Everyone loves to dance, and there was no shortage of memorable dance hits in the 2000s. This list focuses more on dance-pop songs than on club music, an important point to note since the genre of “dance” is sometimes hard to categorize.
Here are my picks for the top 10 dance songs of the 2000s, with links to YouTube videos for each.
Top 10 dance songs of the 2000s:
10 Let’s Get it Started, Black Eyed Peas, 2004
Originally recorded as “Let’s Get Retarded,” the Black Eyed Peas edited this song before releasing it as a single. It’s a good thing, as its previous title probably wouldn’t have allowed it earn massive radio airplay and chart success, to the point that it was performed live at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
9 I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’, Scissor Sisters, 2006
Ignore the irony of a dance song called “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’.” With an obvious disco influence and Jake Shears’ glorious falsetto vocals, this song was just pure fun. Odd piece of trivia: The band wrote the song with Elton John.
8 Don’t Stop the Music, Rihanna, 2007
Following up the massive success of “Umbrella,” Rihanna released this terrific follow-up, with hard-hitting dance song, which reached #3 on the pop chart. The sample of Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” was a stroke of genius.
7 Toxic, Britney Spears, 2004
The dance floor loved Britney Spears throughout the 2000s, no matter what her personal struggles were. “Toxic” was a hard-hitting dance tune defined by a two-second, four-note violent string riff that repeats itself throughout. Spears recorded the song after Kylie Minogue passed, and it went on to win Brit her only Grammy Award.
6 D.A.N.C.E., Justice, 2007
This French duo might be the least-known act ever nominated for Video of the Year at the MTV Awards, but all the recognition they got for this charming track was deserved. The insanely catchy song featured children singing lyrics that make little sense, except that they reference numerous Michael Jackson song titles – “P.Y.T.,” “ABC,” “Black or White,” and “Working Day and Night.”
5 Hung Up, Madonna, 2005
Even great artists experience peaks and valleys in their careers, and Madonna was in a rut before her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor. This song brought her back in a big way, deftly borrowing the groove from Abba’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and transforming it into an irresistible pop smash.
4 Can’t Get You Out Of My Head, Kylie Minogue, 2002
By the time Aussie hottie Kylie Minogue released Fever in 2001, it had been 13 years since her last U.S. hit, a cover of “The Loco-Motion.” The album’s first single, “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head,” paired a hypnotic beat with Minogue’s seductive vocals. We couldn’t get her out of our heads, either.
3 Move Your Feet, Junior Senior, 2003
“Everybody move your feet and feel united!” Junior Senior, a quirky duo from Denmark specializing in upbeat pop songs, created a masterpiece with this song, which featured silly rapping from Jeppe Laursen and vocals from Jesper Mortensen that channeled old-school Michael Jackson. Check out the brilliant music video, done in the style of ’80s low-tech video games.
2 One More Time, Daft Punk, 2000
Techno music threatened to infiltrate the mainstream in the early 2000s, and this song was the catalyst – an infectious number with computer-altered vocals from Romanthony. The fact that it came from two mysterious French dudes who wore robot costumes just made it all the more satisfying.
1 Music, Madonna, 2000
Madonna is the all-time dance goddess, having recorded an astounding 40 #1 hits on the Billboard dance chart, more than twice as many as anybody else. It’s fitting that her biggest single of the 2000s was this track, a celebration of music itself. Music makes the people come together,” she sang, and that was never more true than when this song sent people running to the dance floor.
Sources:
http://www.donmischerproductions.com/01_Highlights/Highlights/10_DNC2004/DNC.html
http://www.nme.com/news/nme/40065
http://www.billboard.com/artist/rihanna/chart-history/658897#/artist/rihanna/chart-history/658897
http://www.billboard.com/column/chartbeat/ask-billboard-madonna-yoko-ono-gospel-1004014251.story#/column/chartbeat/ask-billboard-madonna-yoko-ono-gospel-1004014251.story
