20 Songs that were in the Charts 20 Years ago

Not everything was better in the past, but many things were different. In 2004, electronic music had long since outgrown its infancy. Technology had moved into the fast lane. Live music was everywhere and the opportunities to perform and dance in clubs and other venues were plentiful. Here are 20 songs that stormed the charts in 2004, reflecting the sound of that era:

While the summer of 2004 wasn’t exactly sun-drenched, there were several high-profile events that created an exuberant atmosphere. The Olympic Games took place in Greece and the European Football Championships in Portugal. Politically, the EU’s eastward expansion was the topic of the day. Musically, all genres were in full swing.

1. Ciara feat. Petey Pablo – “Goodies”

Ciara signed her first record deal in 2003. One year later, the American hip-hop and R&B singer’s career skyrocketed. Her international breakthrough came with the release of “Goodies”.

2. O-Zone – “Dragostea Din Tei”

Everyone sang along to the summer hit “Dragostea Din Tei” 20 years ago – but hardly anyone understood the lyrics. After all, the band O-Zone hailed from Moldova. By the way, the title literally translates as: “Love from the lime tree”. … Ma-ia-hi, Ma-ia-hoo … The single reached the top of the charts in 27 countries.

3. Usher feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris – Yeah

The song “Yeah” is the first single from Usher’s fourth studio album “Confessions” and was released at the end of January 2004. With this song, Usher laid the foundation for his chart dominance in 2004. The song reached No. 1 in all major music markets and was showered with an astounding 28 Platinum, 6 Gold, and one Diamond Award. The video also won awards for Best Male Video and Best Dance Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. It was an unbeatable start to the year for Usher.

4. Keane – “Somewhere Only We Know”

Ballads were more popular 20 years ago than ever before or since. They had lost the schmaltz factor and had grown up to a certain extent. British alternative rock band Keane proved this with “Somewhere Only We Know”. This song from their debut album Hopes and Fears became a global chart hit.

5. Green Day – “American Idiot”

Pop-punkers Green Day made a more than successful comeback in September 2004. In “American Idiot”, Billie Joe Armstrong criticized both US politics and the media. It was the band’s first single from their album of the same name. The rest is non-conformist history.

6. The Black Eyed Peas – “Let’s Get It Started”

“Let’s Get It Started” was released as a clean version of “Let’s Get Retarded” for the 2004 NBA playoffs advert, since the original could be perceived as offensive to people with disabilities. The song went on to win Best Rap Performance at the 47th annual Grammy Awards the following year and was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rap Song. The Black Eyed Peas had succeeded in creating a real anthem.

7. Korn – “Y’All Want a Single”

Sony had asked the alternative/nu-metal band to produce a radio hit, which wasn’t really their ambition. They responded with a sarcastic, radio-friendly track and immortalized the record label’s request in the song’s title. The message it delivered became more and more important when streaming services began to take over the music industry.

8. OutKast – “Hey Ya!”

The hip-hop duo OutKast was nominated for six Grammy Awards in 2004. They were also honoured in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category for “Hey Ya!”. After “Ms Jackson”, André 3000 and Big Boi reached their commercial peak with “Hey Ya!”. André 3000 didn’t really feel like performing live anymore. Well, tough luck.

9. Juli – “Geile Zeit”

In Germany, German-language bands were also topping the charts in 2004. Juli, for example – not the month, but the band, fronted by singers Eva Briegel and Simon Triebel, was one of the most successful German-language bands of the mid-2000s. With their hit “Geile Zeit”, they delivered one of the most defining songs of the year.

10. Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell – Drop it like it’s hot

This song, which had two different radio versions – one to remove profanity and drug references, and an “Extra Clean” version that also eliminated all mentions of weapons and gangs – first entered the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2004 and topped the charts for three weeks in December. The title is a metaphorical description of a dance move commonly performed by women, which is also seen multiple times in the video.

11. Maroon 5 – “This Love”

While “This Love” by Maroon 5 had actually come out quite a bit earlier, things really took off when it was released as an airplay single in 2004. With their special brand of pop, they simply sounded completely different, with harmonies and melodies that were almost reminiscent of the Beatles. Catchy, danceable and, of course, great to sing along to.

12. Hoobastank – “The Reason”

The rock ballad “The Reason” by Hoobastank is a song about a person who regrets their past actions and mistakes; a mixture of regret, remorse and hope. Personal regret and reflection are expressed through this powerful rock ballad.

13. Nightwhish – “Nemo”

The Finnish band Nightwish, led by singer Tarja Turunen, played symphonic metal at its finest. With “Nemo”, a single from their fifth album “Once”, the band entered the top 10 of the German charts for the first time. The song reached gold status in their home country on the very first day of its release.

14. Natasha Bedingfield – “These Words”

Her second single “These Words”, released in August 2004, catapulted Natasha Bedingfield to number 1 in the British charts, where she stayed for two weeks – not bad for a newcomer. Her songs “Unwritten” (in 2005) and “These Words” earned her plenty of Grammy nominations and underpinned her status as one of the most successful female singers of the 2000s.

15. M. I. A. – “Hungriges Herz”

M. I. A. have long reached cult status in Germany. Founded in Berlin while the members were still in school, they competed in the preliminary round of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest with “Hungriges Herz”. The German pop band led by singer Mieze Katze did not qualify for the final. But in the same year, they were awarded the “Goldene Stimmgabel” for Best Female Shooting Star Group. “(…) Wie weit, wie weit, wie weit wirst du geh’n?”

16. Aventura – Obsesión

The Dominican-American bachata band Aventura first released the song “Obsesión” on their studio album in 2002. But it was the version featuring singer Judy Santos that became a chart hit in numerous countries. Since then, the song has been covered numerous times, maintaining its status as a perennial summer hit. No beach club was safe from this hit in 2004.

17. Slipknot – Duality

Several genres came together in Slipknot, from elements of nu-metal to melodies from traditional melodic metal. As a band with a typical crossover hard-core line-up, they released their third studio album in May 2004 with “Duality” as the lead single. The song has become a staple at Slipknot concerts, having been performed live over 700 times.

18. Linkin Park – “Numb/Encore” (with Jay-Z)

The 2004 collaboration between Linkin Park and rapper Jay-Z was a fusion of rock and hip-hop. The artists simply made a mash-up of the songs “Numb” by Linkin Park and “Encore” by Jay-Z. And they received plenty of awards for it, namely eleven platinum and five gold awards. Unlikely features and collaborations have long since established themselves as a clever marketing tool. Things were a bit different 20 years ago, but they took a chance.

19. Britney Spears – “Everytime”

Despite all her scandals, Britney was at the peak of her career in 2004 and her music could be heard on every street corner, in every supermarket and in every club. Rarely had an artist experienced such hype surrounding her person. The star reflected on this in her song “Everytime”, a ballad that is very thought-provoking, especially from today’s perspective.

20. Eric Prydz – Call on Me

“Call on Me” is a production by Swedish DJ and producer Eric Prydz, based on a sample from Steve Winwood’s “Valerie” from 1982. When Prydz sampled “Valerie” in 2004 and presented his track to Winwood, he was so impressed that he re-recorded the original sampled vocals. Winwood: “(…) I quite liked it. I thought he did a good job.” The song became a massive hit and immediately broke various records. As of today, the video has garnered over 81 million views on YouTube.

20 Songs that were in the Charts 20 Years ago

Do you have any memories of the songs from 2004? The most important chart hits are listed here, but there was of course a lot more music. Tell us about it in a comment!