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.
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#27 for 2006
Although she's appeared in many Disney products over the years, it turns out Mandy Moore was never a product of Disney herself and was instead a child star who scored massive success starting out with her debut single that she's long since distanced herself from due to it sounding like something that would come out of the Disney machine at the time. Indeed, it turns out that much like Hanson, her later music would become more respectable as she got older.
#18 for 2000
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#24 for 2000
This was the final hit that S club 7 managed to score outside their native UK, it was hailed as their "coolest yet" thanks to it having a rap verse during a time where a rap verse from a non-rapper was still considered a selling point. The song is also known as the band's one and only foray into disco as they were clearly cashing in on 70's nostalgia on this track the same way their other hits were cashing in on 50's nostalgia.
#24 for 2001
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#19 for 2005
Following the staggering success he had with Matchbox 20, Rob Thomas decided to embark on a solo career which began with the lead single to his solo album that was a massive worldwide success for him. Unlike most lead singers of popular bands in this vein, there's a distinct difference between his solo material and his work with Matchbox 20 which means that there was a vision he had that differed from his band.
#21 for 2005
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#36 for 2007
This was the second single from Avril Lavigne's third album, it's a ballad that wouldn't sound out of place on her first two albums which suggests she released it to reassure her older fans that not everything on the album would be like her earlier entry on this list. It was a massive hit for her here in Australia and in certain parts of the world, although other parts wanted her to stick to her new direction.
#31 for 2007
File this in an ever-growing list of songs that became a success for the band in question right before they decided to call it quits, these guys were an American group who scored their one and only hit months prior to throwing in the towel after thirteen years of failure making this a bittersweet success for the band in question. I know in Australia this became a success due to its presence in ads and movie trailers.
#31 for 2008
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#32 for 2009
This was one of only two hit singles this sister duo managed to achieve in Australia, although it's easy to see why this succeeded given how it's an affectionate track about how they'll always be there for each other. Unfortunately for them, their legacy has since been overshadowed by another duo from Australia comprising of twin sisters that since went on to have massive international success, that of course being the Veronicas.
#19 for 2000
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#23 for 2001
Even though she had a bunch of hits with Ja Rule of all people (curious because she was going out with Nelly during the height of her career) this was her only hit as a lead artist here in Australia likely because of her voice juxtaposing nicely with the production in a way that really stood out from the competition back in the day. It was an even bigger hit in her native America where it topped the Billboard charts.
#23 for 2002
This had a bit of a climb to its success here in Australia, mainly because we Aussies didn't seem to have much love for British artists this decade, although at least we had more love for them than America where they had close to no success on Billboard. Liberty X were the runners up on the first season of Popstars UK, meaning they were more popular here than the winners Hear'say who never charted here.
#24 for 2002
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#26 for 2002
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#21 for 2004
#20 for 2005
Well, this is a song that's sparked a bunch of controversy since its initial release, mainly because it details Rihanna in what appears to be a perfect relationship with someone and yet she still feels the need to cheat on him and yet realises that her admitting this to him would be devastating to him which leaves her conflicted in what she needs to do. I guess this dilemma connected with audiences back in the day to make it a hit.
#28 for 2006
This is the only other entry that Kanye West will be making as a lead artist on the Australian side of my site, although he'll certainly have more of a presence on the NZ side and he did admittedly rack up a bunch of hits here as a featured artist on other people's songs. Here he scores his biggest hit down under likely due to the song sampling Daft punk's "Harder better faster stronger" for his empowerment anthem.
#32 for 2007
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#25 for 2000
#24 for 2001
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#27 for 2002
It looks like 2pac was still able to find success in the mainstream nine years after his death as Eminem decided to take one of his previously unreleased songs and pair it with "Indian sunset" by Elton John which helped it become the rappers biggest hit here in Australia as well as getting him out of the one hit wonder bin that "California love" had trapped him in months prior to his untimely demise.
#22 for 2005
We've now entered a new decade where we have these guys making it big worldwide thanks to their kid friendly dance pop as well as their TV show which was taking the world by storm. With all of this success, you'd think that they would have massive crossover appeal in America, aside from a ballad that didn't even chart here, you'd be wrong with that assessment.
#20 for 2000
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#26 for 2000
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#28 for 2002
We looked at their previous collaboration on the 2004 list, so now let's look at the second collaboration between Baby Bash and Frankie J only with their roles reversed on this track as Baby Bash is now playing second fiddle to the RNB singer for his one and only hit internationally. I mean it when I say that their roles were reversed as this is essentially the same song as "Suga suga" when it comes to the subject matter.
#23 for 2005
This is a song that feels like it was meant for BEP but Will I am instead gave to the Pussycat dolls given how it sounded too similar to "My humps" (at least conceptually) to be included on Monkey business, that would explain why he provides a guest verse on here and why there's that refrain that sounds like a prototype to "Boom boom pow" from later in the decade. It was another easy hit for the girls, proving they were on a roll this year.
#29 for 2006
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#25 for 2001
This is a song that reminds me of "Antmusic" from over two decades prior, mainly because it was a song boasting about how awesome the act in question was and how they were going to shape the culture of the music industry only to turn out to be a flash in the pan in the long run. In this case it's the British RNB group Big brovaz who did indeed make a huge splash with this track and two other songs much like Adam and the Ants did in the 80's.
#24 for 2003
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#23 for 2003
In case you were wondering, this is indeed a remix of a track from R Kelly's album Chocolate factory that he released due to the song having some of the stranger lyrics in his catalogue. Somehow, the troubled RNB singer (I won't go into why that is on this site) is a two-hit wonder here in Australia with this remix and one other song on this list as none of his other songs managed to become a hit like they did internationally.
#25 for 2003
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#28 for 2006
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#37 for 2007
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#22 for 2004
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#29 for 2006
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#32 for 2008
This gospel track from the sister duo Mary Mary was a massive flop in their native America, I'm not sure why as it was a massive hit for them everywhere else in the world including here in Australia where gospel music usually doesn't do so well as evidence by the absence of Mary J Blige on this site. For what it's worth, we Aussies were much more receptive to musicians of colour going forward in the 00's.
#21 for 2000
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
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#33 for 2008
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#27 for 2000
#26 for 2001
"Let's get married" was originally released the previous year to deafening silence here in Australia, however it was a moderate success in Jagged Edge's native America due to it being an RNB ballad in the vein of a Boyz II men track from the 90's. It was remixed and rereleased with "Promise" this year where it became an even bigger hit down under than it was in their homeland.
#25 for 2001
If my American readers are confused as to where this song came from, that's because it wasn't released as a single over there as "Clap back" was released instead which was a massive flop for the rapper worldwide. This was a massive hit here in Australia which goes to show how much we Aussies loved him back in the day, although that love wouldn't last much longer thanks to his beef with 50 cent.
#26 for 2003
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#24 for 2003
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
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#34 for 2008
#33 for 2009
Here we have another song from Taylor Swift that seems inoffensive enough, sure you can say the lyrics are problematic, however there's been plenty of songs with this premise over the years and I've found that people have taken everything in media way too seriously as of late. It was a massive hit for her likely due to the video which depicts the situation she describes in the lyrics.
#33 for 2009
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#34 for 2009
Well, this is certainly something different from Alecea Moore AKA P!nk, she would become known as a pop rock chick as early as her second album and yet here we are with her second single from an album which is more in the RNB genre. Although I and many others still have love for her early work, she's since disowned her debut album as she admitted to being forced to make it by her management.
#22 for 2000
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#27 for 2001
This was one of two tracks to be included on the deluxe edition of Sophie's debut album, it was a massive success around the world likely due to the bizarre music video where she pays homage to the film Mannequin by portraying herself as one. It could also be due to the message of perseverance in the lyrics as while she's not over the breakup she's going through, she assures the listener that she will be.
#26 for 2002
This is where it all started for Rihanna, although you wouldn't be able to tell that she would become one of the most inescapable artists of the next decade given how this was the type of club banger that many of her contemporaries would have a hit with before fading into obscurity shortly after its success. Indeed, she would evolve from this sound whilst still keeping her commanding presence she provides on here.
#25 for 2005
This was the fifth hit in a row that Fergie achieved from the Dutchess, I think this is about how she feels like she's clumsy given how I've heard this song hundreds of times back in the day and could never made out what she was saying. I think the song was a hit for the music video which seems to depict her as part of a popup book which audiences found amusing back in the day.
#33 for 2007
#32 for 2008
This was the second of only three hits that Ne-yo managed to achieve here in Australia, likely because of how catchy the song is compared to most of his other tracks which were RNB ballads. He of course had much more success over in NZ and especially his native America, and to be fair he did have other hits here as a featured artist for the likes of Pitbull and Rihanna.
#33 for 2008
Well, who needs to come in first place on a reality show to find success in the mainstream of music anyway? Here we have Paulini who came in third place on the first season of Australian idol and was able to score a massive hit with her cover of a Jeff Healy ballad from the late 80's which was far more successful here than the original was anywhere in the world combined.
#23 for 2004
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#23 for 2004
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#21 for 2005
#30 for 2006
It seems weird that these guys had struggled for mainstream success earlier in the decade given how often I still hear songs from their debut album to this day, I guess if we had of tracked the digital downloads of those songs then we could have a better representation of how well they did back then. Oh well, we at least have this lead single to the band's second album to represent their music on this list.
#34 for 2007
This was a bit of a mini comeback for Lady gaga from her debut album as it was the first song of hers to have an accompanying music video which went on to overshadow the song itself, in this case it was due to her going over the top with the visuals as she went out of her way to depict the paparazzi as both glamourous and villainous as she could possibly get away with which connected with audiences.
#34 for 2009
There didn't seem to be any signs of Usher's popularity slowing down here in Australia or anywhere else in the world as he scored the biggest hit of his career (at this point at least) I guess it was because RNB was at the height of its popularity and that Usher had fully matured into an adult by the time he released this and his album 8701. Of course, his biggest hits were still to come much later in his career.
#27 for 2002
This was the first of a string of hits that Ja Rule managed to achieve here in Australia, I think it's due to him having a bunch of features on his songs (in this case RNB singer Case) who usually bring him a catchy chorus to connect his verses with. In this sense, he was the predecessor to Flo Rida as that's exactly what the follow east coast rapper did once the hits for this guy dried up.
#28 for 2002
It seemed like Kelly Rowland would be yesterday's news following the demise of Destiny's child three years prior, although it turns out she was simply biding her time as she knew that releasing her second solo album before or while Beyonce's own album was out would've meant it would be overshadowed by her former band mate. Here she is with the second single from said album which was a massive hit for her.
#34 for 2008
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#22 for 2005
#31 for 2006
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#23 for 2005
#32 for 2006
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#33 for 2006
#38 for 2007
So, we all remember "Bitch" from Meredith Brooks, right? Well Australian comedian Chris Franklin decided to release a version of that song from the perspective of an Australian bloke which became such a success for him that it even out charted the original on our charts. Naturally this was a song that only we Aussies would find any appeal from, which means it was never released internationally.
#23 for 2000
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#24 for 2005
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#34 for 2006
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#35 for 2008
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#35 for 2009
Although this can easily be seen as a typical breakup song (which is highly unusual coming from a boy band) this was actually a diss track towards the group's former manager who had screwed them over with their royalties during the early phase of their career. Although they had a big hit here in Australia the previous year with "I want you back," this was the song that finally put them in the league of the boy band wars here.
#24 for 2000
This was one of only two hits that Darren Hayes had as a solo artist here in Australia, the other was "Popular" two years later which wasn't nearly as successful as this was for him. While it was unclear at the time why he chose to embark on a solo career during the height of Savage garden's popularity, it was later revealed that it was because he realised he was gay and that he needed to establish his own identity.
#29 for 2002
Oh, wow do I remember hearing this nonstop in every commercial at the time of its release, I'm guessing this is how it managed to become such a huge hit for the Potbelleez as the Australian indie band didn't have much support from Triple J at the time which is odd because you'd think the station would promote their music. This was big enough to gain minor success over in NZ shortly after it stormed our charts.
#35 for 2007
#35 for 2008
This was where it all began for Alecea Moore, even during her RNB phase she was all about female empowerment as her debut single was about her calling out her partners bad behaviour and how she wasn't going to tolerate it. Naturally it was a massive worldwide hit for her as female empowerment anthems were commonly accepted in the mainstream by this point in time.
#25 for 2000
Given how inescapably popular Usher was quickly becoming throughout the world, it only makes sense there would be a British equivalent which came in the form of Craig David. This was his second single from his debut album and by far the biggest on said album here in Australia, mainly because it has a gimmick of detailing his sexual escapades on each day of the week hence the name of the song.
#27 for 2000
#26 for 2001
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#29 for 2002
For a little while, this was my favourite hip hop track, this didn't last long as I quickly discovered the Eminem show shortly after, but I feel that if you found Eminem too problematic with his subject matter, then Nelly was a decent alternative as he was a good rapper without coming off as corny. Audiences worldwide agreed as this lead single to Nellyville was a massive hit for him due to being a club banger.
#30 for 2002
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#30 for 2002
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#25 for 2003
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#36 for 2008
This was the last hit that Beyonce had from her I am Sasha fierce album, it's also one of the last songs she had a hit with that is a love song as she had become a full feminist by this point in her career to appeal to the rising fourth wave of the moment. Even though it was a massive hit internationally, it wasn't as big in her native America likely due to it feeling out of place with her new brand.
#35 for 2009
There were no signs of these girls slowing down in the music industry as their second single managed to become a massive worldwide hit for them, this time it's with one of their ballads which showcases a more restrained side of them which I'm sure also titillated their audiences the same was as their other songs did.
#26 for 2005
#30 for 2006
This was the first of two singles to be released from the deluxe edition of Chris Brown's second album Exclusive, an album that already did quite well here in Australia (a rarity for an RNB album here) but received a boost in popularity with this edition. It was also one of the last hits he had before he would have his public persona drastically altered due to an incident involving his then girlfriend Rihanna.
#36 for 2008
This was the other big hit that Rihanna had from the deluxe edition of Good girl gone bad, it has a horror element to it likely to compliment the music video which seems to have been inspired by the industrial rock of the 90's. This would be the last hit that she would have before she would have a major falling out with Chris Brown over something that I won't get into on this list.
#37 for 2008
From what I can gather, JoJo was the first artist born in the 90's to have a hit single anywhere in the world, that's impressive considering this is a song about a teenager essentially telling her partner to get out of her life for misleading her in the relationship in one of the cleverest ways possible. She does this by initially making this about how in love she is with them only to quickly turn it into her breaking up with them.
#24 for 2004
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
This was the sixth consecutive chart topper that Delta Goodrem had here in Australia, I'm guessing the backlash she received at the time was what Mariah Carey went through in her native America in the early 90's given how it seemed like everything she released went straight to number one on Billboard at the time. In this case, it makes sense as it was the lead single to her second album Mistaken identity.
#25 for 2004
This took its sweet time in finding success here in Australia, this is because it wasn't promoted on our digital stores until the start of this year despite coming from an album that was released in 2005 (much like the previous entry.) In any case, we have this second single from the Fray which is about the narrator coming to grips with him losing a friend to depression and how he could've prevented that from happening.
#37 for 2007
This was one of only two hits that 3 Doors down managed to achieve in Australia, the other was "Here without you" three years later which was a much more serious ballad compared to this pop rock classic which is all about the camp factor as evidence by the stupidly amazing video. It had a bit of a delay to its success here as it was already a moderate success in NZ the previous year for the band.
#27 for 2001
This is the first of two entries to come from Spanish DJ Sammy who took two tracks from 1985 specifically and made them into dance tracks for the (then) modern generation. Here he scoops up the Bryan Adams track which was already described as one of the cheesiest ballads of the 80's and turns it into a dance track which connected with audiences around the world including in America.
#31 for 2002
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#26 for 2003
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#25 for 2005
This was the third big hit in a row that P!nk was able to score here in Australia, this time it's with a song that's about how she's out with her friends and is getting hit on by a guy that she's clearly not interested in and how she handles the situation. If this sounds familiar to anyone, that's because this very premise was used by Meghan Trainor a decade later with her hit single "No" and was widely ridiculed for how poorly she copied this track.
#32 for 2006
#38 for 2007
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#39 for 2007
#37 for 2008
I think this is the first song to become a hit by sampling an internet meme, in this case we have T.I sample "Dragostea din teï" from O-zone while also bringing Rihanna along to make sure the song doesn't sound too ridiculous to mainstream audiences of the day. It was a massive hit for the rapper likely due to the lyrics being about staying true to who you are which is an increasingly common theme in music.
#38 for 2008
#36 for 2009
This was meant to be the middle ground between P!nk's earlier material and her second album given how it's a hybrid of a pop rock jam and an RNB joint to bridge her early fans with the music she wanted to make. It paid off for her as the rest of her career saw her moving in a rock direction to the point where her first album feels like a complete black sheep from the rest of her catalogue.
#28 for 2001
#32 for 2002
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#31 for 2002
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#24 for 2004
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#40 for 2007
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#41 for 2007
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#28 for 2000
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#27 for 2003
