411’s Top 100 Songs of the 2000s: #80 – 61

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 11.18.2009

Join the 411 Music staff as we count down the absolute best songs the decade had to offer. Part two features Beck, the Beasties, System of a Down, Nas, OutKast and plenty more…

Welcome back, music fans. We're back for the second part of our look back on the first decade of the new millennium, where the 411 Music crew has assembled what we believe are the Top 100 songs to be recorded and played over the past ten years.

Back a couple of months ago, we all compiled our list of the Top 100 songs of the 2000s. The only rule was that the song had to be released or chart sometime between 2000 and now. We then compiled those lists and pared them down to the best 150, and from THAT list we determined the cream of the crop.

This is the result. This is…


This is week two – the second set of twenty. Just that much better than #100-81 which, by the way, you can catch up on here.

So check it out, and if you don't know some of these songs – don't let this decade end without hearing them!

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#80Do You Realize?? The Flaming Lips from Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
		Chart History: Released August 19, 2002 #32 UK
"Oklahomans loved this song so much they chose it as their official state song. That is pretty progressive for a state that gave the world Toby Keith. I hope Florida opens a vote for official state song so I can write in Slayer's "Reign in Blood", but I digress. The lyrics are simple and deep all at the same time. Wayne Coyne simply notates that every time the earth rotates you are that much closer to your demise. I think its something we all realize, but don't take the time to think about. Coyne's warbled voice sounds better than ever as he sings over an airy robotic synthesizer and drum loop. It is a beautiful masterpiece." - Tom Santoro "Musically and lyrically emotional, "Do You Realize??" was the first single Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, which saw the Flaming Lips grow to be a critical AND commercial success. Heavily used in various media, it also stands testament to the brilliance of the Flaming Lips. When some members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives refused to honor it as the state rock song (as per the people), Governor Brad Henry respected the decision of the people and issued an executive order. ‘Do You Realize??' brought out the inner badass of a politican. Need I say more?" - Rob Fierro "Wayne Coyne's song is amazing, hopeful and beautiful while reaming free of any irony, with the lush instrumentation making a grand statement. Inspired by his bandmate's struggle with heroin addiction, Coyne made a sincere track that is over-the-top, but that's partly why it works. The seriousness of some of the lyrics also helps give the song an emotional weight and makes it so memorable. " - Andrew Moll

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#79Bring Me To Life Evanescence from Fallen
		Chart History: Released April 22, 2003 #5 Hot 100 #1 Modern Rock #11 Mainstream Rock #1 Mainstream Top 40
"Evanescence had already been building an underground fanbase for nearly a decade when they burst onto the modern rock scene out of nowhere with 2004's ‘Bring Me to Life'. Amy Lee's urgent vocals are a perfect contrast to the guest verse by 12 Stones' Paul McCoy. I got chills the first time I heard Lee plead for someone (a lost lover? God? Depends who you ask) to ‘Save me from the nothing I've become,' and ‘Bring Me to Life' remains amazingly powerful. Evanescence has quickly imploded into a mess of infighting and defections, but their first hit continues to burn brightly and they have had a clear influence on groups like Flyleaf." - Michael James "Despite sounding like the lead singer of Linkin Park got a sex change, ‘Bring Me To Life' was a coming out party for Amy Lee. While she's become quite the apparent control freak in recent years, this was a great start for a dominant voice that leaves no alternative but to be heard. The music certainly sounded like a rip-off of the popular sound at the time, but that would come to change as well. And most of the mainstream would follow along, the best sign that Amy had made her immediate mark." - Michael Melchor

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#78My Immortal Evanescence from Fallen
		Chart History: Released December 8, 2003 #7 Hot 100 #2 Mainstream Top 40 #19 Adult Contemporary
"Evanescence were always very hit or miss for me, but this was an undeniable hit. Whatever your opinion on Amy Lee, you can't refute how beautiful her voice is on this track. It's a haunting song, from the lone piano to Lee's soaring vocals. The simplicity of the music and the emotional lyrics made this a song that really moved me. Also, it's actually the only song by Evanescence still on my iPod." - Allistair McGeorge "While ‘Bring Me To Life' was the slightly bigger hit, ‘My Immortal' was perhaps even more important in Evanescence's career – and the proof is shown here, as we find it just that much better than the band's debut rock hit. ‘My Immortal' allowed Amy Lee to step out front and prove that she was the main attraction of the band and she was more than just another girl singing for a group of guy rockers. It also proved that Evanescence was much more than the rest of the ‘loud rock song' one-trick ponies of the decade. Truly beautiful." - Mitch Michaels

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#77Aesthetics Of Hate Machine Head from The Blackening
		Chart History: Released March 27, 2007 Best Metal Performance Grammy (2008)
"This song merits inclusion for three reasons. Firstly, Machine Head's The Blackening is one of the definitive metal records of this decade, and showed how you don't need to have a cool scene genre label (nu-, -core or whatever) in order to rip it up with the razor sharp riffs. This song is a fine example of that. Secondly, ‘Hate' is a heartfelt display of wrath against those who would disparage the memory of a fallen hero like Dimebag Darrell (for a more tender song, seek out ‘In This River' by Black Label Society) and that is more than enough for it to gain inclusion on this list. Lastly, it's a searing few minutes of metal, and has given me some of the most intense pit experiences of recent years. To all the posing kids with their hairdos and frantic guitars shapes - THIS IS METAL!" - Chris Crowing

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#76Jesus, Etc. Wilco from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
		Chart History: Released April 23, 2002 Album track from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot #13 Billboard 200
"This was one of the few non-singles to make our Top 100 list. ‘Jesus, Etc.' stands out from the rest of Wilco's amazing catalog (try to think of a better pop-rock band from the past 20 years) for its use of violins. Jeff Tweedy's cryptic, symbolic lyrics seem to be about consumerism, the highs and lows of romantic love, the 9/11 attacks and drug use. These serious topics coupled with the somber tone of the song make ‘Jesus, Etc.' a song that effects me emotionally more so than 99.9% of music, period." - Brian Berry "'Jesus, Etc.', in many ways, cemented Jeff Tweedy's status as an important singer/songwriter for the 2000's. Quirky, troubled, thoughtful, and reassuring all at the same time, the song defined the Wilco sound from that point forward. The 2001 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot changed not only the direction that Wilco would take, but the direction of American music as a whole. ‘Jesus, Etc.' literally dominated college radio for the following year and the song is still a constant at Wilco's live shows, almost like a security blanket." - C.A. Bell "I agree with Brian so much about the effect of ‘Jesus, Etc.' on the listener emotionally. It is amazing that an album track would make it to a group-made Top 100 list, but the fact that it's from such a high profile album – one that, in its own way, changed the way the music business ran. The strings and that tone-perfect electric piano are just part of what makes this track so great. I may not completely understand the themes of ‘Jesus', but when Jeff Tweedy sings that ‘our love is all we have', I completely feel it." - Mitch Michaels

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#75B.Y.O.B. System of a Down from Mezmerize
		Chart History: Released August 23, 2005 #27 Hot 100 #1 Mainstream Rock #1 Modern Rock
"I vividly remember this being played in the Cathouse before it was released as a single. It came across as something new, as something important - one of those releases that make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Most of all I remember that it was completely impossible to dance to - and it remained so for a few weeks until the song was implanted into my subconscious and I was no longer continually caught out by the time and tempo changes. That first play produced some of the most un-self conscious dance floor idiocy I have ever seen. That is the beauty of System - they can make your toes tap, while still laying down some righteous anti-establishment messages. Pure genius." - Chris Crowing

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#74Lost Without U Robin Thicke from The Evolution Of Robin Thicke
		Chart History: Released 2006 #14 Hot 100 #1 R&B/Hip-Hop #28 Pop 100
"When people caught wind of the news of yet another melanin-deficient R&B singer, a lot of R&B fans weren't very enthused. After all, they already had to deal with Kedar Massenburg forcing Remy Shand (remember him?) down everyone's throats as the new neo-soul sensation. Then on top, this new guy, Robin Thicke, is the son of that guy from ‘GROWING PAINS'?! R&B fans everywhere were collectively rolling on the floor laughing...until ‘Lost Without U' came on the radio. The success of this song made Robin Thicke the first white male artist to hit #1 on the R&B charts since George Michael (‘One More Try' in 1988), making it one of 2006's biggest surprises." - Phil Watts, Jr. "Before the release of this song, Robin Thicke was a struggling singer/songwriter. His debut album had tanked and no one really knew who this guy was, apart from a very well informed few. ‘Lost Without U' was the second single from his sophomore album The Evolution of Robin Thicke. The first single, ‘Wanna Love You Girl', had performed disastrously, and there was very little hype or expectation for ‘Lost Without U'. However, the song started to slowly gain momentum, and eventually became a sleeper hit. It was a breath of fresh air for R&B fans who had been bombarded with inferior music made for dance floors rather than bedrooms - the smooth soulful vocals of Thicke and the gentle guitar background were surprisingly addictive. Thicke went on to establish himself as a legitimate mainstream soul artist who could be successful without having to produce commercial music - he's the kind of artist that urban music really needs right now to restore credibility." - Weng Yu

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#73Hemorrhage (In My Hands) Fuel from Something Like Human
		Chart History: Released 2000 #30 Hot 100 #1 Modern Rock #2 Mainstream Rock
"To me, Fuel is just one of those bands that fits. By that I mean that Fuel always finds a way to make music that can fit any situation and stay awesome. "Hemorrhage" is the epitome of this. I have heard this song in many different moods and places but when it comes on I can only turn it up, no matter what mood I'm in. This song never gets old and it certainly hit a nerve for me. The beautiful guitar and the soft yet aggressive vocal work meld together into a fantastic track and "Hemorrhage" deserves all of the praise that it is given and more. In my eyes, it is the ideal alternative rock song and this is the standard by which alt bands should try to write." - Jacbo Leo

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#72Icky Thump The White Stripes from Icky Thump
		Chart History: Released April 26, 2007 #26 Hot 100 #1 Modern Rock #11 Mainstream Rock
"This was easily my favorite track by the Detroit duo. The guitar riff felt so familiar that when I first heard it, I seriously thought it was a cover. Alas, it was not. It's just the Whites know how to structure a song. If you listen to this song and don't like it, then you plainly can't appreciate rock music at its finest." - Mikey MiGo "Why the fuck were we all crying for Led Zeppelin to get back together last year when we had ‘Icky Thump'? The White Stripes have made a plethora of amazing music over the decade, but few tapped into the primal, 70's style riff rock like this song. Just further proof that anything Jack White touches turns to gold." - Mitch Michaels

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#71Change (In The House Of Flies) Deftones from White Pony
		Chart History: Released June 27, 2000 #105 Hot 100 #3 Alternative Rock #9 Mainstream Rock
"This song was one of my top picks for this list and stands as easily the most iconic song from the first part of this decade - to me at least. Moving on from the anthemic quality of ‘Be Quiet & drive (Far Away)', ‘Change' added a timeless, haunting quality and a HUGE chorus to truly announce the Deftones' arrival at rock's top table, even if it wasn't to last. The acoustic version some of the album version's power, but allows the layers in the guitar and Chino's voice to really shine. Both versions have been close to my heart for the longest time." - Chris Crowing "The Deftones are appreciated by a diehard fan base, but this specific song broke down a lot of doors and entered the mainstream. Uncompromised, the song pulls you into a dark tunnel while still rocking you to the core. I might even go as far as saying this is the most non-mainstream mainstream song of this entire list. When people talk about getting goose bumps because of a specific song, for most this would be it." - Mikey MiGo "Deftones are often unfairly lumped in with the "nu-metal" movement of the early 90's -2000's. They're more talented than to be stuck with a label that died long ago, and ‘Change (In The House Of Flies)' is an excellent example of this. While played out nowadays thanks to repeated use in other media, anyone who hasn't had sex to this song – further proof that Chino Moreno can write his ass off – is just plain missing out." - Michael Melchor

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#70The Middle Jimmy Eat World from Bleed American
		Chart History: Released February 26, 2002 #5 Hot 100 #39 Mainstream Rock # Modern Rock
"I once read that Jimmy Eat World were the ‘thinking man's emo', and I kinda agree. Despite being more ‘emo' than most bands, they've managed to do well in spite of that tag, and not be limited by it. This is a great feel-good anthem for the upset underdog, and seeing it live in 2007 was a brilliant moment for me. Plus, who can say they've listened to this and haven't played air guitar with the solo?" - Allistair McGeorge "In my twenties, I loved this song and cranked it up every time I heard it. Now because of overexposure and my age, the song has lost some spirit for me. When I was younger, the song spoke to me because of its positive outlook on human nature. The theme is that these ‘Gossip Girls'-like mellow dramas and the social cast systems found in high school will go away in time. These trivial problems give way to new problems like making your mortgage payment and other personal stresses, trust me." - Tom Santoro "Wow, calm down Tom. Just because the song kind of leans towards the high school set, doesn't mean we can't apply it to our lives as 30-somethings. ‘The Middle' is a great pop/rock song with a great message – be yourself and fuck anybody who doesn't like it. And that's not just for kids. It's also one of those songs you just KNOW. Even if you've never heard of Jimmy Eat World or if you've never even turned on rock radio, odds are if someone says ‘It just takes some time, little girl, you're in the middle of the ride', you'll shout right back that ‘everything, everything will be just fine, everything, everything will be alright, alright'." - Mitch Michaels

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#69Made You Look Nas from God's Son
		Chart History: Released February 11, 2003 #32 Hot 100 #12 R&B/Hip-Hop #9 Rap
"After years of Nas either playing the Mafioso roll as Escobar or trying to kick knowledge, people just wanted him to cut loose for a change. The fans wanted a hardcore street track, the kind that only Nas could give us. "Made You Look" was that track. This rugged track silenced all the critics that thought that Nas lost his touch over the years. This, as well as the whole God's Son album (not to mention Stillmatic) helped Nas regain his status as one of NY's rap legends." - Phil Watts, Jr.

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#68Drive Incubus from Make Yourself
		Chart History: Released December 5, 2000 #9 Hot 100 #1 Alternative Rock #8 Mainstream Rock
"Some songs slip underneath your skin and refuse to leave. While Incubus would become known for their laid back anthems like ‘Wish You Were Here', this song is the prototype for that pattern. From the laid back guitar (or funky bass on the Live at Red Rocks version) to Brandon Boyd's always smooth and assured delivery, this song remains the ideal soundtrack to the early evening around the fire with your buddies. "Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there/With open arms and open eyes." Words to live your life by... " - Chris Crowing

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#67Bodies Drowning Pool from Sinner
		Chart History: Released 2001 #119 Hot 100 #6 Mainstream Rock #12 Modern Rock
" This is possibly the definitive dance-floor filling rock tune of the decade. An excellent example of build and release, I received many bumps and bruises bouncing around the floor of the Cathouse to this tune back in the day. It seems so long ago, but my calendar tells me it was only a few short years. Any further analysis is worthless – this is simply the most fun, immediate, cathartic release of a tune packed into a few short minutes of radio time. Go forth and mosh!" - Chris Crowing "RIP Dave Williams. Were it not for his passing, I'm convinced that Drowning Pool would be a much bigger name than they are today. This would be the prime example I point to, as they penned a song too violent for radio, but yet managed to become a staple of such, anyway. Dave Williams' voice is the focal point that hammers it all home, letting out frustration that few mainstream singers before him ever could." - Michael Melchor

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#66B.O.B. OutKast from Stankonia
		Chart History: Released September 6, 2000 #69 R&B/Hip-Hop
"The challenge here is to keep up with the lyrics and even the tempo itself. The only way to really do this is to listen to it a million times. I'm sure I'm not alone in that effort. When it was first released it was titled ‘Bombs Over Bagdad', but then certain historical events happened and it was shortened. While the title was changed, the song still remains one of the best hip-hop party songs of the decade." - Mikey MiGo "Not many people can rap, period – let alone are they able to do it this fast and this clear. The lyrics that Big Boi and Andre spit out at light speed were matched only by a huge, hyper beat that sounded like nothing else at the time. ‘Don't pull the thang out unless you plan to bang' – and damned if they didn't..." - Michael Melchor

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#65Chop Suey System of a Down from Toxicity
		Chart History: Released August 2001 #76 Hot 100 #12 Mainstream Rock #7 Modern Rock
"Arguably the tune that shot SOAD to stardom. From it's iconic form-blurring video to the memorable descending scale in the intro, followed by Serj's by turns staccato and soaring vocals, ‘Chop Suey' grabbed your attention, held it and lived long as a beloved memory. More full of hooks than the interrogator at Guantanamo Bay's kitbag, from ‘I don't think you trust' to ‘wake up' and ‘why have you forsaken me…' not to mention Daron's sweeping and soaring guitar. I still have no idea what it's about, but I love it anyway…" - Chris Crowing "System was one or two hit albums away from owning the decade's hard rock scene. While that didn't happen, their works don't go unappreciated. ‘Chop Suey' is badass by the very definition. Serj's vocals are what made this band more than another run of the mill rock band. Now if they'd only reunite, focus more on Serj's vocals, less of Daron's vocals, then we'd be back in business." - Mikey MiGo

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#64Blood And Thunder Mastodon from Leviathan
		Chart History: Released 2004
"You know from the initial rush of off-tempo guitars swiftly followed by drums that this song was a little different from what we'd come to expect from the 'New Wave of American Heavy Metal'. Mastodon was always worth more than that, and once you get through the breathless superlatives which were ladled on them at the time, you can see this is a band of far greater depth, progressive inclination and heart than all the fashionable posery of their peers. ‘Blood and Thunder' deserves it's inclusion here just for being Mastodon's best known song, but also because it is a rollickingly infectious slice of rock, to the point that you don't realize how much these guys are smashing down the standards (like time signature and tempo) until you've been listening to the song intently for some time. A hit single AND a progressive masterpiece? You'd better believe it..." - Chris Crowing "‘I think that someone's trying to get me' – that first line exemplifies the paranoia of their subject, Captain Ahab. Having the nuts to write a concept album about an ancient piece of literature that kids consider torture to have to read is another subject entirely, but this opening track from Leviathan shows that Mastodon had the wherewithal and blister to back up the concept with sounds coming from them in this track that would have bludgeoned that whale to death." - Michael Melchor

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#63Ch-Check It Out Beastie Boys from To The 5 Burroughs
		Chart History: Released March 2004 #68 Hot 100 #1 Modern Rock
"As a big fan of the Boys, it isn't terribly hard for me to call To The 5 Boroughs their weakest album since Licensed To Ill, which I still argue is their worst. However, these guys still know how to spot a lead single, and this delivers. Sure, there's a little bit of the diminishment you'd expect for a band reaching it's 20th anniversary, but it still drips with the Beastie Boys sound and style. Maybe that doesn't sound like a glowing #63 review but with the Beastie Boys, as the cliche goes, their average often beats other bands' best, especially when we're talking radio singles." - Lucas Wesley "One of the more irritating aspects of hip-hop over the past 10 years is that today's fans have been brainwashed into believing this notion that hip-hop is a "Young man's sport". It seems that the only time a veteran artists gets respect is when they follow the silly trends that today's 'Hot' young artists follow. It's a silly aspect that no other form of music shares. It's good to see MCA, Ad-Rock, and Mike D, all in their mid-40's (and looking the part), still sounding like they just came out, and not giving a shit what everyone else is doing." - Phil Watts, Jr.

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#62Get By Talib Kweli from Quality
		Chart History: Released March 11, 2003 #77 Hot 11 #29 R&B/Hip-Hop #16 Rap
"‘The TV got us reaching' for stars/Not the ones between Venus and Mars, the ones that be reading' for parts/Some people get breast enhancements and penis enlargers/Saturday sinners, Sunday morning at the feet of the Father…' After the releases of Kweli's Train Of Thought and Mos Def's Black On Both Sides, they were both having a little trouble making material that came remotely close to their early work. However, through that tumultuous period, Kweli dropped this gem. Not only does it show Kweli at his best, but it also has one of Kanye West's best beats of his career." - Phil Watts, Jr.

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#61Lost Cause Beck from Sea Change
		Chart History: Released 2002 #36 Modern Rock
"As a big fan of Beck, I get into this argument a lot. Sea Change is his best album, they say. A failed attempt at Serge Gainsbourg, with acoustic numbers he would have rejected for One Foot In The Grave, I respond. However, there are two shining lights on the album, and this is the stronger of the two (for the curious, the other is ‘The Golden Age‘). People always argue the strings on Sea Change are what makes it reach that beauty that is his finest album, and if every track had the looping, atmospheric feel of ‘Lost Cause‘, that would be worth arguing. Unfortunately for the album, but I suppose fortunately for the song, this is the only place it hits." - Lucas Wesley "This is the song I voted as my number one song of the decade and it stands as the centerpiece of Beck's classic Sea Change. Beck manages to sound so incredibly defeated here, and that just heightens the emotional impact. For such an evolving artist, Beck found a real comfort zone as the heartbroken folkie on the whole album, but especially this song. ‘Lost Cause' is a perfectly constructed three minutes and forty seven seconds, with Beck sounding so resigned to his fate that you end up almost as heartbroken as he is. " - Andrew Moll

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And that wraps us up again this week. Come back next week, where we continue with #60.