck behind Eiffel 65's entry from earlier on this list here in Australia. Sadly, the duo ruined their good will at the 2000 ARIA awards when Cheyne Coates appeared to be intoxicated while performing on stage.
#7 for 2000
This is the last hit that Jessica Simpson had in her career, mainly because this cover of the Nancy Sinatra classic serves as the theme song to the theatrical adaptation of the Dukes of hazard which was a critical failure due to its outdated depictions of the redneck culture. She happens to star in the film as Daisy Duke which earned her a Razzie for worst actress due to how bad her performance was.
#3 for 2005
#12 for 2006
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
#11 for 2007
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
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