So I came across a video on YouTube that contained a hodgepodge of forgotten pop songs since the dawn of the millennium. While watching, I realized that a majority of the songs on the list were contemporary hits that remain extremely popular to this day. Some forgotten songs I agreed with (i.e. Stacy Orrico's Stuck, Melanie C's Never Be The Same Again) while others have stood the test of time enough to not qualify (i.e. Alicia Keys's Girl on Fire, Carly Rae Jepson's Call Me Maybe). It got me inspired to come up with a compilation of pop songs that were huge that don't seem to get any radio airplay or brought up in the discussion nowadays. Since this will cover songs from the 2000s decade (I fell out of love for 2010s pop music so I'm a bit under the rock in that regard), I will go ahead and list my reasonings for why I feel they're underappreciated or forgotten about, including information on how successful each song performed when they first hit radio waves.
This song was released internationally in the United Kingdom in 1999 but it wasn't until a year later in the spring of 2000 when the song made it huge, reaching #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the US Adult Contemporary charts.
Unless you were of the audience that grew up listening to music from this era, it's a song that doesn't get brought up enough in the discussion. Teen pop and the boy band craze was all the rage at the time thanks in part to acts like the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and 98 Degrees to solo acts like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. BBMak came in at the right place at the right time. Unlike most boy bands, the trio composed their music and played their own instruments. The band disbanded in 2003 only to reunite a decade later in 2018, coinciding with a comeback album the following year with Powerstation. You'd be lucky if you hear this track playing in the intercom from your local retail store.
Darren Hayes - Insatiable
Not long after the breakup of Savage Garden, Darren Hayes continued on as a solo artist with his debut album Spin released in 2002. Its first single "Insatiable" reached #77 on the Billboard Hot 100, #16 on the Adult Contemporary/Easy Listening, and #33 on the US Adult Top 40 charts respectively.
I remember stumbling into this song on my local pop station and was amazed to hear the familiar octane voice from Darren. I had no idea Savage Garden had disbanded at this time, and I was enthralled the first time I heard it. It's ashamed it underperformed compared to his past work, and quickly flew under the radar.
Spin received mixed reviews at the time of its release. Though he had continued to churn out albums in the years since, I feel his solo career could've been much bigger than it turned out. Yet at the same time, he's making the type of music he loves which I deeply respect.
David Cook - Light On
David Cook won the 2008 American Idol season, coinciding with his then smash hit "Time of My Life." That same year, Cook would go on to release his major label debut album, featuring the aforementioned ballad along with the follow up single "Light On." Written by the late Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave, this song cracked the Top 20 in the US Billboard Hot 100 (#17 to be exact), #27 on the Canadian Hot 100 Chart, and #8 in Finland.
David was one of my favorite contestants on American Idol. Much like Chris Daughtry, they were avid rock fans that brought an extra flare to that scene, especially at a time when R&B and Pop were the dominant music genres. Given Cornell's involvement in the song process, I can easily indicate the parts where Cook screeches in his verses which explains the influences he inherited it from.
This song received mixed reviews at the time of its release. A majority of original songs affiliated with American Idol have been known for their simplistic, radio friendly sound. Cook was an amazing vocalist but there wasn't much about this ballad that stood out from his playlist. He's managed to have a steady career in the years since with his most recent LP album released as late as 2015 (or 2021 if you count his EP work). His stories about his brother is very touching and I can't imagine what it's like to lose a sibling so young. He even composed a heartfelt ballad (Permanent) as a tribute to him. Nevertheless, it's great to hear he is doing well these days.
Chris Cornell featuring Timbaland - Part of Me
Speaking of Cornell, there was a period in his career where he churned out a string of solo records. In 1999, he debuted with a CD entitled "Euphoria Morning" followed up by his 2007 album "Carry On." He released his third record "Scream" which would be a departure from his traditional rock roots, vying for a more pop and electronica approach to his sound. It featured the single "Part of Me" produced by R&B artist Timbaland who had collaborated with pop acts such as Missy Elliott, Nelly Furtado, One Republic, and Justin Timberlake. While the song didn't chart the US's Billboard Hot 100, the song reached #22 in the Billboard Hot Single Sales, #9 in the Hot Dance Single Sales, and it fared considerably well internationally in Germany, Hungary, Finnish, and Austria.
I have very vague memories of this song being huge here in America. It wasn't until sometime after Cornell's death when I looked back at his song catalogs from his time in Soundgarden and Audioslave. Since I wasn't familiar with his solo work, I typed in the search engine on YouTube and this song was the first video that popped up in the results. In my honest opinion, it was a weird creative direction. Going from heavy hitters like "Rusty Cage" and "Outshined" to a radio friendly smash "Part of Me" felt like I was listening to a whole different artist. While it may have been a case of this being an experimental album, I do commend Chris's versatility even if I didn't necessarily agree with the music he churned out at this time.
Soul Decision - Faded
At the height of the boy band craze, this Canadian trio made it into the scene with their biggest single "Faded." The song reached #22 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Canada RPM and Canada's Nielsen Sound Scan charts.
As a kid who grew up listening to teen pop from this era, I have no memories of this band. A few years back, a former YouTuber uploaded an archive of episodes of Casey Kasem's countdown throughout the years (channel ended up terminated in 2020). While listening to an aircheck from 2000, I stumbled across a track that I don't remember from this timeframe. It was a catchy pop tune that drew influences from Wham especially when it came to its vocalist George Michael. While the band as a whole did moderately well with their follow up singles in Canada, this turned out to be their only big hit in the states. After their record label filed for bankruptcy, the group disbanded in 2005 as band members went on to pursue solo projects.
Lillix - It's About Time
Fast forward a few years later, a Canadian girl group made their major label debut album in 2003 with "Falling Uphill". Lillix (previously known as Tigerlily) came on board to the scene with their lead single "It's About Time", a pop rock driven sound in the veins of Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, and Michelle Branch. The Matrix which had been responsible for producing Avril's music also contributed to the making of their smash hit. The song reached at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, #5 on MTV's TRL Countdown, and #32 on the Top 50 CHR/Top Pop Radio & Records Charts.
I remember hearing this tune on TRL in the spring of 2003. This was a song that discusses about the ups and downs of two mates in a complex relationship. By this time, the late 90s Teen Pop fad had died down and eventually mutated into a more rock orientated sound. Lillix were garnering exposure on TV and even contributed to the cover of the Romantics hit "What I Like About You" featured in the soundtrack to the Freaky Friday remake, as well as the theme song of The WB sitcom starring Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth.
When Maverick Records merged with Warner Group, Lillix would be dropped from their record label. They released two more albums before ultimately disbanding in 2010.
Orianthi - According To You
Australian guitarist Orianthi emerged into the scene as a result of her contribution in the rehearsal to Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour in 2009. After his untimely death put a permanent halt to the tour, Geffen Records released her sophomore album Believe which contained her first and biggest single to date "According to You." The song reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on American Top 40, and #1 on Australia's ARIA charts.
While the song is not my favorite out of the bunch, I really dug the amazing guitar solo in-between the chorus and final verses. I wouldn't have discovered her if not for her breakout hit, so take it as a gateway into her music. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with established guitarists such as Joe Satriani, Carlos Santana, and Steve Vai. I adore Orianthi as I always wanted to learn about playing a musical instrument (only played the guitar but even my skills are limited). I recommend checking out her music discography to have a great demonstration of her performance.
Eden's Crush - Get Over Yourself
As the teen pop craze began to wind down, a girl group in the veins of the Spice Girls, All Saints, and B*witched emerged onto the scene. Consisting of Anna, Ivette, Rosanna, Maile, and a then unknown in Nicole Scherzinger, Eden's Crush made their presence known, debuting with their single "Get Over Yourself." The song charted at #8 and #92 in the Billboard Hot 100's weekly and year end charts respectively. Over in Canada, the song reached #1 and #27 in the Nielsen Soundscan's weekly and year end charts.
Of all the pop groups from the late 90s and early 2000s, I completely forgot all about Eden's Crush. It wasn't until I was binge watching Sabrina when I rediscovered the girl group that so happened to guest star in the show's season 5 finale. At the time, a U.S version of Popstars premiered on the WB Network, predating the more successful music competition American Idol by a year. Add in the fact that along with Sabrina aired on the same nights, the network decided to do a cross promotion of the two shows in hopes of allowing the group to garner exposure to the masses. Unfortunately, due to the folding of their record label, their tenure did not last as they would end up disbanding in 2002.
Shifty Shellshock - Slide Along Side
During Crazy Town's hiatus, Shifty tried his hands on a solo album Happy Love Sick which was released in 2004. Its lead single "Slide Along Side" reached #38 on the US Top 40 chart, and made it to the top 20 in Italy.
I remember hearing this song in the summer of that year. Just a feel good, laid back rap song you would crank up at a house party. It's unfortunate "Slide Along Side" failed to chart in the Billboard Hot 100. I know Shifty tends to get a bad rep in the music community (and understandably so). I have to admit this along with "Butterfly" when he was with Crazy Town were admittedly catchy tunes growing up. Happy Love Sick would be his first and only album he has churned out to date.
Nick Carter - Help Me
During the Backstreet Boys' hiatus in 2002, Nick Carter released his debut solo album Now or Never. Its lead single "Help Me" reached #36 on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart and even cracked the top 10 in Canada and Italy.
This was a a transitional period of pop music. Boy Bands began to fall out of favor with groups either disbanding or went on hiatus indefinitely. Some members of their respective bands wound up venturing into their own. I remember hearing this song on the radio a few times when it came out but quickly fell off the radar. It took me twenty years later to rediscover it once again and I thought it was a very solid single. There was a little essence of that Backstreet Boys style of tune carried into this song while spinning it off into his own thing with more emphasis on guitar work. Interesting enough, Now or Never was released a week apart from Justin Timberlake's Justified album.
"Help Me" failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100. He released two more singles from his debut record before reuniting with BSB shortly thereafter.
