Side 5 of 11
2004
The year of Yeah! and Drop It Like It's Hot
The top 10
- 01
Yeah!
Usher · feat. Lil Jon, Ludacris
crunkpop-rapclubFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for 12 weeks. Confessions sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
Why it mattered
The crunk-meets-pop blueprint that ran every wedding, prom, and dorm party for the entire year. Usher was the king of 2004 and Lil Jon was his prime minister.
- 02
Lean Back
Terror Squad · feat. Fat Joe, Remy Ma
new yorkclubFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for three weeks.
Why it mattered
Scott Storch's epic strings + Joe and Remy's no-nonsense flows = the most imitated dance move of the summer. Nobody actually moved their arms; that was the joke.
- 03
Drop It Like It's Hot
Snoop Dogg · feat. Pharrell Williams
neptunesclubFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for three weeks — Snoop's first #1 single.
Why it mattered
The Neptunes built the song out of tongue clicks and a synth bass and almost nothing else. Minimalism that sounded enormous on a dancefloor.
- 04
Tipsy
J-Kwon
clubmidwestFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #2 on the Hot 100, blocked from #1 by 'Yeah!'.
Why it mattered
A St. Louis teenager turned a counting hook into the year's most accurate description of college nightlife. Everybody in the club gettin' tipsy, indeed.
- 05
Goodies
Ciara · feat. Petey Pablo
crunkr&bFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for seven weeks. Ciara's debut single.
Why it mattered
Lil Jon's crunk&B production introduced Ciara as the next generation of dance-pop diva. Petey Pablo's verse was the cherry on top.
- 06
Let Me Love You
Mario
r&bslow jamFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for nine weeks.
Why it mattered
Ne-Yo's first hit as a writer — a polished R&B ballad that ran the dorm-room playlists of every guy trying to seem sensitive in 2004.
- 07
99 Problems
Jay-Z
rock-rapnew yorkFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #30 on the Hot 100; cult classic from The Black Album.
Why it mattered
Rick Rubin returned to rap production with a Billy Squier-sampling guitar stomp and Jay turned in three perfect verses. The Black Album was Jay's first 'retirement' victory lap.
- 08
Jesus Walks
Kanye West
chipmunk soulgospelFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #11 on the Hot 100. Won Best Rap Song at the 2005 Grammys.
Why it mattered
The College Dropout's most ambitious single — orchestral, gospel, defiant. The moment Kanye proved he was more than 'just a producer.'
- 09
Slow Motion
Juvenile · feat. Soulja Slim
new orleansclubFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for two weeks.
Why it mattered
A New Orleans bounce slow-grind that became the unofficial late-night anthem of every dancefloor in the country. Soulja Slim was murdered before it ever charted.
- 10
My Boo
Usher · feat. Alicia Keys
r&bduetFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for six weeks.
Why it mattered
Usher's third (third!) #1 of 2004. He literally could not be stopped. Alicia Keys's vocal made it the year's biggest sing-along duet.
