Twenty years ago popular music was a colourful tapestry of refined yet bold tracks.
Christina Aguilera reminded the world of her vocal prowess, Justin Timberlake brought “sexy back”, Beyonce asserted her dominance and Rihanna showed why she was Queen Bey's heir.
Rock remained a steady presence on the radio courtesy of a mix of anthems by seasoned acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the next wave of big bands such as The Killers and My Chemical Romance.
Elsewhere, dance music encroached deeper on to the charts through anthems retaining underground pedigree and channelling the communal spirit of club culture.
Here are 26 songs, arranged alphabetically, that will turn 20 years old in 2026.
1. Ain’t No Other Man by Christina Aguilera
After moving from teen pop to embrace bolder dance and RnB, Aguilera reminded audiences in 2006 that it was her voice that mattered. Ain’t No Other Man is one of the singer’s finest vocal performances that saw her dip into the horns-soaked sounds of classic soul and funk. The move paid off with the single doing well on charts on both sides of the Atlantic.
2. Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood
Country music's charge into pop music is built on a steady string of crossover singles such as this gem. A fun and unapologetic kiss-off to Underwood's cheating beau, the twang and catchy hooks not only made it a radio staple, but also a favourite karaoke tune for years to come.
3. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
After leaning into mainstream exposure with the fizzy indie rockers of their previous album Final Straw, the Northern Irish band made a swing for the big leagues and scored a major hit in this luscious anthem. Of course, being featured in a key scene in medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, which was at the peak of its ratings, helped, and the band haven’t stopped playing it in arenas ever since.
4. Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis
Speaking of sport metaphors, surely the British indie band were somewhat calculating when creating what became an anthem heard in football stadiums around the world. Powered by rollicking riffs and a rowdy singalong chorus made for crowd participation, Chelsea Dagger may have overshadowed whatever they did next, but its legacy should live on for a long while yet.
5. Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
The UK number one seemingly came out of nowhere and defied categorisation. Blending soul, hip-hop and psychedelic pop, Crazy sounded familiar yet distinct from the pop sounds of the mid-noughties. That kind of fun eccentricity would go on to lay the groundwork for more experimental work by mainstream artists such as Sia, Bruno Mars and Haim.
6. Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy’s success is looked upon as the final wave of pop-punk's mainstream success before its latent resurgence 20 years later. While already a seasoned group at the time, the band sharpened the hooks without losing their signature feral energy with Dance, Dance, which became a certified anthem.
7. Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Twenty-four years since releasing their debut album, the band continued their astonishing consistency and creativity with this monster single, which was the lead cut from the double album Stadium Arcadium. Sounding both fresh and firmly within the band’s melodic rock template, Dani California also benefits from another of the band’s brilliant choruses.
8. Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira ft Wyclef Jean
Few songs in 2006 travelled as widely or as quickly. Hips Don’t Lie fused vibrant Latin rhythms with pop accessibility, helping to accelerate the global crossover of Latin pop – way before Luis Fonsi’s Despacito entered the game. Topping a number of international charts, the single cemented Shakira as a genuinely global pop star unbound by language or territory.
9. How to Save a Life by The Fray
The Fray found an unexpected global hit with this syrupy ballad. The earnest lyrics on survival and the genteel piano arrangements made it not only a radio staple, but also ubiquitous in television dramas, which probably explains why it’s loved by some, loathed by others.
10. I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ by Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters took their flamboyance seriously. I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ channelled the disco pop of the Seventies without irony in this smashing single powered by singer Jake Shears’s irrepressible falsetto. That said, this is not some disco retread. I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ works because the production is modern, proving that theatrical pop-rock can be cool and fun.
11. I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco also added a flair and colour to pop punk in this breakout single, which blended almost baroque melodies with pop-punk urgency. The verbose lyrics and its penchant for drama made the track stand out in a genre still rigid in its approach.
12. Irreplaceable by Beyonce
One of Beyonce’s finest singles, Irreplaceable showed she could be just as mesmerising when dialling down the vocal fireworks in a bruised ballad whose lyrics were penned by Ne-Yo.
13. Naive by The Kooks
The Kooks’s sunny sound was a contrast to the often gloomy approach undertaken by fellow post-punk acts. Naive is charming and woozy and, in turn, broadened the appeal of the British indie scene.
14. Patience by Take That
Patience marks the kind of comeback single bands could only dream of. Where similar boy bands have tried to capture the winning sounds of old, Take That acted their age in Patience, a magnificent and searching ballad that allowed them to lean into their maturity rather than nostalgia and set them up for the next two decades.
15. Put Your Hands Up for Detroit by Fedde le Grand
As dance music edged further into the mainstream charts, Fedde le Grand’s minimal house anthem stood out for its minimalism. Built on repetition rather than any vocal excess, it smacked of commercial appeal without diminishing its underground credibility. The track became a fixture in clubs worldwide – a further step in EDM’s eventual domination of the charts.
16. Rehab by Amy Winehouse
While it can be difficult to strip the tragic context surrounding Rehab, the single by the late Amy Winehouse remains a classic as both a piece of polished pop-soul song and an unflinching personal reflection on the toll of substance abuse.
17. SexyBack by Justin Timberlake ft Timbaland
Timberlake’s last world tour notoriously failed to capture the magic of old. Then again, perhaps a lot of it was down to him being part of the musical pop zeitgeist at one time. Timberlake and producer Timbaland created both a sonic statement – with its heady mix of swaggering and jagged synths and heaving rhythms – and a slogan on reclaiming one’s mojo.
18. Smack That by Akon ft Eminem
Akon always had a gift for melody, and those instincts paired seamlessly with Eminem’s propulsive rapping in Smack That. Its success reflected the era’s appetite for genre fusion.
19. Smile by Lily Allen
Lily Allen’s debut single introduced us to what remains her enduring appeal. Pairing cheerful melodies with biting lyricism that was both cynical and heartfelt, the song’s success established Allen as a new voice sharply attuned to the UK’s working class and media culture.
20. So Sick by Ne-Yo
An unsung hero of 2006, as well as penning champion ballads for Beyonce, Ne-Yo scored a hit of his own with So Sick, which remains the best representation of his contribution to modern RnB, one where melody was superior to vocal theatrics and lyrical introspection.
21. SOS by Rihanna
Sampling Soft Cell’s Tainted Love, SOS marked Rihanna’s first US number-one single. The track ended her transition from emerging artist to pop force – a position she would hold for over a decade.
22. Touch the Sky by Kanye West ft Lupe Fiasco
Kanye West had many creative leaps, and this represents one of the first as both producer and artist. A life-affirming anthem powered by a horn sample from Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up, Touch the Sky represented the best of what West stood for – at the time – both creatively and as a songwriter with a mission to inspire and uplift.
23. Vicarious by Tool
The standout track from the metal scene in 2006, the vicious riffs of Vicarious are offset by the honeyed croon of singer Maynard Keenan. A brooding examination of mass media consumption and voyeurism, the song is another example of how Tool’s fluid sound was both accessible and uncompromising.
24. Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
Grandiose and unapologetic, Welcome to the Black Parade elevated emo music into operatic territory. Its theatrical structure and visual presentation went on to become a signature of My Chemical Romance, with the band celebrating the defining anthem and parent album The Black Parade as part of a 20th anniversary tour this year.
25. When You Were Young by The Killers
On the back of their – well, killer – debut album, The Killers expanded their palette to take on even more bombastic production on the first single of their follow-up album Sam's Town. When You Were Young has lyrical nods to American history and the streamlined British rock sensibility made the song and band perfect for festivals.
26. World, Hold On by Bob Sinclar
Club culture of the 2000s is defined by this anthem by the French producer. Soulful vocals and house beats made World Hold On (Children of the Sky) a staple of international dance and pop charts.
