Clockwise from top: Nickelback; The Calling; Nelly & Kelly Rowland; Ashanti; and Nelly.
For this morning, I thought to venture back 10 years ago, and listen to the Top 5 songs for 2002. Remember, that was the second year of the George W. Bush administration, and the year after 9/11. There was still an air of worry, although most Americans were trying to push beyond it. The music reflects this, with a bigger sound, trying to flip into hyper-entertainment mode. Take, for example, the #5 song on the year-end chart according to Billboard, "Wherever you Will Go". This was the hit from the one-hit-wonders, The Calling. Vocalist Alex Band and guitarist Aaron Kamin were at the core of the band, who saw some changes during their time together. Their sound is an interesting blend of 90s Alternative Rock bands like Toad The Wet Sprocket, only amplifying the Pop elements. The song was, however, their only song to chart in the top 100. It was not a surprise when the band went into hiatus in 2005, and have yet to return to active duty. In 2002, this song was everywhere, and I am sure you will remember it the moment you hit play.
Cornell Hayes, Jr. began a solo career in 2000, only you might know him by another name. It seems Cornell's nickname was Nelly, and he claimed it as his professional moniker. He managed to have two #1 songs in 2002, and "Dilemma", the #4 song on the year-end chart, was one of them. The song featured Kelly Rowland, and was on the album 'Nellyville'. It was written by Nelly and Antoine Macon, Kenneth Gamble, and Bunny Sigler. The music video was a hot one, considering at the time, Nelly and Kelly were an item. Enjoy "Dilemma".
That is quickly followed by the second song from Nelly, "Hot In Herre". The song was written by Nelly, Pharrell Williams, and Chad Hugo, and seemed to be inescapable at the time. Pharrell and Hugo were better known as The Neptunes, the go-to Producers of the time. The song was everywhere, on television, the radio, and in the movies. It is a great song, but it began to feel like a stalker, following you everywhere. It was actually his first single off 'Nellyville', and was certified 'Gold' in sales. Enjoy the video of the #3 song on the chart, "Hot in Here".
The #2 song on the chart is a remarkable achievement, to be sure. "Foolish" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Hot R&B Song charts, and stayed there for ten weeks. The song was off the eponymous debut album from Ashanti, which went triple Platinum. In fact, four of her first five singles made it to the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10. The fifth song went to #15. It was a remarkable start to a recording career. This was Ashanti's first single, "Foolish".
The #1 song on the chart went to a Canadian band many had never heard of before this single dropped. Nickelback, with the distinctive lead vocals of Chad Kroeger, went to #1 with "How Your Remind Me", off the album 'Silver Side Up.' It sat at the top of the charts for 4 weeks, and at #1 on the Modern Rock chart for 13 weeks. The song is also the last Rock song to top the Billboard Hot 100. But it has many other distinctions as well. "How You Remind Me" was named the #1 most played song on U.S. radio of the 2000 decade by Nielsen Soundscan, being spun over 1.2 million times on U.S. airwaves since its release in 2001 to the end of 2009. Enjoy the video for the song Kroeger wrote about an ex-girlfriend.
