This is a small time machine. A chart-topping single appears, then four artists. You point to the singer that actually took it to number one. That’s the whole bit.
Sounds jump lanes. Club heaters, coffeehouse whispers, blog-rock buzz, bilingual earworms. YouTube arrives, downloads surge, but the crown still feels huge each week.
Let the first beat hit. If the name clicks before the reasons, good. If two names tug, picture the video or the album cover. Then decide and keep rolling.
[C] Nickelback | Chad Kroeger's raspy anthem about relationship failures became the most-played rock song of the decade, despite spawning countless internet memes.
2/25
Always On Time?
[C] Ja Rule | Featuring Ashanti's silky vocals, this Murder Inc. collaboration dominated urban radio while Ja ruled hip-hop before 50 Cent's arrival.
3/25
Foolish?
[D] Ashanti | Sampling DeBarge's "Stay With Me," this heartbreak anthem spent 10 weeks at #1, establishing Ashanti as R&B's new princess.
4/25
Hot In Herre?
[A] Nelly | The St. Louis rapper's club banger inspired nationwide clothing removal while Chuck Brown's go-go sample gave it unstoppable bounce.
5/25
A Moment Like This?
[C] Kelly Clarkson | American Idol's first winner made history when her coronation song jumped from #52 to #1, the biggest leap ever recorded.
6/25
Lose Yourself?
[B] Eminem | Written during 8 Mile filming breaks, Em's Oscar-winning motivational anthem stayed #1 for 12 weeks, becoming hip-hop's longest-running chart-topper.
7/25
Bump?
[D] B2K | P. Diddy's protégés rode this Rodney Jerkins production to #1 while Chris Stokes controversies quietly brewed behind their squeaky-clean image.
8/25
In Da Club?
[A] 50 Cent | Dr. Dre and Eminem's protégé celebrated his birthday for nine weeks straight at #1, launching rap's next bulletproof superstar.
9/25
Get Busy?
[B] Sean Paul | The dancehall king's biggest crossover hit brought Jamaican patois to suburban malls while everyone pretended to understand the lyrics.
10/25
This Is The Night?
[D] Clay Aiken | The Idol runner-up shocked everyone by debuting at #1, outselling winner Ruben Studdard and spawning the devoted Claymates fanbase.
11/25
Crazy In Love?
[C] Beyoncé | Sampling Chi-Lites' horns, Queen B's solo debut with future husband Jay-Z announced Destiny's Child's lead singer had arrived.
12/25
Shake Ya Tailfeather?
[A] Diddy | Bad Boy's CEO recruited Murphy Lee for this Bad Boys II soundtrack hit that brought Nelly's St. Lunatics crew mainstream recognition.
13/25
Stand Up?
[B] Ludacris | Featured in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Luda's Southern party anthem proved Atlanta's grip on hip-hop while introducing mainstream audiences to crunk.
14/25
Slow Jamz?
[C] Twista | The speed-rapper slowed down with Jamie Foxx's crooning, creating Kanye West's first #1 as producer before his solo career exploded.
15/25
I Believe?
[A] Fantasia | The single mother's emotional Idol victory song showcased church-trained vocals that Simon Cowell called the best performance in show history.
16/25
Slow Motion?
[D] Juvenile | Soulja Slim's posthumous verse helped this bounce anthem reach #1, bringing New Orleans' unique sound to mainstream consciousness.
17/25
Lean Back?
[B] Terror Squad | Fat Joe's crew created summer 2004's dance craze while Remy Ma proved female rappers could dominate without sexualized imagery.
18/25
Goodies?
[C] Ciara | Produced by Lil Jon, the Atlanta dancer's debut introduced crunk&B while her matrix-defying moves made "1, 2 Step" unforgettable.
19/25
Drop It Like It's Hot?
[D] Snoop Dogg | The Neptunes' minimalist masterpiece featuring tongue clicks and Pharrell's falsetto gave Uncle Snoop his first #1 after 11 years.
20/25
Let Me Love You?
[B] Mario | The Baltimore teenager's Scott Storch-produced slow jam proved R&B could still dominate charts during hip-hop's commercial peak.
21/25
Hollaback Girl?
[A] Gwen Stefani | Dissing Courtney Love with cheerleader chants, Gwen's Neptunes-produced anthem became iTunes' first million-seller while spelling "bananas" everywhere.
22/25
Inside Your Heaven?
[C] Carrie Underwood | The Oklahoma farm girl became Idol's first country winner, launching a career that would eclipse every previous contestant.
23/25
Gold Digger?
[D] Kanye West | Sampling Ray Charles while featuring Jamie Foxx's impression, Ye's biggest hit examined shallow relationships through soul-sampling genius.
24/25
Run It!?
[B] Chris Brown | At 16, Breezy's Jive Records debut made him the first male artist since Montell Jordan to top charts with their first single.
25/25
Laffy Taffy?
[A] D4L | Atlanta's snap music peaked when this candy-themed innuendo outsold everything, proving ringtone sales could determine chart positions.