# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 2001 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078 "2014-11-19T15:37:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/21 "2014-11-19T23:01:20Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Butterfly has a sick beat. Y’all trippin. It’s just a generic rap beat thrown over a Red Hot Chili Peppers song (“Pretty Little Ditty.”) ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/22 "2014-11-19T23:19:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s just a generic rap beat thrown over a Red Hot Chili Peppers song (“Pretty Little Ditty.”) Well, [similar things have been done before, with stellar results](http://youtu.be/lD3eEYSNsZM). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/23 "2014-11-19T23:27:27Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Well, [similar things have been done before, with stellar results](http://youtu.be/lD3eEYSNsZM). Yes, they have indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/24 "2014-11-19T23:34:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s just a generic rap beat thrown over a Red Hot Chili Peppers song (“Pretty Little Ditty.”) So that’s why the guitar sounded so familiar! How did I never notice that before? And you forgot to add “incredibly trite lyrics” to your description. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/25 "2014-11-20T01:21:17Z")
“Ms. Jackson”, with “Fallin’” just a pubic hair behind. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/26 "2014-11-20T01:22:06Z")
This was tighter than the buttocks of a straight man on his way to jail, but Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson” wins, finishing just barely higher than Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me” in the world-famous **Ponch8 Music Rating System**. I’m surprised to see “It Wasn’t Me” only has one vote so far. In dead-ass last place is Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Women Part I.” Sure, Nickelback’s song sucks, but it was tolerable the first few times I heard it. That’s more than I can say about anything else Nickelback ever did. > [@Nema98](#): > > Worst song here is “Butterfly” by Crazy Town, terrible though I’ll wait to see how Ponche8 rates it. Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought I’d ever love it or hate it. It’s a pretty mediocre song. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/27 "2014-11-20T02:32:41Z")
A while back, I peeked at next year’s (2002’s) list. There’s one great song, one OK song, and a bunch of garbage. I have a feeling we may see one song (deservedly) take over 50% of the votes next year. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/28 "2014-11-20T02:39:03Z")
Don’t like anything here, so I went with Bootylicious for having a great line: “I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly.” I didn’t hate pop music in 2001, so I’m assuming there’s better stuff that didn’t make it to #1. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/29 "2014-11-20T02:49:01Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > A while back, I peeked at next year’s (2002’s) list. There’s one great song, one OK song, and a bunch of garbage. I have a feeling we may see one song (deservedly) take over 50% of the votes next year. Hmm…I had to finally cheat and look ahead, and I’m guessing you’re right. I don’t agree with your full synopsis, but there are two songs that should leave the field behind. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/30 "2014-11-20T14:24:28Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I’m surprised to see “It Wasn’t Me” only has one vote so far. Not any more - but I’m surprised too. I don’t like the style of music represented by most songs on the list including this one, but I think it’s quite fun. Otherwise I would have voted for Nickelback purely for it being a rock song, but I don’t think it’s a particularly good rock song. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/31 "2014-11-20T16:03:26Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > Worst song here is “Butterfly” by Crazy Town, terrible It’s bad. But the line “closer than my peeps you are to me” from “Angel” is one of those lyrics that makes me want to rip my ears out. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078/32 "2014-11-23T12:59:58Z")
Came down to Shaggy (“It Wasn’t Me”) and Alicia Keys. Went with Shaggy, as Ms. Keys is already feeling the love. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2001/705078.md?page=1)