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The 2000s: Guilty Pleasure or Secret Genius?

Choose a song released from 2000 to 2009 that people might have dismissed as cheesy or overplayed, but that you now recognize as secretly brilliant.

Oct 25, 2025

Playlist

Highlights

Winner
Michael Sugar with 12 points
Scoring
14 scored submissions imported

Submissions

  1. How You Remind MeNickelbackSubmitted by Michael Sugar
    T112 pointsFirst-time
  2. T112 pointsFirst-time
  3. A Thousand MilesVanessa CarltonSubmitted by Christopher Long
    #210 pointsFirst-time
  4. Bring Me To LifeEvanescenceSubmitted by Meredith
    #39 pointsFirst-time
  5. Paper PlanesM.I.A.Submitted by Brandon Nohara
    T48 pointsFirst-time

    Maybe not cheesy, but I remember feeling like this was overplayed in the 2000s. It has aged well, though

  6. Yeah! (feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris)USHER, Lil Jon, LudacrisSubmitted by Zach
    T48 pointsFirst-time

    No 00s playlist is complete without Lil Jon

  7. PhotographWeezerSubmitted by Taylor Kayatta
    T56 pointsFirst-time
  8. American IdiotGreen DaySubmitted by faulkheather
    T56 pointsReturning
  9. Try AgainAaliyahSubmitted by Jason
    T56 pointsFirst-time

    I typically dislikes songs with cliché lyrics. But this one grew on me.

  10. CrazyK-Ci & JoJoSubmitted by JDG
    T56 pointsFirst-time
  11. Pursuit Of Happiness (Nightmare)Kid Cudi, MGMT, RatatatSubmitted by amfish123
    T65 pointsFirst-time

    I’m not sure if this was just on repeat where I hung out in the 2000’s but I can’t get tired of it. And it’s a cool look at anxiety, drugs, and reaching for the brass ring.

  12. T65 pointsReturning

    This song was absolutely everywhere in the early 2000s. Looking back on it now I still think it's one of their better songs and stood the test of time.

  13. PromiscuousNelly Furtado, TimbalandSubmitted by lainey3eb
    #74 pointsFirst-time

    Going from I’m Like a Bird to Promiscuous Girl was a real “whoa, Nelly!” moment at the time, but her reinvention as an artist was pretty successful in retrospect.

  14. Coma GirlJoe Strummer, The MescalerosSubmitted by Purple Reign
    #81 pointsFirst-time

    I dunno. It wasn’t played enough to be hated, but it was on a good album.

The 2000s: Guilty Pleasure or Secret Genius?