Top 10 2000s Songs That Get EVERYONE on the Dance Floor
#10: “Just Dance”
Lady Gaga
More than 10 years have passed and not only is Lady Gaga still dropping chart topping singles, but many of her past hits have achieved legendary status. Case in point: her 2008 debut single “Just Dance”. As the title implies, the song is designed to get people out of their seats and onto the dance floor. Gaga would soon come to dominate the dance-pop genre thanks to tracks like “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face”, but neither carries the emotional and nostalgic weight of “Just Dance”. The song picked up a Grammy nomination and landed at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100’s all decade chart.
#9: “Work It”
Missy Elliott
The lead single off of her 2002 album “Under Construction”, “Work It” is both a banging hip-hop track of the upmost degree and the highest charting single of Missy Elliott’s career. The song stayed at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record 10 weeks but was denied the number 1 spot by a little song called “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. Like many of Elliott’s most memorable tracks, “Work It” grabs your attention from the start and never lets go thanks to its mesmerizing beat and the rapper’s silky-smooth flow. The song is as poppin’ today as it was in 02’, and will no doubt have people shaking their thang all night long!
#8: “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”
Soulja Boy
It’s difficult to explain just how popular this song was when it dropped in 2007. It could be heard almost everywhere! Accompanied by the now famous “Soulja Boy Dance”, which The Wall Street Journal’s John Jurgensen called “the biggest dance fad since the Macarena”, the song was a viral sensation and it catapulted Soulja Boy to the top of the charts – where it remained for 7 weeks. Nowadays you’re most likely to hear “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” at a throwback party or wedding and while it will undoubtedly cause some to roll their eyes, those same people will be rapping along to the lyrics and showing the world their best Soulja Boy Dance.
#7: “Hey Ya!”
Outkast
If you aren’t out on the dance floor by the time Andre 3000 gets to 2, there’s something seriously wrong with your internal dance clock. A funky, soul-infused track with surprisingly melancholy lyrics, “Hey Ya” dominated the charts back in 2003. An infectious bassline leads to a catchy hook that everyone and their grandmother can’t help but dance to. The song was nominated for three Grammy’s, ultimately taking home the award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance and finished the decade at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 Decade-End chart. As a testament to its enduring popularity, the song has more than 415 million views on YoutTube, despite having been released two years before the video sharing site was founded.
#6: “Hips Don't Lie”
Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean
The second single released off of her seventh studio album “Oral Fixation, Vol. 2”, “Hips Don’t Lie” topped the charts in more than 50 countries and cemented Shakira’s status as one of the most popular artists of the 2000s. A pop song that combines elements of salsa and reggaeton with samples from Wyclef Jean’s "Dance Like This" and "Amores Como el Nuestro", “Hips Don’t Lie” is unlike any of the other songs on this list. However, it’s never lost its ability to connect with partygoers, who continue to find its beat totally mesmerizing.
#5: “Yeah!”
Usher feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris
Few songs have the ability to make people stop what they’re doing and immediately start dancing. From its first chord “Yeah!” puts listeners into a trance, one that forces them to shake their booty like it’s 2004. Coming in at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Decade-End chart, the song is a time capsule from another era that continues to resonate with listeners of all ages. We’ll be the first to admit that nostalgia definitely plays a part in our love for this track – how else can you explain our need to defend Lil Jon’s uh, peculiar performance?
#4: “Bootylicious”
Destiny's Child
Destiny’s Child has no shortage of classic tracks guaranteed to get everyone on the dance floor, with “Survivor", "Say My Name" and 2004’s "Lose My Breath" all textbook examples for how to get the party started. However, for our money nothing beats “Bootylicious” when it comes to Destiny’s Child songs that were seemingly designed to make people forget their troubles and hit the dance floor. This R&B track has it all: an iconic beat, an easy to remember hook and Queen B, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams killing it in the dance moves department. Who cares if you know how to dance, just get out there and shake your booty!
#3: “Bye Bye Bye”
*NSYNC
Making the cut by just 11 days, “Bye Bye Bye” is the perfect song to throw on whenever a party is starting to feel a little bland. The track is a boy band classic, with one critic stating that the chorus was catchier than anything NSYNC had done up to that point. The song and its accompanying music video, which came in at number 21 on Billboard’s 2018 list of the 100 greatest music videos of the 21st century, make it almost impossible to stay still, regardless of the situation. With a dance that’s easy to perfect and a beat that just won’t quit, “Bye Bye Bye” will be on our throwback playlists for years to come.
#2: “Low”
Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
Okay, can we gush over this track for a minute? Few songs embody a period in hip hop quite like Flo Rida’s “Low”. Featuring the unmistakable musical stylings of the one and only T-Pain, the song is deliciously addictive, with a beat that screams “move” and lyrics that hammer home the point from start to finish. Everyone was rocking Apple Bottom jeans and boots with fur after this song dropped and if they weren’t, they wished they were! We hesitate to say this song’s continued popularity has anything to do with nostalgia, as it’s been a party staple ever since its inception in 2007. There’s just something about “dropping it low” that’s so damn hard to resist.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions:
“Promiscuous”
Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland
“One, Two Step”
Ciara feat. Missy Elliott
“Rock Your Body”
Justin Timberlake
“In Da Club”
50 Cent
“Toxic”
Britney Spears
#1: “Crazy in Love”
Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z
Warning: this track will take over your central nervous system leading to uncontrollable movements of the body, including jumping, shaking, dropping and grinding. Few could have predicted just how popular the lead single off of Beyoncé’s debut solo album “Dangerously in Love” would be. 2003’s summer anthem burst through radios with the force of a thousand speakers, infecting listeners with its high octane beat and powerful lyrics en-route to a Grammy win for “Best Rap/Sung Collaboration”. It’s since been dubbed one of the best songs of all time by Rolling Stone and the best song of the 2000s by VH1. All accolades aside, “Crazy in Love” just has that je ne sais quoi that makes it simply iconic.
