The 100 Best Songs of 2005: Staff Picks

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 70

In 2005, Apple’s iPod marketing was at its zenith, with the ability to take songs from obscure to omnipresent with relative ease – like this ultra-catchy 2002 single from Swedish one-hit wonders Caesars, which soundtracked video games and commercials but became an alt-rock smash after it was featured in a 2005 ad for the iPod Shuffle. (And its sync status remains formidable: Just check out the recent trailer for the new SpongeBob flick Plankton: The Movie.) — ERIC RENNER BROWN

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 13

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 64

When BSB returned with Never Gone in 2005, they did so as Backstreet Men: the group’s first album in five years arrived long after the teenybopper bubble had burst, and the album artwork depicted each member wearing a rumpled black suit and stricken facial expression. “Incomplete,” the group’s last top 20 Hot 100 hit, translated that all-grown-up energy into somber balladry — but the song features the same level of pop craft as their uptempo smashes, its halting piano line eventually blooming into orchestral devastation and five voices woven together in heartbroken harmony. — JASON LIPSHUTZ

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 71

Martin Gore once described the Playing the Angel lead single as “commercial,” but really, it was just relatable. The musician revealed the song, which he penned during his divorce, was about what his kids “must be going through.” And with lyrics such as “We always tried to share/ The tenderest of care/ Now look what we have put you through” combined with the gravity of Dave Gahan’s perfect baritone, the track captures what countless people have gone and will go through – making it yet another timeless hit from the band. — ANNA CHAN

Though Babasónicos has no U.S. Billboard chart presence, there’s no denying that the Argentine band became a staple in the Rock en Español movement in the early 2000s with its psychedelic rock sound. “Carismático,” the first single off of the group’s eighth studio album Anoche, is a testament to that. With riveting guitar riffs, giddy drumbeats, and sugary vocals, Babasónico’s uptempo rock tune backs the story of a man who has to fake a charismatic personality. “I have to learn to pretend more/ And not show what I feel,” goes the catchy chorus. — JESSICA ROIZ

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 31

Bentley uses his gruff, husky voice to alluring effect on the first single from his second album, Modern Day Drifter, displaying a previously hidden sultriness on this sexy ballad, which harks back to classic bedroom country fare à la Conway Twitty with the come-on line, “Come a little closer, baby, I feel like laying you down.” Twenty years later, the song — which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart — holds up as one of Bentley’s most seductive tunes. — MELINDA NEWMAN

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 20

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 55

One of the more underrated hits from a huge year for hip-hop, Trick Daddy’s “Sugar (Gimme Some)” rode a slippery Talking Heads interpolation via a syrupy Cee Lo Green hook and proved just as intoxicating as the previous year’s aggro’d-up “Let’s Go” was adrenalizing. A guest verse from a still-untouchable Ludacris ensured the song would be a radio hit, but an added Lil Kim verse put the cherry on top for the video version, playing the female Mr. Softee and quoting 69 Boyz’ similarly glucose-heavy hit from a decade earlier. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 4

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 44

What happens when you pair an unknown Senegalese-American’s smooth, melodic vocals with an ingenious sample from a 1964 pop hit? The breakthrough of a next-gen star by the name of Akon. Featured on the singer-rapper’s debut album Trouble, the track opens with a sped-up version of ’60s teen idol Bobby Vinton singing the chorus from his No. 1 single “Mr. Lonely.” It’s then threaded throughout, further underscoring Akon’s own plaintive ruminations about having “nobody for my own.” Akon’s Hot 100 top-five commercial breakthrough helped set the stage for African music’s global impact. Meanwhile, the song’s popularity endures: in 2023 the “Lonely” video joined YouTube’s Billion Views Club. — GAIL MITCHELL

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 31

The very second Lil’ Kim slides right onto Scott Storch’s appropriately reggae-tinged beat announcing, “I come from Bed-Stuy/ Where n—as either do or they gon’ die,” there is literally no other option but to stand at attention. The Brooklyn rap queen’s 2005 single – an eternal anthem for the thoroughest borough of NYC – is a helpful guide for how to conduct yourself while in Kings County. Do “keep the ratchet close by,” don’t cross the Brooklyn Bridge without a pass, etc. With three excellently written and delivered verses that encapsulate the multilingual and multicultural melting pot that is New York – and specifically BK – “Lighters Up” is a gorgeous tribute to the borough pre-gentrification era. — KYLE DENIS

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 100

One of two new songs from Britney Spears’ first greatest hits comp (the other was a cover of Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative,” a song that could have been written for her), “Do Somethin’” is a slammin’ slice of electroclash from the still-reigning pop princess and producers Bloodshy & Avant. Not a big hit (it peaked at No. 100 on the Hot 100), the song’s echoes still ended up reverberating in everything from early Kesha (“Dinosaur”) to recent Lady Gaga (“Garden of Eden”). — JOE LYNCH

At the height of the Bush era, a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution would have defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman, so Gossip decided to write the president a very catchy letter. “Standing in the Way of Control” is pure, unadulterated punk rebellion, as lead singer Beth Ditto takes the administration to task for trying to strip a whole community of their rights. The sad fact that its lyrics still apply today only makes this rallying anthem that much more potent 20 years later. — STEPHEN DAW

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 22

Who needs a boyfriend when you have your girls? That’s the energy Simpson brought to her carefree ode to a night out with her besties as she captured the real meaning of L-O-V-E, spelling the word multiple times (16, to be exact) over a thumping pop beat. The track, which got a boost thanks to a braggadocious remix from Missy Elliott, made its way up to No. 22 on the Hot 100, one of Simpson’s three top 40 hits on the chart. — RANIA ANIFTOS

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 95

In its single edit, “The Widow” is a potent, pained prog-rock punch carried by Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s haunted, octave-spanning wail, with a trumpet solo from RHCP’s Flea to boot (it also became a top 10 Alternative Airplay hit for the band and their sole Hot 100 entry). “The Widow” is also a tribute to late bandmate Jeremy Ward, who served as “sound manipulator” on their debut album before dying of an apparent drug overdose in 2003; the album version, which goes on another two-and-a-half minutes, extends into a trippy cauldron of electric organ and looped electronics in homage to his skill set. — J. Lynch

Such an obvious successor to the Geto Boys’ “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” that Philly’s finest had to actually put a lyrical callback to it in the second verse, Beanie Sigel’s “Feel It in the Air” is a paranoia-rap classic, a walls-closing-in confessional where you can feel the sweat dripping from the rapper’s brow. But like its Big Easy-birthed predecessor, “Feel It” understands that anxiety anthems hit hardest with a little soul, hence the piercing Melissa Jay chorus and moaning Raphael Ravenscroft-lifted sax that give the song the heft of an early-’70s Marvin Gaye or Bobby Womack street-life dispatch. — A.U.

In the original version by Swedish electro-pop duo Röyksopp, “What Else Is There?” is still plenty cinematic, a brooding-but-buoyant mini-drama of evocative storytelling and pulse-racing synths. But the remix from the Thin White Duke — a.k.a. dance-pop remixer extarordinaire Jacques Lu Cont, a.k.a. mid-’00s Madonna producer Stuart Price — sends the song skyward, creating an entire fireworks display out of a gorgeous guitar loop and an increasingly entranced-sounding Karin Dreijer (guest vocalist and The Knife frontwoman) raving over and over again: “And then flashlights… and explosions…” — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 6

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 88

One of the most 2005 things about this track is its extensive radio edit: Originally about marijuana, the Jamaican dancehall icon changed the “trees” lyric to “gees,” transforming the song into another tribute to the ladies. Though “Temperature” would eventually eclipse it, “Burnin” — one of several solo dancehall smashes from Paul during this era – defined just how enamored the States continued to be with reggae’s younger cousin. Although both versions are great, “just gimme the trees and we can smoke it, yeah” rightfully survived as the track’s definitive lyric – one memorably interpolated by Tinashe a decade later — another win for dancehall’s unruly underbelly. — K.D.

Gucci’s gleaming debut alongside friend-turned-enemy-turned-rival Jeezy may be one of the most consequential hip-hop singles of the past 20 years, given the lineage that would emerge from his influence, not to mention the introduction of producer Zaytoven to the scene. If OutKast had already told the world the South had something to say, Gucci and Jeezy would take that form to new heights starting with this irresistible teamup, and ultimately help introduce the world to the likes of Future, Young Thug, Migos and so many more. — DAN RYS

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 88

The only Queens of the Stone Age song to hit the Hot 100 besides 2002’s “No One Knows,” “Little Sister” takes its predecessor’s pummeling hard-rock riffage and marries it with the catchiest earworm of the band’s storied career. The product proved irresistible – including for Will Ferrell, who reprised his “More cowbell!” character to bang along with the band when it performed the single on an episode of Saturday Night Live Ferrell was hosting. — E.R.B.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 66

After two albums of serious singer/songwriter tracks, Jack Johnson delivered some of the dreamiest pop songs of 2005 with his third set In Between Dreams. For the album’s first single “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing,” Johnson slipped off his sandals, rolled up those boot cut jeans and let the fans wade into the lighter side of his charm. The track dives into the universal theme of unrequited love as Johnson whimsically sings over acoustic guitar, “I’m just a fool/ Learning loving somebody don’t make them love you.” — TAYLOR MIMS

“Gasolina” is unequivocally the standout single from DY’s groundbreaking Barrio Fino, but “Lo Que Pasó, Pasó” is nearly as noteworthy. The infectious mambo-tinged reggaetón track showcased just how nuanced música urbana could be, with Yankee giving the genre a Caribbean sound for a tropical explosion. The song’s lyrics are also ultra relatable: an ex trying to get back with you when that relationship is a thing of the past; “what happened, happened,” the hitmaker sings. — GRISELDA FLORES

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 6

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 22

It didn’t quite turn Rob Thomas into the Hot AC version of Justin Timberlake, but not for a lack of trying: “Lonely No More” saw Thomas going as hard as he possibly could in trying to be a one-man Maroon 5. You couldn’t tell whether he was trying to be seductive or threatening with lyrics like “Open up to me like you do your girlfriends,” and you couldn’t tell if he could tell either. But Thomas’ muddled, frenzied perspective never sounded more at home than it did over the shrieking synths and racing strings of his solo debut, as the former frontman leaves everything he has on the all-audiences dancefloor. — A.U.

If dictionary entries included songs, “Photograph” would be right there under the word “nostalgia.” From his onetime school to his old arcade, lead singer Chad Kroeger takes listeners on a guided tour through his childhood in this catchy, anthemic, post-grunge rock banger while hitting on a painful truth: for all that our memories shape us, the best we can ever do to revisit them is look back at old pictures. — HANNAH DAILEY

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 97

By 2005, it was a rite of passage for a buzzing new band to be hailed as the rock music’s savior, and there was a hot moment where it seemed like The Bravery might be a harbinger of a dance-rock future for the genre. Their breakout hit, “An Honest Mistake,” bridged the gap between New Order and the Strokes, melding nervous, bubbling synths and breakneck post-punk rhythms with Sam Endicott’s weary, ironic vocals. It reached the Hot 100 and went top 10 in the U.K., but didn’t quite mark the dawn of a brave new world for rock. Still, it made it clear that LCD Soundsystem’s success wasn’t an outlier, and teed up the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ dance detour down the road. — J. Lynch

In her trademark unapologetic, empowered and filter-free fashion, Jenni Rivera unleashed “Qué Me Vas A Dar” (“What are you doing to give me”), a potent banda song where she lashes out to an ex who wants to come back after cheating on her. “While I got you out of my soul/ Another love was entering/ And it’ll be very difficult for me to forget him and return to you,” the late Mexican-American powerhouse chants. Marking the first single off of her Parrandera, Rebelde y Atrevida album, “Qué Me Vas A Dar” peaked No. 7 on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart. Twenty five years later, the song’s opening has become a viral sound on TikTok, generating over 100K video creations. — J.R.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 45

Sometimes an artist just breezes in and releases an unexpectedly perfect pop song. While the verses to “Breathe” are all about the regrets that consume your mind in the middle of the night, the cathartic chorus is about moving forward with a clear head — all set to a production that would have fit in with the Lilith Fair headliners of the mid-’90s. Maybe you can’t find the “rewind button” and make it all right again, but you can “just breathe” and start fresh. It’s a message that consumed alternative and pop radio in 2005 — and was resuscitated the next year in a Grey’s Anatomy episode too. – KATIE ATKINSON

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 20

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 45

If you preferred male singer-songwriters somewhere in between Five for Fighting and James Blunt on the sensitivity spectrum, then Howie Day was the man for you in 2005: His “Collide” was one of the tenderest ballads to take over mid-’00s pop-rock radio, an always-welcome four-minute salve in a year largely packed with bombastic top 40 hits. Few of his temporarily-VH1-conquering type managed a second hit in the late ’00s and Day was no exception, but no one around at the time could really resent him for crashing into us the one time. — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 27

For a breakneck-speeding, tempo-shifting, war-protesting metal thrasher, “B.Y.O.B.” is also an absolutely dynamite party song. Rapidly toggling between bumper-car verses, a mirrorball-led chorus groove and an impossibly punishing breakdown section, System of a Down’s biggest-ever Hot 100 hit stays equally engaging and exhilarating throughout; by the time it gets to its signature “Why don’t the presidents fight the war?/ Why do they always send the poor?” refrain, you can bet everyone from the jocks to the freaks will be on the floor screaming along. — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 16

It’s Busta talking his s—t over a Swizz Beatz-flipped sample of Daft Punk’s “Technologic,” of course it was a banger – and a chart smash. Also leading to several official remixes featuring everyone from Lloyd and DMX to Rah Digga and Missy Elliott, “Touch It” completely embodies the funky, futuristic bent of mid-’00s mainstream hip-hop, allowing the era’s most exciting MCs to flaunt their skills over an eternally dancefloor-ready beat. — K.D.

Though Cansei De Ser Sexy translates to “tired of being sexy,” you never would’ve guessed it watching CSS, who couldn’t help but flaunt it. Led by their formidable lead singer, Lovefoxxx, the rambunctious Brazilian dance-rock band gave an upfront preview to the themes in this signature hit‘s title, with suggestive lyrics and instructions for what to put on the playlist: Canadian bass-and-drum rock duo Death From Above 1979. Synthesizers bleeped and creeped, a simple guitar riff kept it funky, and the driving dance beat always made the people move — at least, as best they could in their skinny jeans. — CHRISTINE WERTHMAN

As you listen to “I Feel Space,” so will you: Lindstrøm’s era-defining electro-house banger sounds like blasting through the cosmos with the windows down, as you reach out and let your fingers scrape the passing stars. The song’s spectral synths and skipping beats rightly established the Norwegian producer at the vanguard of dance music, leading to remix and production work for esteemed outfits like LCD Soundsystem, Franz Ferdinand and even ’70s legends Roxy Music. — A.U.

Sometimes, you gotta stack pre-choruses: although Girls Aloud’s “Biology” stands out with its piano-and-guitar stomp, blunt come-ons and tempo changes, the U.K. girl group’s ode to irresistible attraction is defined by the build-up to its refrain, with four separate sections of the song being presented before the cathartic cry of “You can’t mistake my BIOLOGY!” With that, British studio whizzes Xenomania scored the biggest pop payoff of their career, and Girls Aloud continued a streak of dazzling, idiosyncratic hits. — J. Lipshutz

Trent Reznor has never been shy about expressing his thoughts on politics, and on With Teeth‘s lead single, he did just that, blasting George W. Bush’s administration and the Iraq War with scathing lyrics: “What if this whole crusade’s a charade/ And behind it all there’s a price to be paid/ For the blood which we dine/ Justified in the name of the holy and the divine.” Though Bush is long out of office, Reznor’s challenge to citizens still stands in the lyrics, “Are you brave enough to see?/ Do you wanna change it?” — A.C.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 60

The lead single from Death Cab’s 2005 album Plans represented a lot of firsts for the Bellingham, Washington-based indie rock band: its first song released on a major label (Atlantic) its first Hot 100 hit and its first No. 1 on a Billboard chart, with “Soul Meets Body” reaching the apex of Adult Alternative Songs in the fall of 2005. But beyond hard facts, the song is — as its title indicates — all about soul, an effervescent, existential ode about that sacred and mysterious place where spirit and form meet, delivered in the band’s signature deeply considered musings, and held together by one of the era’s most indelible melodies in singer Ben Gibbard’s belter of a chorus. — KATIE BAIN

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 97

One of the most memorable duets of the 21st century, Aventura’s Romeo Santos and Don Omar engage in a call-and-response of sorts to tell a story of lust, infidelity and betrayal. Over a hip-swiveling bachata rhythm, fused with signature reggaetón drums, Don shares he’s fallen in love with a forbidden woman. After Santos encourages him to fight for her, Don confesses the woman is Santos’ wife. “God forgive you, because I won’t, I’ve lost you both,” he responds. Come for the infectious beat, stay for the drama. — G.F.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (five weeks)

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 42

Chris Brown, then a small-town, teenage heartthrob with out-of-this-world dance moves, confidently stepped onto the scene with his debut single “Run It!” With help from a pair of the decade’s hottest hitmakers, Scott Storch and Sean Garrett, he sings about putting the moves on a girl better than her man can, while featured rapper Juelz Santana gives the track some “big-boy” swagger. Brown was indeed “the hottest thing that’s in these streets,” as the song’s runaway success scored Brown a best new artist nod at the 2007 Grammys. “Run It!” also reached the top of the Hot 100 and dominated not only pop and rhythmic radio, but also club dance floors that Brown can still body anyone on. — H.M.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 13

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 76

After the radio-ready punch of the first three Love.Angel.Music.Baby singles came the laid-back New Wave of “Cool” — a chiller showcase for Stefani’s longtime gift for romantic nostalgia, going back to “Don’t Speak.” It’s no accident that “Cool” revisits that ‘90s hit’s subject matter (Stefani’s former relationship with bandmate Tony Kanal) here from a more grown-up perspective, observing how “after all that we’ve been through, I know we’re cool.” And 20 years later, this wistful track is still #relationshipgoals: encapsulating in its hazy synths the wish to be “still good friends” with an ex (and as cool as Gwen Stefani was at the same time). — REBECCA MILZOFF

Not quite a mashup, but still a clear case of a song being more than the sum of its sampled parts. Which isn’t to say anyone should’ve doubted the recipe behind “In My Arms” — Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” and Boy Meets Girl’s “Waiting for a Star to Fall” were two of the most undeniable mega-pop hits of the ’80s — but combining the laser-show synth riff of the former with the looped chorus-capper of the latter over producer Myles MacInnes’ bubbling beat resulted in a single nearly their intoxicating equal, pop alchemy at its absolute mid-’00s finest. — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 7

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 72

It is amazing that American Idol is in its 23rd season when it already discovered the country’s best singer way back in 2002. If her prowess wasn’t clear on her (rushed) debut album, Kelly Clarkson’s was undeniable on her 2004 follow up Breakaway, which produced hit after hit — including the heartbreaking “Because of You.” On the heart-rending, piano-led ballad, Clarkson’s incomparable voice belts out a cautionary tale about letting love sour, which she originally wrote as a teenager about her parents’ divorce.  — T.M.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 32

Sound the alarm, the fireman’s coming. While Lil Wayne was putting out the flames of rappers around him, we didn’t know that he’d go on a scorching career-defining run in the years following Tha Carter II. “Fireman” was a blaring top 40 radio-friendly hit that welcomed new fans and old to what many consider to be the crown jewel of Weezy’s famed album series. Tunechi asserted that he was ready to hang with rap’s titans of the 2000s and what followed was possibly the highest approval rating and peak of any hip-hop act in the second half of the decade. — MICHAEL SAPONARA

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 32

Another day, another stunning Chris Cornell vocal performance on an alt-rock radio classic. Like 2003’s “Like a Stone,” “Be Yourself” topped both the Mainstream Rock and Alternative Airplay charts – and like most Audioslave songs, Tom Morello delivers a wickedly cool guitar solo that nevertheless pales in comparison to Cornell’s show-stopping pipes. — E.R.B.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 28

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 84

This amiable tale about getting older was one of the late country star’s biggest and best singles. The protagonist in this bar-set saga is just a little past his prime, and he’s starting to recognize his limitations. Key line: “Now my body says, ‘You can’t do this boy’/ But my pride says, ‘Oh yes you can.’” Keith’s self-deprecating humor and the jaunty beat make this a fun and thoroughly relatable track. – PAUL GREIN   

What started off as the popular teen soap opera Rebelde in 2004 turned into the phenomenon of musical pop group RBD, comprised of Anahí, Dulce María, Christian Chavez, Maite Perroni, Christopher von Uckermann and Alfonso Herrera. Among the outfit’s timeless hits is “Solo Quédate en Silencio,” a mid-tempo pop ballad that narrates the story of a couple who’s breaking up. “I’ll give you one last kiss (the deepest one)/ I’ll keep my feelings/ And I’ll go far away from you,” goes part of the song, which still resonates with fans today. The heartfelt tune became RBD’s first Top 10 hit on the Hot Latin Songs chart, and later peaked at No. 1. — J.R.

In 2005, Fiona Apple’s faithful had been not-so-patiently waiting six years for her return. Conflicting reports* about her third album Extraordinary Machine – was she unhappy with the results? Was the label holding up its release? – as well as song leaks contributed to fears that the LP would never arrive or show up in a bastardized form. Twenty years later, that online kerfuffle seems like a footnote thanks to how, ahem, extraordinary the music is on this LP. “O’ Sailor” is one of its mini masterworks, a mesmerizing mix of heady piano chords, fluttering woodwinds, uneasy vibraphone and Apple’s resonant, husky tone. Fans have speculated about the identity of the sailor that seemed to have Apple at the end of her romantic rope, but all you really need to know is that “O’ Sailor” is an art-rock voyage worth taking. — J. Lynch

*Eventually, a 2005 Billboard interview with co-producer Mike Elizondo confirmed that Apple herself decided to re-record the material.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 98

Few Strokes fans were totally satisfied by “Juicebox” upon its initial release 20 years ago; the song’s uncomfortable ping-ponging between Peter Gunn theme-riffing with frenzied verses and a chorus that only crescendoes in intensity was a lot to absorb for a band most beloved for its catchy, leather-jacketed updates of The Cars and Tom Petty. Now, the single sounds like one of their most fun, basically for all the same reasons — it’s more of an investment to meet on its wavelength (and more of a karaoke challenge to wail along to), but the juice is always worth the squeeze. — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 3

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 32

Check it out! Upon its release, “My Humps” felt like a 2000s follow-up to Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” as it celebrated the same joys and benefits of a plump booty. Despite the public controversy surrounding its raunchy (and often extremely silly) lyrics, the track still reached the No. 3 spot on the Hot 100, and the ode to Fergie’s “lovely lady lumps” has endured as a sexually-charged classic in the 20 years since. — R.A.

The crown jewel of Regina Spektor’s major label debut Soviet Kitsch, “Us” sounds utterly unlike anything else to have emerged out of 2005, while also feeling timeless. Masterfully alternating her vocal style between clear, percussive lyric delivery and a wordless, ghostly descant that floats in and out over gorgeous strings and racing piano, the singer-songwriter demonstrates her poetic prowess weaving together themes of love, history, triumph and decay in a way open to multiple interpretations. — H.D.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 76

With its infectious rhythm and that irresistible “do do do do” chorus, Franz Ferdinand’s “Do You Want To” is a jubilant indie dance-rock explosion that demands attention from its opening moments. The whimsical-yet-razor-sharp guitar riff sets the tone, striking a perfect balance between playful charm and edgy grit. As the distortion kicks in and the track reaches its thrilling peaks and turns, the rhythm never strays far from its pulsating core, creating a transfixing sense of controlled chaos. Frontman Alex Kapranos delivers cheeky, flirtatious lyrics with a winking confidence that turns every line into a sly invitation. At just over 3:30, the Scottish rockers craft a punchy, addictive anthem that captures their energetic essence while cementing their status as dance-rock royalty. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 38

If sung by anyone else, “Baby, lock the door and turn the lights down low” might have just elicited some cheeky eyebrow raises. But in the deep voice of Josh Turner, the request made country listeners clutch their pearls. Turner knew what he had going for him, and though guitar, drums and strings played throughout the rest of the mid-tempo song, they cleared out for his super-smooth delivery, with Turner sounding like country’s answer to Barry White. — C.W.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 43

If you were wondering how Kanye West was going to scale up on album two, its stunning lead single certainly assured that he would not be taking a simple path there. “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” was a frenetic exploration of Kanye’s own egocentrism, highlighted by a crashing Bond theme sample from Shirley Bassey and a yelped lift from OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson,” all under a title with an implied reminder — more heavily stated on the remix — that there were more heavy conflicts going on out there than whatever behind-the-scenes drama was or wasn’t brewing at Roc-a-Fella Records. — A.U.

Years before she was dancing on her own, Robyn was alone at the station, watching from afar as her ex had his arm wrapped around his new romantic partner. The Swedish pop dynamo would go on to score bigger international hits following “Be Mine!,” but her 2005 single created the template for her snappy melancholy, this time with fluttering strings darting around her observations, before dropping away for some spoken-word longing. Perhaps more crucially, “Be Mine!” bridged the gap between Robyn’s teenage breakthrough with singles like “Show Me Love” and “Do You Know (What It Takes),” and the grown-up pop fantasia of Body Talk in the early 2010s. — J. Lipshutz

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 74

In 2004 Americans were still reeling in the aftermath of 9/11, a life-changing, brain-searing event for so many of us who witnessed it. The lead single from The Killers’ 2005 debut Hot Fuss has deep ties to the disaster in the unlikely form of former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield: Working as an A&R in the early 2000s, Pinfield wanted to sign the rising Las Vegas band, spending time with singer Brandon Flowers and sharing stories of his time mentoring wounded soldiers who’d returned home from the Iraq War. Inspired, Flowers wrote “All These Things That I’ve Done,” with its unforgettable “I’ve got soul, but I’ve not a soldier” bridge directly influenced by Pinfield’s tales and ultimately becoming a rally cry and grief release for everyone working through their feelings about the attack, and the senseless, endless war that followed. — K.B.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 89

From its very first note, “La Camisa Negra” grabs hold with its electrifying guitar riffs and acoustic rhythmic interplay, immediately setting the stage for the song’s undeniable energy. “Camisa” catapulted Juanes to global stardom, transforming him from a rising South American artist into an international sensation. Racy and unapologetically cheeky, the lyrics drip with audacious sensuality, while “Porque negra tengo el alma” (“Black is my soul”) nods to his metalhead roots, adding a brooding undercurrent to the song’s playful tone. Juanes’ vocal performance brims with emotive grit and charisma, as he delivers each line with unwavering conviction. Anchored by its irresistible hooks and pulsating groove, “La Camisa Negra” stands as an exhilarating anthem and a milestone release in Latin pop-rock history. — I.R.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 11

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 59

A grown-up lullaby from father to daughter, “Mockingbird” is Eminem’s attempt to explain to Hailie (and niece Lainey) in heart-tugging detail why the Mathers family unit is in such a state of disarray, and to comfort them that he’s still somehow going to make everything all right for them. The single made for a rare moment of emotional clarity during one of the rapper’s most unhinged album eras, and thanks to its continued resonance — and unexpected end-of-song tonal shift — it remains one of his most-streamed songs today. — A.U.

A four-minute song capturing imagined experience of dying — as in, the fearful and curious final moments before a soul leaves a body, then the metaphysical rush of that departure — would play out as hackneyed melodrama in the wrong hands. Fortunately, ANOHNI approaches the feeling with hymn-like grace, existing alone in thought and wonder across three achingly beautiful verses before a full-band back-half meant to depict inevitable transformation. Throughout a songwriting catalog that often challenges identity and reflects on nature, “Hope There’s Someone” is towering, a singular means of describing a universal truth. — J. Lipshutz

With just a grand piano, a tambourine and Meg White’s minimalist drumming, The White Stripes create an explosive sound on “My Doorbell.” The stripped-down instrumentation feels deceptively simple but brims with energy and creativity. Jack White’s passionate delivery turns the playful, almost mundane concept of a doorbell into an imaginative tale full of emotion and charm. “You don’t seem to come around/ Point your finger and make a sound/ Knock, knock, since you knocked it down/ Oh, well,” he belts out, blending quirky storytelling with infectious rhythm. Both clever and captivating, the track keeps listeners hooked from start to finish. — I.R.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 61

The song that both lit the match and poured the accelerant on one of the great careers in the last 20 years of country music, “Kerosene” is so inherently inflammable that you can practically feel it crackling through the speakers. Still, if it’s the flame, then we’re the moths: You simply can’t turn away from Miranda Lambert’s first signature revenge fantasy, alternately world-weary and furious, self-loathing and just loathing, and always rollicking even through its romantically defeatist chorus proclamation: “I’ve given up on love/ ‘Coz love’s given up on me.” — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 4

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 52

Jeezy redefined trap music for the second half of the 2000s with the street tales of his classic Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 studio debut LP. Prior to the album’s arrival, Jeezy heated up the summer teaming up with Akon, whose triumphant hook meshed perfectly with the Snowman’s motivational 16s for “Soul Survivor.” The Atlanta native broke down regional barriers and served up trap to the masses – inspiring millions across the country to get off their ass in the process (“F—k the club, dog, I’d rather count a million bucks.”). “Survivor” became Jeezy’s first top five Hot 100 hit, and further proved he didn’t have to sacrifice his integrity for mainstream acclaim. — M.S.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 100

On first listen, “Girl” sounds like your run-of-the-mill SoCal love song, with its ooh-oohs and sun-eyed, sing-along chorus. But a closer read of the lyrics (like those nooses and bones, for instance) takes things in a much darker direction, with Beck singing the jarringly jangly line “And I know I’m gonna make her die/ Take her where her soul belongs.” As Beck told Billboard that year about the Guero standout, “You need the dichotomy. If you’re doing something happy and light, you need the shadows.” – K.A.

Billboard 100 Peak: No. 24

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 87

If there’s one song in Legend’s deep catalog that fans repeatedly clamor for at his concerts, it’s this gorgeous ballad. The second single from Legend’s impressive debut album Get Lifted not only illuminates his piano-man skills and silky vocals, it also showcases his insightful lyricism in deftly portraying the unvarnished emotions that come with any relationship. (Fun fact: the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am co-wrote/co-produced the song with Legend.) Stellar in its simplicity, “People” only reached No. 24 on the Hot 100, but it landed three Grammy nods, including song of the year — early proof that this 2005 newcomer would no doubt live up to his professional moniker. — G.M.

“Cuéntale” is quintessential Ivy Queen. In the hard-hitting reggaetón track, Ivy is as raw as ever asking her lover to tell his significant other about their relationship. “Tell her that the scent on your body is testimony of our encounter,” she raps intensely. Throughout her career, Ivy has perfectly captured a woman’s perspective on relationships, and this reggaetón classic is no exception. It’s what makes her catalog so significant, and allows it to stand the test of time. — G.F.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 19

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 39

For the second time in three American Idiot singles, Green Day had a chart-topping Alternative Airplay hit with a roaring punk anthem about the road to hell the bad intentions of our government and society were leading us down — though this one did it through a party-song veneer that both reflected and added to our distracted nature during such fraught times. Two decades later, the only part that doesn’t still apply is the implication that willful ignorance to everything plaguing the country is even still an option. — A.U.

13 years after she helped pioneer hip-hop soul with paradigm-shifting debut LP, Mary J. Blige achieve another career Breakthrough with “Be Without You” — a two-time Grammy-winning monster smash that arguably captured the peak of mid-’00s R&B. Penned by Blige, Johntá Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry, “Be Without You” funnels the relentless euphoria of the honeymoon stage. From the way she almost-manically repeats “I wanna be with you” in the background to the generation-defining “heyyy-hey-ayyyy!” belt that marks the song’s climax, “Be Without You” is a masterclass in the merits of musical melodrama. — K.D.

Somehow, one of 2005’s most simple, earnest and heartwarming love songs can be found smack in the middle of one of the year’s angstiest albums – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, Bright Eyes’ sixth studio LP. Over delicate finger-picked guitar, Conor Oberst’s crackling voice has never sounded more raw or vulnerable than it does on this enduring first-dance wedding favorite about feeling reborn in the glow of an uncomplicated, unconditional love, all of its most poetic lyrics building to one beautifully straightforward sentiment: “Maybe this time is different, I mean, I really think you like me.” — H.D.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (nine weeks)

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 8

50 Cent fully leaned into his pop aspirations while exploring his sleazy sexual fantasies with The Massacre’s “Candy Shop.” The G-Unit boss made the most of his rival Fat Joe passing up on the smoky drums and dark synth strings from close friend Scott Storch, which became one of the more memorable instrumentals of the 21st century. 50’s penchant for raunchy bars and sexual innuendos while expertly toeing the line to not limit his crossover appeal should be studied. With an assist from R&B singer Olivia, “Candy Shop” hit the sweet spot again to top the Hot 100 – 50’s last time reaching the summit as a lead artist – and picked up a Grammy nomination, also eclipsing a billion Spotify streams in 2024. — M.S.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 15

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 63

The most remarkable thing about “Wait (The Whsiper Song)’” is that the Ying Yang Twins thought they were being smooth with it: “In the club it is very unattractive to yell in [a woman’s] face, but when you whisper in her ear it turns her on,” brother D-Roc told AllHipHop.com at the time. Perhaps there are ladies out there who’d been waiting for a guy to hiss “Hey b–ch, wait ’till you see my d–k/ I’ma beat that p—y up” to them on the dancefloor, but for most of us, the skeletal “Wait” was largely about the shock value. Such vulgar come-ons being expressed in such a minimalist fashion was something so unfamiliar that it couldn’t help be exciting — and infectious, as soon enough we were all humming the song to ourselves in places where the sentiment was guaranteed to be unwelcome. — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 2

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 21

Sure, Ciara’s song got its title from the “Oh!” in the chorus, but it could’ve just as easily been named for listener reactions to the song’s sensuous arrival. The slow, whomping beat sets the vibe immediately, while a whistle-like synthesizer part creeps in and adds a spooky element. Ciara’s buttery voice paints scenes of Atlanta on this track, an ode to her hometown, and who better to join her for a feature than the ATL-repping Ludacris, whose trademark rapid-fire delivery sets the song ablaze before Ciara steps back to return things to a tantalizing simmer. — C.W.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 2

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 7

With a slower-than-usual setup from speed demon Busta Rhymes, “Don’t Cha” moves at a teasing mid-tempo as the Pussycat Dolls try to make their target wish he’d made different life decisions. Nicole Scherzinger takes the lead as the other Dolls echo her lines on the verses like a modern-day doo-wop group, while staccato saxophone punctuates the gaps in the chorus. “Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?” Scherzinger coos. Sure, she could have said “don’t you,” but it wouldn’t have sounded as cool. — C.W.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 31

Maroon 5 aren’t usually the band that you’d expect to take you to church, but you’d be singing, clapping and swaying along to their blissful fourth Songs About Jane top 40 hit even if it wasn’t named after that time of the week. Not that “Sunday Morning” really has that kind of worship on its mind: Singer Adam Levine is more interested in staying in bed and “steal[ing] some covers, shar[ing] some skin” with a fellow lazybones. Still, Levine and his band achieve such lazy-weekend ecstasy that by the time he’s hitting those falsetto ad libs on the final chorus, there’s nothing much to say but preach. — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 13

During an era in which motor-mouthed rappers like Twista and Busta Rhymes were scoring hits, “Stay Fly” presented bullet-time rhyming as a relay race: Three 6 Mafia, Young Buck and 8Ball & MJG stuffed their most relentless flows into four minutes, individually pouncing and then tagging in someone else to prevent momentum from slipping. Instead of standing as simply a technical showcase, though, “Stay Fly” is brimming with pop appeal, from the “fly-y-y-y-y” hook (“hi-i-i-i-igh” on the album version, of course) to the standout lyrical jabs (“What’s up Mary! Mary Jane!”) to the Willie Hutch sample injecting some soul into the linguistic frenzy. Even after Three 6 Mafia won an Academy Award and rattled off more crunk-era hits, “Stay Fly” persists as its most electrifying mainstream moment. — J. Lipshutz

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (nine weeks)

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 3

There are a few love songs that transcend eras and genres, and Mario’s “Let Me Love You” is undoubtedly one of those anthems. Co-penned by Kameron Houff, a then-unknown Ne-Yo and Scott Storch – who also produced the track – the names behind “Let Me” alone stamp it as an unmistakably 2005 offering. 20 years later, Mario’s vocal on this track is still one of the most flawless and hypnotic performances by a 21st-century male R&B artist, and it’s his earnest, heartfelt tone that captures the sincerity of the song’s lyrics over its schmaltziness. — K.D.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 10

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 20

Back in 2005, this slice of power-pop at first sounded like cognitive dissonance: why were the nerd kings of rock singing about wanting to live in the toniest of zip codes, “rollin’ like a celebrity”? But Rivers Cuomo’s penchant for yearning (and sure, sometimes sneering) sincerity turned out to make “Beverly Hills” an organic fit in the Weezer canon. Add a crunchy guitar riff recalling “I Love Rock n Roll,” a screamalong chorus, and a perfect TRL-era music video – featuring the band playing an impromptu rager on the lawn of the Playboy Mansion for Hef and hundreds of friends – and it’s easy to see why this is still Weezer’s most commercially successful single. — R.M.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 55

The Marley name comes with some level of expectation, and this song was youngest Marley son Damian’s mission statement for his home country. With an iconic hook lifted from the song “World-A-Reggae” by Ini Kamoze, this was Marley laying bare the underside of Jamaica’s inner city, the realities that come with the poverty and violence away from shimmering beaches and happy-go-lucky resorts. A timeless, addictive track, it is probably the most enduring song to have emerged from the second Marley generation, and carried on the more revolutionary ideas that Bob often espoused. — D.R.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 9

Since its release in June 2005, “Dirty Little Secret“ has become a pop-punk anthem, celebrated for its musical energy and urgent lyrics about the thrill of a secret romance. Balancing mystery with excitement, the song captures the personal and rebellious rush of a hidden connection. It’s more about the fun and intensity, rather than the deep guilt or deception of two individuals — and it remains relatable across generations, offering a glimpse into the personal experiences artists often keep hidden. — KRISTEN WISNESKI

Thank goodness for Eleanor Friedberger. As Spoon frontman Britt Daniel later explained, after he and the Fiery Furnaces frontwoman split up, she started dating Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos – prompting Daniel to check out the Scottish band and leading him to “Take Me Out,” which inspired Spoon’s catchy discofied hit. The funky, falsetto-led cut epitomizes a key mid-’00s trend: Indie-rock guys learning how to groove. — E.R.B.

The first song on LCD Soundsystem’s self-titled debut tells the story of a house party of James Murphy’s dreams, where which the titular French producers show up to play “and there’s every kid for miles at my house — my house!” In sound and theme, the song is about the confluence of the dance punk that LCD and Murphy’s DFA Records were on a roll with at the time and the glossier version of dance being done by Daft Punk in the same-ish era. A cowbell-laden ass-shaker that simply just sounds like the wild and perfect party it describes, “Daft Punk” is a demonstration of Murphy’s respect for the robots, rendered in the grittier DFA style. — K.B.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 18

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 68

From Dave Grohl’s urgent opening salvo, “I’ve got another confession to make” to the building musical aggression into the cacophonous instrumental bridge, this anthem is all raw guts and emotion, showcasing the Foos’ unmatched knack for creating teeth-rattling rock that never sacrifices melody. Lyrically, Grohl never reveals who or what has shoved him into a corner, but leaves no doubt that that he punched his way out, singing “Were you born to resist or be abused? I swear I’ll never give in, I refuse.” — M.N.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 8

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 67

It all starts with an infectious, unrelenting drum loop, but that’s not the one and only thing this song has going for it. Amerie manages to hold her own against the prominent production with vocals that are at once powerful and syrupy smooth, explaining how that “1 thing” always keeps her in a relationship she knows she’s outgrown. It’s no wonder that Jennifer Lopez was apparently circling this sure-fire hit (J.Lo teamed up with “1 Thing” producer Rich Harrison for “Get Right” instead), prompting Amerie to unleash her now-classic version onto the world. – K.A.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 5

By the mid- to late 2000s, T-Pain had become the party man of the decade, thanks to his career breakthrough in 2005 with “I’m Sprung,” followed by the equally infectious slow jam “I’m N Luv.” For added punch, the Florida native spiked his flavorful fusion of R&B and hip-hop with the then-novel use of Auto-Tune. As noted in Billboard’s May 2024 T-Pain profile, the special effect had the artist sounding like “an android on a bender” on “I’m ‘n Luv,” which the singer-rapper wrote to “make fun of a friend’s first strip club experience” — and later parlayed into an intoxicating Hot 100 top five hit. — G.M.

Sure, “Hide and Seek” is That Song That Played in The O.C.’s Season Two Finale, but this ballad’s legacy has become much more than just that cultural touchstone. Armed only with a digital harmonizer and her unparalleled voice, Imogen Heap rendered painful, heartbreaking emotion into this stirring folktronica track with stunning clarity. Its efficiency and gorgeously constructed melodies helped bring about the popular use of vocoders and digitized vocal treatments in emotional top 40 songs — including in Jason Derulo’s late-’00s Hot 100-topper “Whatcha Say,” built off a sample of this song’s signature bridge — yet few of them can hold a candle to the raw passion being imbued in “Hide and Seek.” — S.D.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 59

Written by the band for lead singer Chris Martin’s then-wife Gwyneth Paltrow following the death of her father, the delicate, spare ballad elegantly and simply addresses grief and the desire to make it better for the person suffering, while acknowledging that’s a nearly impossible task. As “Fix You,” the lyrics broaden to include any kind of devastating loss as Martin sings “Tears stream down your face when you lose something you cannot replace,” while the music expands to the full pulsating band. But the message remains the same: You are not alone, no matter what you are going through. — M.N.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 23

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 60

A sizzling duet that lives up to its name, “La Tortura” is the ultimate tease — heartbreak and desire wrapped in an irresistible rhythm. At a time when Latin pop collaborations were rare, Shakira brings her seductive vocals and trademark allure, while Alejandro Sanz counters with his raspy heartthrob delivery, creating a magnetic push-and-pull dynamic. The track is a vibrant mix of sounds and influences: keyboards, guitars, accordion, bass — and a Tres cubano that heightens the song’s emotional climax at the end. “Yo sé que no he sido un santo,” the Spanish icon wails while the Colombian megastar belts back, “No solo de pan vive el hombre y no de excusas vivo yo.” A groundbreaking moment for Latin pop, “La Tortura” reached No. 23 on the Hot 100 and dominated the Hot Latin Songs chart for 25 weeks, setting the bar for star-powered Latin pop collaborations to come. — I.R.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 33

Few moments were as on the nose for the emo generation as a song about a dead relative becoming arguably the greatest band of the moment’s true MTV breakthrough. Written for MCR members Gerard and Mikey Way’s beloved late grandmother Elena Lee Rush, “Helena” captured the rush of emotions that accompanies such grief — the fear, the rage, the guilt, the bittersweet nostalgia — with its monsooning guitars and drums, and a star-making vocal turn from Gerard. The brilliantly staged, choreographed and performed video ensured the song became unavoidable, but you could already basically see it in your head anyway just from the vividness of the music. — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 6

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 10

Sequenced right after “Since U Been Gone” on Kelly Clarkson’s phenomenal sophomore album Breakaway, “Behind These Hazel Eyes” is like that classic’s opposite-but-equally-powerful twin sister – similar in that they’re both head-banging pieces of post-breakup pop-rock perfection, but different in that the latter betrays the heartache concealed by its counterpart. A core part of the musical identity of the hazel-eyed everywhere, this cathartic anthem reminds us that it’s OK to feel “broken up deep inside,” whether you’re actually letting the tears flow or just crying on the inside. — H.D.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 6

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 46

Anyone who has experienced grief will know that the time surrounding the loss – even years later – can trigger waves of sadness. For Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong that time of year is September after losing his father in that month in 1982. In “Wake Me Up When September Ends” off the band’s pivotal album American Idiot, Armstrong creates an evergreen rock ballad that taps into that grief and has been used since its release to mark the sadness around tragic events, including memories of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and the disastrous impact of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. — T.M.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 2

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 24

G-Unit was a well-established cultural force by the time Interscope Records chairman Jimmy Iovine inserted The Game into the group. And before that experiment descended into acrimony, accusations and diss tracks, the collaboration produced The Game’s debut album The Documentary, featuring a lot of input by G-Unit kingpin 50 Cent, who handled hook duty on “Hate It or Love It,” the highest-charting — it reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 for five weeks — and objectively standout track on an instant classic of an album. The magic wouldn’t last — Game and 50 quickly began to resent each other — but for the first few months of 2005, the stars aligned, and we’ll always have this sweetly triumphant track to remember. — D.R.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 14

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 37

With “Feel Good Inc,” Gorillaz seamlessly blended hip-hop with alternative rock while addressing the corporate overlords running the show, pairing verses from De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove about society’s downfall with Damon Albarn’s optimistic chorus about the literal power of love. Ironically, a song that seemingly takes aim at big business and greed also became the cartoon band’s biggest commercial hit, peaking at No. 14 on the Hot 100, fueled in part by one of Apple’s famous silhouette commercials for the iPod. – K.A.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 3

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 14

It’s impossible not to get pumped the minute the intro kicks in with a timeless mantra: “Music make you lose control!” With Fat Man Scoop on hand as hype man, Ciara’s ethereal coos (including a short but sweet acapella breakdown), a thunderous beat and plastic groove, “Lose Control” became an instant dancefloor classic. Elliott’s undeniable MC skills and as always innovative vision – including a music video which, in a discography rife with iconic entries, is a standout – still make it a simultaneously old-school and classic party starter – in other words, a Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott joint. — R.M.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 7

Coming on the heels of her first musical misstep (commercially speaking, at least —American Life topped the Billboard 200 but didn’t land like her previous juggernauts), Confessions on a Dance Floor needed to be a hit for Madonna. And lead single “Hung Up,” an inescapable hit (No. 7 on the Hot 100) that won over nonfans and won back folks turned off by her folktronica detour, established that this new era meant the Queen of Pop was back on the throne. Throbbing synths, syncopated hi-hats, that siren call of a sample from ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” – how could it not have catapulted her back to club (and queer culture) relevance? Best of all is Madonna’s vocal: ferocious, commanding, mature, yearning, it’s the sound of a dancefloor diva who has done it all but still hungers for more. If time goes by so slowly, you sure wouldn’t know it from this careening disco rush. — J. Lynch

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 10

With reality TV and nightclub culture at an all-time high, the mid-aughts ended up being a highly memorable era for dance-pop music. In a sea of electronic beats, “Everytime We Touch” stood out among the dance floor hits, bringing the fun of European house music to the U.S. mainstream. Vocalist Natalie Horler’s soaring chorus, borrowed from a ’90s Maggie Reilly single of the same name, was inescapable in any nightlife venue from 2005 well into 2006 — and as expected, it had hearts beating fast all the way up to the top 10 of the Hot 100. — R.A.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 5

Natasha Bedingfield reminds us that we’re the authors of our life stories and makers of our destinies with “Unwritten.” The title track of her 2004 debut album, “Unwritten” is the ultimate feel-good anthem, equipped with an uplifting acoustic guitar melody, a belt-able chorus about savoring the everyday joys and freedom from self-imposed limitations and the gospel choir-backed bridge about trusting what the future holds.

“Unwritten” was Bedingfield’s extended breakthrough moment in the States, earning the British singer-songwriter her first Hot 100 top 10 hit in 2005, becoming the most-played song on U.S. radio of 2006, and even scoring her first and only Grammy nomination in 2007 for best female pop vocal performance. After serving as the theme song for MTV’s late-2010s reality TV series The Hills, it found its way to the silver screen as one of the most memorable needle drops of 2023 when Glen Powell’s character told Sydney Sweeney’s it was his “serenity song” in the rom-com Anyone But You, reviving “Unwritten” nearly two decades later. The spirit of the inescapable, empowering track remains palpable, and the rest of the song’s legacy is, well, you know. — H.M.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 2

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 18

They say hindsight is 20/20, and that is especially true for the song “Pon De Replay” by a then little-known Rihanna. Who could have known that the dancehall-inflected breakthrough smash would have spawned the career of one of the most beloved pop stars of the 21st century? At the time, Jay Z , who signed the young singer, certainly didn’t. Later, Jay Z would admit that he initially almost passed because the song was “too big for her.” Fortunately, we live in a world where Jay didn’t pass and Rihanna did cut the irresistible song, but perhaps her star was always destined to rise. Great as it was, “Pon De Replay” was just the start of Rihanna’s catalog of hits — which is now so long her enduring breakthrough hit couldn’t fit into her 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show headlining set. — KRISTIN ROBINSON

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 8

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 40

Many of the lyrics of the pop-punk epic “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” fall just shy of making sense (“Drop a heart/ Break a name/ We’re always sleeping in and sleeping/ For the wrong team”), but when they hit, they hit hard: “I’m just a notch in your bedpost, but you’re just a line in a song.” Whether spiraling over the objects of their affection in song or goofing off on TRL, Fall Out Boy helped emo break big in the pop sphere by making high-energy music that wore its heart on its sleeve but rarely lost its sense of humor. On the band’s breakthrough single, the guitars rip, the drums smash and lead singer Patrick Stump shows off his impressively nimble, downright lovely voice: Stump could belt, but his mere hint of a nasal emo whine was less overwhelming than many of his contemporaries, making “Sugar” as much of a pleasure to listen to now as then. – C.W.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (10 weeks)

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 6

After a random house party encounter led to The College Dropout’s “Slow Jamz,” Kanye West and Jamie Foxx reunited to up the ante for the second single heading into Ye’s Late Registration LP. Foxx’s Ray Charles-sampling intro calls out women for their trifling ways taking advantage of men, while West has a blast turning romance into a battlefield, avoiding the land mines along the way. Originally set for Shawnna’s debut album, the Grammy-winning “Gold Digger” broke up Mariah Carey’s three-month reign atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “We Belong Together” as West and Foxx held the top slot for 10 weeks. While West himself admitted years later how he “never really liked ‘Gold Digger,’” it remains the pop song most synonymous with Kanye. — M.S.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (14 Weeks)

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 1

While most pop stars need to reinvent themselves 15 years into their careers in order to recapture their peak success, Mariah Carey just needed to remind everyone how much better she does what she does than anyone else. Sonically, “We Belong Together” is only lightly refurbished for the 21st century — the gently shuffling beat established the melody and keeps the tempo from dragging, but mostly it just clears out for Carey’s all-time vocal, as the rechristened Mimi wails about a breakup she still can’t allow herself to accept, especially since every song on the radio keeps reminding her of it. It was the “End of the Road” of the ’00s, with similarly skyscraping and tearjerking vocal pyrotechnics, and it reigned on the Hot 100 for even longer: 14 weeks, matched only by The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” among singles that decade. — A.U.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (four weeks)

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 2

Gwen Stefani established herself as the head cheerleader of pop music with this irresistible hip-hop-inspired hit, bringing the whole marching band along for the ride in the horn-heavy production (complete with bleacher-stomping backbeat) and in the high school-set music video, which finds her as both the drum major and a black-beanied bad girl. The high school theme was tailor-made for the song and video, playing as an extended metaphor for the popularity contest that is the music business. At this moment in her career, Stefani was trying to figure out how to graduate from her ’90s-born rock band into the increasingly digital landscape of early 2000s pop stardom. With this Neptunes-produced song, she created a lane for herself that at once parlayed her cool-girl bona fides from No Doubt while breaking new pop ground. Oh, and if you ever wondered how many N’s there are in the word “bananas,” she schooled you on that too. – K.A.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 10

2005 Year-End Hot 100 Ranking: No. 16

“Mr. Brightside” had a long gestation period. Guitarist Dave Keuning had composed the music before he even met frontman Brandon Flowers and formed The Killers with him in 2001; the sparkling single received its first release in September 2003 and appeared on the band’s debut album, Hot Fuss, in June 2004. But it didn’t hit the Hot 100 until the following February, or peak on the chart (at No. 10, still The Killers’ highest-charting song) until June 2005.

And, in a sense, it continues to gestate, even two decades later. Today, “Mr. Brightside” is the definitive ’00s rock song for Millennials: a deeply relatable blast of romantic malaise that’s endlessly listenable – and equally at home on wedding dancefloors as it is in football stadiums (it’s become a fourth-quarter favorite for teams from the Michigan Wolverines to the Buffalo Bills). Of all the early ’00s bands profiled in Lizzy Goodman’s 2017 book Meet Me In The Bathroom, Flowers and The Killers had the clearest arena-rock ambitions – and “Mr. Brightside” is the biggest reason the band ultimately achieved them. — E.R.B.