Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 2001

Cafe Society
1

The year is now 2001. With Destiny’s Child carrying over, we have 15 songs at #1 to choose from. We’re beginning to approach an era I refer to as “the Age of Crunk” - Billboard didn’t track digital sales until 2005, but they’re already beginning to become more significant than physical sales, and although airplay at this point accounts for close to 75% of a song’s chart position, the charts begin to reflect that dance singles are the biggest form of physical single still selling (the 12" vinyl single never really went out of fashion with DJs).

You know the drill - what’s your favorite?

Previous polls: 1955-56 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2012 2013

2

Had to go with Alicia Keys. OutKast is tempting, but “Ms. Jackson” was never one of my favorites.

3

I went with Mary J. Blige. No hateration, holleration in this dancery. Let’s get crunk 'cause Mary’s back!

4

“Forever, forever, ever, forever, ever?”

5

OutKast gets my vote here. Some decent songs on this list if you get away from the rock crap.

6

Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule. For first time in eleven years Mariah Carey does not appear at #1.

7

Alicia Keys - *Fallin’ *

A nice little slow number. And her voice made me feel all weird (in a very good way). Too bad her career did quite take off as expected. Well, she has career and a nice one at that but the predictions of megastardom never panned out.

I could also have voted for Bootylicious. That was one groovy song.

Or It Wasn’t Me for the sheer silliness of it.

8

Worst song here is “Butterfly” by Crazy Town, terrible though I’ll wait to see how Ponche8 rates it. Janet’s song is good but she gets little love from Dopers. The four way duet on “Lady Marmalade”
Is Christina’s fourth #1, where as Britney at this time had only #1 single, despite being considered the bigger star of the two. Nickelback is the odd man out for this 9/11 era chart.

9

I agree. That song makes me irrationally angry.

10

Oh yes. Absolutely terrible.

11

Mary J. for me. A pretty good year, that.

12

Butterfly has a strange video. It’s a bunch of guys trying to look harcore with tats, no shirts, and all of that, but they’re dancing in the middle of a garden or jungle of something with butterflies flying around.

13

I’ll have to do another brief YouTube listening session tonight before I vote, but I’m already pretty certain what my top two choices are (it’ll be a tough pick). Overall this is a stronger year than the previous couple.

14

Outkast walks away with it, for me.

15

I can’t decide which of these songs I hate the least, but I can’t let “Lady Marmalade” go by without linking to “Lady MadTV.” Man, I miss that show.

16

My vote went to Lady Marmalade - I never cared for the original, but this version of it just plain rocks.

17

This one is hard. Do I go with the song that was #1 when my daughter was born? Do I go with the song that I remember the most? Or do I go with the song that had the video with all the nodding dogs?

Sorry OutKast and Nickleback, gotta go with Alicia Keys on this one (#1 when my kid was born)

18

Well, I like Butterfly… but I also liked a lot in this late, which is my HS graduation year. So I’m happy with anyone that gets the most votes… Except perhaps J.Lo with Ja Rule…

19

Butterfly has a sick beat. Y’all trippin.

20

Agreed on both points. Shaggy would have been my second choice.