The year that Apple decided how much songs should cost, XM satellite radio is launched, and… September 11.
We all remember where we were on that day. My travels had taken me to Oshawa where I lived for two years, but commuted to Markham. I was living with my girlfriend at the time, and we were driving into work and listening to Howard Stern. It all unfolded on the drive in, and I continued listening at the office with colleagues.
Apple launched iTunes and determined that songs should cost a buck. Not 10 cents, or 50 cents, but a full dollar, thereby laying the groundwork for decades as to the value of a person having the ability to play a song when they want. I still maintain that this price point promotes piracy, whereas 10 cents or a quarter would have eliminated that. Instead, music companies waste millions of dollars playing whack-a-mole, shutting down piracy websites only for others to crop back up. And how much of that dollar does the musician get? Pennies? Now that there is no distribution, the artists should be pocketing at least 90% of revenue earned from their art. But try telling the greedy producers (and now Apple and Amazon) this.
Anyway, side note: it was at this office in Markham where my future wife worked. She had just started there a couple of weeks before 9-11, and I first laid eyes on her the day before the Christmas break. It took me five months to start speaking with her, and another 11 months to break up with my girlfriend and ask her out. Anyway, in late 2001, driving in from Oshawa, had a big impact on my music (in a negative way). I stopped hearing new music as I listened to Stern driving in, and classic rock driving home. This lasted until 2005 when I got married and moved to Pickering. The commute changed and the radio stations changed with it and I was back to hearing new stuff again. In hindsight, those were “lost years”, and songs released during that span I would hear after the fact.
Unlike most rankings, I haven’t been tossing these up in a numerical order. We can agree that on some days, certain songs kick more ass than other songs – yet other days they do not. It depends on mood and situation. A song ranked 14th today could rank 1st tomorrow if it comes on the radio at the right moment. Instead, I group them rather than present a hard-and-fast order:
Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with some inter-group splitting.
First, videos of the best from that year…
21 Great Songs from 2001
All Hell For A Basement – Big Sugar
Groundhog Day – Jonny Lang with Double Trouble
This song was actually first done by Big Sugar (!?). I didn’t know this! But I love the cover version by Double Trouble better.
If It Feels Good Do It – Sloan
When It’s Over – Sugar Ray
Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm
The Middle – Jimmy Eat World
Nicotina (She’s All That) – Big Sugar
Hey Baby – No Doubt
Life – Our Lady Peace
Anyone Else But You – The Moldy Peaches
Man…what terrible singers. But such a simple, catchy song!
Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground – The White Stripes
Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me) – Train
Hash Pipe – Weezer
Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz
One Last Breath – Creed
Survivor – Destiny’s Child
Family Affair – Mary J. Blige
Aerials – System of a Down
Last Nite – The Strokes
Underneath It All – No Doubt
Underneath Your Clothes – Shakira
13 Truly Awesome songs from 2001
Absolutely Anytime – The Watchmen
Wasting My Time – Default
Stay Together for the Kids – blink-182
Blurry – Puddle of Mudd
Whenever, Wherever – Shakira
My Sacrifice – Creed
Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus
How You Remind Me – Nickelback
This song gets scoffed at because the band gets mocked. The band gets mocked because this song was overplayed, and the rest of their songs were overplayed. But it all started here – and this song was overplayed because, well it’s good. If you only heard this song a dozen times in your life, and you heard it now, you’d love it.
She Hates Me – Puddle of Mudd
This song is so great. Could do without the cursing, and I hate censored versions.
Black Black Heart – David Usher
An unknown song and underrated artist because he’s Canadian. But this song is amazing and has two great versions of it that are widely different. Here’s the version I got to know and love:
And here is the version I am now getting to know (and loving) Black Black Heart 2.0:
It’s Been Awhile – Staind
Island In The Sun – Weezer
The above great songs from 2001 are in a YouTube playlist here.
Follow my playlists on Spotify (I have lots of great ones) here
Here is the full list of the best songs from 2001…
| Awesome – 1 | She Hates Me | – | Puddle of Mudd |
| Awesome – 1 | Black Black Heart | – | David Usher |
| Awesome – 1 | Black Black Heart 2.0 | – | David Usher |
| Awesome – 1 | It’s Been Awhile | – | Staind |
| Awesome – 1 | Island In The Sun | – | Weezer |
| Awesome – 5 | Wasting My Time | – | Default |
| Awesome – 5 | Stay Together for the Kids | – | blink-182 |
| Awesome – 5 | Blurry | – | Puddle of Mudd |
| Awesome – 5 | Whenever, Wherever | – | Shakira |
| Awesome – 5 | My Sacrifice | – | Creed |
| Awesome – 5 | Teenage Dirtbag | – | Wheatus |
| Awesome – 5 | How You Remind Me | – | Nickelback |
| Awesome – 5 | Absolutely Anytime | – | The Watchmen |
| Great – 14 | Clint Eastwood | – | Gorillaz |
| Great – 14 | One Last Breath | – | Creed |
| Great – 14 | Survivor | – | Destiny’s Child |
| Great – 14 | Family Affair | – | Mary J. Blige |
| Great – 14 | Aerials | – | System of a Down |
| Great – 14 | Last Nite | – | The Strokes |
| Great – 14 | Underneath It All | – | No Doubt |
| Great – 14 | Underneath Your Clothes | – | Shakira |
| Great – 14 | If It Feels Good Do It | – | Sloan |
| Great – 14 | Nicotina (She’s All That) | – | Big Sugar |
| Great – 24 | Groundhog Day | – | Jonny Lang with Double Trouble |
| Great – 24 | When It’s Over | – | Sugar Ray |
| Great – 24 | Smooth Criminal | – | Alien Ant Farm |
| Great – 24 | The Middle | – | Jimmy Eat World |
| Great – 24 | Hey Baby | – | No Doubt |
| Great – 24 | Life | – | Our Lady Peace |
| Great – 24 | Anyone Else But You | – | The Moldy Peaches |
| Great – 24 | Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground | – | The White Stripes |
| Great – 24 | Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me) | – | Train |
| Great – 24 | Hash Pipe | – | Weezer |
| Great – 24 | All Hell For A Basement | – | Big Sugar |
| Solid – 35 | Drift & Die | – | Puddle of Mudd |
| Solid – 35 | Soul Singing | – | The Black Crowes |
| Solid – 35 | Can’t Get You Out Of My Head | – | Kylie Minogue |
| Solid – 35 | Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!) | – | Blu Cantrell |
| Solid – 35 | Short Skirt/Long Jacket | – | Cake |
| Solid – 35 | Hero | – | Enrique Iglesias |
| Solid – 35 | Wish You Were Here | – | Incubus |
| Solid – 35 | Dig In | – | Lenny Kravitz |
| Solid – 35 | Imitation Of Life | – | R.E.M. |
| Solid – 35 | Days of the Week | – | Stone Temple Pilots |
| Solid – 35 | Fat Lip | – | Sum 41 |
| Solid – 35 | In Too Deep | – | Sum 41 |
| Solid – 35 | Schism | – | Tool |
| Solid – 35 | Because I Got High | – | Afroman |
| Solid – 35 | Fallin’ | – | Alicia Keys |
| Solid – 35 | The Rock Show | – | blink-182 |
| Solid – 35 | I Did It | – | Dave Matthews Band |
| Solid – 35 | Bootylicious | – | Destiny’s Child |
| Solid – 35 | Let Me Blow Ya Mind | – | Eve ft. Gwen Stefani |
| Solid – 35 | Standing Still | – | Jewel |
| Solid – 35 | Everywhere | – | Michelle Branch |
| Solid – 35 | In Repair | – | Our Lady Peace |
| Solid – 35 | Get The Party Started | – | Pink |
| Solid – 35 | Wherever You Will Go | – | The Calling |
| Solid – 35 | Fell In Love With A Girl | – | The White Stripes |
| Solid – 35 | Lady Marmalade | – | Christina Aguilera, Mya, Lil’ Kim, Pink |
| Solid – 35 | Just Like a Pill | – | Pink |
| Solid – 35 | Don’t Let Me Get Me | – | Pink |
| Solid – 63 | Hella Good | – | No Doubt |
| Solid – 63 | Too Bad | – | Nickelback |
| Solid – 63 | Just Push Play | – | Aerosmith |
| Solid – 63 | Just Push Play | – | Aerosmith |
| Solid – 63 | First Date | – | blink-182 |
| Solid – 63 | Ain’t It Funny | – | Jennifer Lopez |
| Solid – 63 | Hello Time Bomb | – | Matthew Good Band |
| Solid – 63 | You Rock My World | – | Michael Jackson |
| Solid – 63 | Alive | – | P.O.D. |
| Solid – 63 | Jorge Regula | – | The Moldy Peaches |
| Solid – 63 | Irresistible | – | Jessica Simpson |
| Solid – 63 | Stillness Of Heart | – | Lenny Kravitz |
| Not Bad – 75 | The Spicy McHaggis Jig | – | Dropkick Murphys |
| Not Bad – 75 | Tainted Love | – | Marilyn Manson |
| Not Bad – 75 | Jaded | – | Aerosmith |
| Not Bad – 75 | Tear Away | – | Drowning Pool |
| Not Bad – 75 | Dance With The Devil | – | Immortal Technique |
| Not Bad – 75 | Bubble Toes | – | Jack Johnson |
| Not Bad – 75 | Sweetness | – | Jimmy Eat World |
| Not Bad – 75 | Get Ur Freak On | – | Missy Elliott |
| Not Bad – 75 | Control | – | Puddle of Mudd |
| Not Bad – 75 | Love At First Sight | – | Kylie Minogue |
| Not Bad – 85 | Love Don’t Cost A Thing | – | Jennifer Lopez |
| Not Bad – 85 | Peaceful World | – | John Mellencamp |
| Not Bad – 85 | Youth Of The Nation | – | P.O.D. |
| Not Bad – 85 | Chop Suey | – | System of a Down |
| Not Bad – 85 | Hotel Yorba | – | The White Stripes |
| Not Bad – 85 | Flavor Of the Weak | – | American Hi-Fi |
| Not Bad – 85 | Where’s Your Head At? | – | Basement Jaxx |
| Not Bad – 85 | I Love Rock And Roll | – | Britney Spears |
| Not Bad – 85 | Purple Pills | – | D12 |
| Not Bad – 85 | The Space Between | – | Dave Matthews Band |
| Not Bad – 85 | Bodies | – | Drowning Pool |
| Not Bad – 85 | Sinner | – | Drowning Pool |
| Not Bad – 85 | Flake | – | Jack Johnson |
| Not Bad – 85 | All For You | – | Janet Jackson |
| Not Bad – 85 | I’m Real | – | Jennifer Lopez |
| Not Bad – 85 | God Gave Me Everything | – | Mick Jagger ft. Lenny Kravitz |
| Not Bad – 85 | Dreamer | – | Ozzy Osbourne |
| Not Bad – 85 | Boom | – | P.O.D. |
| Not Bad – 85 | Click Click Boom | – | Saliva |
| Not Bad – 85 | Fade | – | Staind |
| Not Bad – 85 | Here’s To the Night | – | Eve 6 |
| Not Bad – 85 | Never Had a Dream Come True | – | S Club 7 |
| Not Bad – 85 | The Wild Rover | – | Dropkick Murphys |
Dobber's Take 
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