Best Songs of 2001

As if you couldn’t tell by the first few songs on this list, I was in the throes of a TRL love affair in 2001. What can I say? I graduated from college in May of that year; pre-adult emotions were running high. More importantly, the influx of all this blatant pop into my list, which would basically come to a screeching halt the following year, speaks a lot to the power of friendly influence in one’s musical taste.

I will not call it peer pressure, because there are plenty of songs on here that I love about which I know very few others will feel the same, if they even know of the song in the first place. But it is definitely easier to get swept up in caring about something when you are surrounded by other people who care about it too.

Obviously I just explained fandom like nobody else had ever thought of it this way (alert: they have), but it is something I tend to forget about. I like to think of myself as an iconoclastic music fan, who is not easily swayed by trends or popularity. I like to think I am settled in my own tastes and can find things on my own without any help.

Both of those things may be true, but they are also patently false. I do not live in a vacuum. Not only do I take musical recommendations, I welcome them. And even now, though my list of influencers is smaller and less frequently tapped as it once was, I am still very susceptible to their power of suggestion.

Having said all that, just a rare few of the tracks featured on this list were ones I discovered after the year 2001, and most of these 100 songs came from artists I already knew, or were introduced to me by MTV and the radio (because those were still very important starting points back then), even as I spent much of my year using file sharing services as my new listening station.

For these year-end lists, I like to undertake the seemingly impossibly task of creating an hours-long mix. The order you see below represents that effort, which you can listen to via Spotify. Sadly all 100 tracks aren't available, but you get the general idea. Track notes to come eventually or maybe never.

Show Grid

Girlfriend (Remix)

*NSYNC featuring Nelly

Girlfriend

Jive
via MTV, past experience library: 8/6/2009

Notes
This Is Me

Dream

It Was All a Dream

Bad Boy
via Tower Records listening station library: 11/19/2009

Notes
More Than a Woman

Aaliyah

Aaliyah

EMI
via past experience, the ether library: 11/19/2009

Notes
Like a Feather

Nikka Costa

Everybody Got Their Something

Virgin
via 103.7 The Mountain library: 12/8/2010

Notes
Closet Freak

Cee-Lo Green

Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections

Arista
via retroactive experience library: 5/31/2012

Notes
Where the Party At?

Jagged Edge featuring Nelly

Jagged Little Thrill

Columbia
via MTV library: 11/19/2009

Notes
All for You

Janet Jackson

All for You

Virgin
via past experience library: 1/7/2011

Notes
Lady (Hear Me Tonight)

Modjo

Modjo

MCA
via Chris Mercurio library: 11/7/2003

Notes
Don’t Falter

Mint Royale

On the Ropes

Faith & Hope
via MTV2 library: 7/9/2004

Notes
1983

The Incredible Moses Leroy

Electric Pocket Radio

Ultimatum Music
via retroactive experience library: 2/26/2011

Notes
I Want the Wind to Blow

The Microphones

The Glow, Pt. 2

K
via retroactive experience library: 9/6/2016

Notes
Wrong Impression

Natalie Imbruglia

White Lilies Island

RCA
via MTV library: 9/4/2009

Notes
Linger

Jonatha Brooke

Steady Pull

Bad Dog
via 103.7 The Mountain library: 11/22/2003

Notes
Roll Me Over

Peter Stuart

Propeller

Vanguard
via past experience (Dog’s Eye View) / 103.7 The Mountain library: 11/9/2003 (10/22/2002)

Notes
Mississippi

Train

Drops of Jupiter

Columbia
via past experience library: 11/1/2003 (3/29/2001)

Notes
Just Like Gravity

CPR

Just Like Gravity

Gold Circle
via past experience (David Crosby), 103.7 The Mountain library: 11/4/2003 (7/25/2001)

Notes
Nobody Girl

Ryan Adams

Gold

Lost Highway
via 103.7 The Mountain library: 10/29/2003 (11/14/2001)

Notes
Song

Varnaline

Songs in a Northern Key

Artemis
via retroactive experience (New Multitudes) library: 3/11/2012

Notes
Media

John Butler Trio

Three

Astor Music
via live in concert library: 11/9/2003 (8/16/2002)

Notes
Free at Last

G. Love & Special Sauce

Electric Mile

550
via past experience, Tower Records sampler library: 7/23/2005

Notes
Everyday

Dave Matthews Band

Everyday

RCA
via past experience library: 11/11/2003 (2/11/2001)

Notes
83

John Mayer

Room for Squares

Aware/Columbia
via past experience library: 10/31/2003 (9/5/2001)

Notes
Impossible Love

Daniel Johnston

Rejected Unknown

Gammon
via retroactive experience library: 12/18/2011

Notes
Johnny Appleseed

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

Global a Go-Go

Epitaph
via 103.7 The Mountain library: 12/6/2003

Notes
Waste Your Time

Freedy Johnston

Right Between the Promises

Elektra
via past experience library: 11/10/2003 (8/19/2001)

Notes
Life on a Chain

Pete Yorn

Musicforthemorningafter

Columbia
via 103.7 The Mountain library: 11/1/2003 (6/12/2001)

Notes
Directions

Jay Farrar

Sebastopol

Artemis
via past experience, 103.7 The Mountain library: 11/14/2003 (12/18/2001)

Notes
The Way That He Sings

My Morning Jacket

At Dawn

Darla
via KEXP library: 11/26/2003 (8/29/2003)

Notes
Moment in the Sun

Clem Snide

The Ghost of Fashion

spinART
via Ed (2001–02) library: 11/9/2003 (2/1/2002)

Notes
Stations

Denison Witmer

Of Joy & Sorrow

TK
via retroactive experience, KEXP library: 4/26/2007
Somethin’ to Believe In

Shawn Mullins featuring Shawn Colvin

Beneath the Velvet Sun

Columbia
via past experience library: 10/26/2003 (3/2/2001)
Mississippi

Bob Dylan

Love and Theft

Columbia
via past experience library: 5/30/2011

Notes
Vanilla Sky

Paul McCartney

Vanilla Sky

Reprise
via past experience library: 11/10/2003 (12/25/2001)

Notes
I Want Love

Elton John

Songs From the West Coast

Universal
via past experience library: 11/5/2003 (10/13/2001)

Notes
The Lights of London

David Gray

This Year’s Love

IHT
via past experience library: 11/13/2003 (10/23/2001)

Notes
Sing

Travis

The Invisible Band

Sony
via past experience library: 11/2/2003 (6/12/2001)

Notes
Good Souls

Starsailor

Love Is Here

Chrysalis
via KEXP library: 9/10/2005

Notes
Save Me

Remy Zero

The Golden Hum

Elektra
via Smallville (2001) library: 3/30/2008

Notes
Evolution Revolution Love

Tricky featuring Ed Kowalczyk

Blowback

Hollywood
via past experience library: 10/22/2021

Notes
Don’t Mix Your Drinks

Elbow

Asleep in the Back

V2
via Amazon MP3 library: 2/25/2007

Notes
Pyramid Song

Radiohead

Amnesiac

Parlophone
via past experience library: 11/10/2003 (6/14/2001)
Notes
Avril 14th

Aphex Twin

Drukqs

Warp
via retroactive experience, the Kanye West sample library: 9/24/2008

Notes
Glue of the World

Four Tet

Pause

Domino
via retroactive experience library: 9/11/2015

Notes
Breathe

Télépopmusik

Genetic World

Capitol
via the Mitsubishi Outlander commercial (2003) library: 11/19/2009

Notes
Destiny

Zero 7

Simple Things

Palm Pictures
via MTV2, 103.7 The Mountain library: 11/7/2003 (1/18/2002)

Notes
Point of View

DB Boulevard

Point of View

Epic
via Amp on MTV2 library: 3/2/2008

Notes
Illuminate

Orbital featuring David Gray

The Altogether

FFRR
via source unknown, past experience library: 3/2/2008

Notes
Fill Me In

Craig David

Born to Do It

Atlantic
via MTV library: 7/1/2010

2000 European release.
We Fit Together

O-Town

O-Town

J
via TRL on MTV library: 8/24/2009

Notes
I’ll Be Here Awhile

311

From Chaos

Volcano
via past experience library: 12/7/2004

Notes
Wish You Were Here

Incubus

Morning View

Sony
via past experience library: 11/1/2003 (10/23/2001)

Notes
Chop Suey!

System of a Down

Toxicity

Sony
via TRL on MTV library: 1/8/2011

Notes
Tribute

Tenacious D

Tenacious D

Epic
via TRL on MTV library: 11/8/2009

Notes
Screaming Infidelities

Dashboard Confessional

The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most

Vagrant
via MTV library: 9/23/2006

Notes
At Your Funeral

Saves the Day

Stay What You Are

Vagrant
via MTV2 library: 11/7/2003 (2/1/2002)

Notes
Sweetness

Jimmy Eat World

Bleed American

Dreamworks
via MTV2 library: 11/2/2003 (8/30/2001)

Notes
Stay Together for the Kids

Blink-182

Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

MCA
via past experience library: 10/20/2008

Notes
Hey Baby

No Doubt

Rock Steady

Interscope
via past experience library: 12/7/2004

Notes
Dig In

Lenny Kravitz

Lenny

Virgin
via past experience library: 11/19/2009

Notes
Bootylicious

Destiny’s Child

Survivor

Columbia
via past experience library: 7/20/2011

Notes
Get Ur Freak On

Missy Elliott

Miss E… So Addictive

Elektra
via past experience library: 9/4/2012

Notes
Roll Out (My Business)

Ludacris

Word of Mouf

Def Jam
via past experience library: 11/19/2009

Notes
I’m a Thug

Trick Daddy

Thugs Are Us

Slip-N-Slide
via MTV library: 3/8/2010

Notes
The Whole World

Outkast

Big Boi & Dre Present…

Arista
via past experience library: 4/14/2005

Notes
Izzo (H.O.V.A.)

Jay-Z

The Blueprint

Roc-A-Fella
via past experience, MTV library: 11/24/2010

Notes
19-2000

Gorillaz

Gorillaz

Virgin
via 107.7 The End, MTV2 library: 11/17/2003 (7/21/2001)

Notes
Aisle 10 (Hello Allison)

Scapegoat Wax

OKEEBLOW

Grand Royal
via Grand Royal Radio library: 11/2/2003 (7/5/2001)

Notes
Short Skirt/Long Jacket

Cake

Comfort Eagle

Columbia
via past experience library: 5/17/2009

Notes
The Vagabond

Air featuring Beck

10,000 Hz Legend

Astralwerks
via past experience library: 6/11/2011

Notes
Dream On

Depeche Mode

Exciter

Mute
via past experience library: 1/12/2010

Notes
Where’s Your Head At

Basement Jaxx

Rooty

Astralwerks
via MTV2 library: 7/1/2005

Notes
Fell in Love With a Girl

The White Stripes

White Blood Cells

Sympathy for the Record Industry
via MTV2 library: 11/7/2003 (4/5/2002)

Notes
Someday

The Strokes

Is This It

RCA
via MTV, MTV2 library: 11/2/2003 (11/14/2001)

Notes
Have a Nice Day

Stereophonics

Just Enough Education to Perform

V2
via source unknown library: 11/2/2003 (3/9/2002)

Notes
California

Rufus Wainwright

Poses

Dreamworks
via past experience library: 10/29/2003 (6/12/2001)

Notes
Imitation of Life

R.E.M.

Reveal

Warner Bros
via past experience library: 10/26/2003 (5/15/2001)

Notes
On a Roll

The Actual Tigers

Gravelled & Green

Nettwerk America
via past experience (Willis) library: 10/29/2003 (7/21/2001)

Notes
Silver Lining

Beulah

Coast Is Never Clear

Velocette
via MTV2 library: 9/23/2006

Notes
Island in the Sun

Weezer

Weezer

Geffen
via past experience library: 4/26/2007

Notes
Punk as Fuck

The American Analog Set

Know By Heart

Tigerstyle
via retroactive experience, KEXP library: 4/20/2008

Notes
Penelope

Pinback

Blue Screen Life

Ace Fu
via retroactive experience, KEXP library: 8/13/2008

Notes
Everything Hits at Once

Spoon

Girls Can Tell

Merge
via retroactive experience library: 5/28/2007

Notes
Caring Is Creepy

The Shins

Oh, Inverted World

Sub Pop
via my sister library: 7/9/2004

Notes
We Laugh Indoors

Death Cab for Cutie

The Photo Album

Barsuk
via MTV2, KEXP library: 11/9/2003 (1/18/2003)

Notes
Sentimental Man

The Dismemberment Plan

Change

DeSoto
via KEXP library: 11/10/2003 (1/4/2002)
Chain

Chris Whitley

Rocket House

ATO
via past experience library: 11/1/2003 (7/5/2001)

Notes
Piano Fire

Sparklehorse

It’s a Wonderful Life

Capitol
via KEXP library: 10/15/2006

Notes
Don’t Be Sad

Whiskeytown

Pneumonia

Lost Highway
via 103.7 The Mountain / past experience library: 11/22/2003 (Summer 2001)

Notes
Question

Old 97s

Satellite Rides

Elektra
via past experience library: 11/10/2003 (4/20/2001)

Notes
Revelator

Gillian Welch

Time (The Revelator)

Acony
via past experience library: 9/22/2009

Notes
Have You Forgotten

Red House Painters

Vanilla Sky

Reprise
via Vanilla Sky (2001) library: 11/10/2003 (12/25/2001)

Notes
Sunflower

Low

Things We Lost in the Fire

Kranky
via retroactive experience library: 11/14/2008

Notes
Day Is Done

Charlie Hunter Quartet featuring Norah Jones

Songs From the Analog Playground

Blue Note
via 103.7 The Mountain library: 10/31/2003

Notes
Fred Jones Part 2

Ben Folds

Rockin’ the Suburbs

Epic
via past experience library: 11/14/2003 (10/14/2001)

Notes
This Woman’s Work

Maxwell

Now

Columbia
via past experience, MTV library: 5/28/2011

Notes
A Woman’s Worth

Alicia Keys

Songs in A Minor

J
via MTV library: 8/6/2009

Notes
My Endless Fall

Chocolate Genius

Godmusic

V2
via Tower Records sampler library: 7/23/2005

Notes
Soulshine

Michael Franti & Spearhead

Stay Human

Six Degrees
via past experience library: 11/4/2003 (5/25/2001)

Notes
Since I Left You

The Avalanches

Since I Left You

Sire
via MTV2 library: 11/7/2003 (12/25/2001)

Notes
One More Time

Daft Punk

Discovery

Virgin
via past experience library: 6/24/2005

Notes