10 Worst Billboard Top 100 Songs from the Year 2001
So, we’re back with another ten entries in the worst-of Billboard list. This time from the year 2001. We’re still in the very formative years of my life, so all of these songs immediately come with memories attached. This was a little harder to put together than the worst-of list from 2000, as there’s legitimately so many great tunes that I may want to revisit and make a best-of list at some point. Grab your drink of choice and come on this journey down memory lane with me. By God, I refuse to be the only one with a messed up YouTube algorithm.
10 Worst Billboard Top 100 Songs from the Year 2001
10) Ja Rule featuring Vita – “Put it on Me”
I’m not gonna lie, I love this song. The first two entries in this list are only here because of that weird phase Ja Rule went through where he just made half rap/half R&B tunes with everyone. The lines “Cuz every thug needs a lady” and “You not just my love, you my homie” hit especially hard when I was 14 years old. This was on “The Fast and The Furious” soundtrack.
9) Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule – “I’m Real”
The first line of this song is Ja belting “What’s my mother fuckin name?!” Sir, you are collabing with JLO, calm down. Aside from being real catchy, Ja really does go way too hard here. But once again, my 14 year old ears thought he was spittin straight facts about love. If I had the swag he exhibits here, I would’ve had my pick of all the ladies.
8) Shaggy featuring Rayvon – “Angel”
This song isn’t necessarily bad, but the much better and more well known Shaggy song also came out this same year so this one was relegated to B status. Interestingly enough, this song got much more radio play because the better one wasn’t exactly radio friendly.
7) Uncle Kracker – “Follow Me”
Some people may think this is an unfair choice, but I always hated this song. I think it’s really just my dislike for Uncle Kracker, and I think it’s telling that he was essentially a flash in the pan. I find his voice annoying and he was closely affiliated with Kid Rock. Automatic trash.
6) Evan and Jaron – “Crazy for This Girl”
When making these lists, I at least skim through every song on the Top 100 list, and I had no idea who these guys were, but that chorus brought it all to the front. This was definitely on my sister’s mix cds. This song clearly isn’t as good, but the vibe really reminds me of “Flavor of the Week”.
5) Moby featuring Gwen Stefani – “South Side”
Eminem said it best when he rapped “Nobody listens to techno”. I don’t know a single person who would admit to liking Moby, but here he was somehow staying on the Billboard lists. Even Gwen Stefani’s angelic voice couldn’t save this tune.
Generic white girl R&B band. Record labels really tried to make this a thing. The chorus is remarkably similar to NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me”. I can’t unhear it. I feel like this genre was full of groups that were thrown together for commercial purposes just to see what would stick.
3) Jessica Simpson – “Irresistible”
Speaking of commercially approved fluff… I’m pretty sure Jessica was a talented singer, but she was marketed to 14 year old boys like me because of her look. A few years later she would be cast as Daisy Duke in the Sean William Scott and Johnny Knoxville reboot of the popular TV show. Talk about early 2000s nostalgia.
Oh, back to the school dance we go. I can just close my eyes and picture slow dancing with a girl in the gymnasium under the soft glow of the disco ball while my colleagues Christian, Colter, Caleb and Pete were sitting with all the other losers on the bleachers just waiting for the song to be over.
This fuckin song. The true definition of a one hit wonder. The boy band of the Nu Metal genre. The song used in the great movie “Orange County” as a symbol of everything vapid and worthless in the world. The music video is mind-boggling. So bright and colorful, but at the same time full of macho posturing. Truly hilarious. Despite how cringeworthy it is, I’m not sure I can truthfully say I hate it. Say what you want, it’s unique. We’ve never had another song like it. Worst-of lists are made just to get to gems like this.