Top 10 Pop Songs Summer of 2001

10. 112 - "Peaches and Cream"

112 played a key vocal role in Puff Daddy's (now Diddy) massive hit and Grammy Award-winning single "I'll Be Missing You" from 1997. "Peaches & Cream" is the group's only song to hit the pop top 5 without another artist collaborating. "Peaches & Cream" peaked at #4 on the pop chart and is included in the group's album Part III. The song earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals.

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9. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"

"Get Ur Freak On" was a hit song in two versions. The first was the original featuring the rapping of Missy Elliott. The remix added in scat singing from Nelly Furtado. Both versions were popular with radio programmers. It was heavily influenced by Indian bhangra music.

The basic riff is played on the Indian instrument the tumbi. It was a top 10 charting hit across pop, R&B and rap charts. "Get Ur Freak On" returned to the pop top 40 in 2015 after Missy Elliott appeared in the Super Bowl halftime show.

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8. Destiny's Child - "Bootylicious"

"Bootylicious," the second hit single from Destiny's Child's album Survivor popularized the term "bootylicious" and it has now been included in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Beyonce has said that the writing of the song was inspired by listening to the guitar theme in Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen." It kicks off the recording. "Bootylicious" became the group's fifth consecutive top 3 charting pop hit and their fourth #1 overall. The album Survivor went to #1 as well.

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7. Nelly - "Ride Wit Me" featuring City Spud

After rapper Nelly's second single "E.I.," the followup to "Country Grammar," failed to reach the top 10, Nelly proved his staying power with this hit. "Ride Wit Me" reached #3 becoming his biggest pop hit yet. The recording features an appearance from Lavell Webb, aka City Spud, who was a member of the rap group St. Lunatics which included Nelly. 

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6. Blu Cantrell - "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)"

So far, Blu Cantrell appears destined to be a one-hit wonder. This single reached the pop top 10, but the first single from her follow-up album failed to reach the pop top 50. "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops)," with its jazz inflections, was one of the most unique sounding hits of the summer of 2001.

She appeared as a session singer on many recordings before being offered a solo contract. "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" earned two Grammy Award nominations including Best R&B Song. In addition to being a hit on pop and R&B charts, it reached the top 30 on the Latin pop chart.

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5. Usher - "U Remind Me"

Usher was one of the world's biggest pop and r&b stars when his album 8701 was released. "U Remind Me," the first single from the album, continued the winning streak spending 4 weeks at #1 on the pop singles chart.

The song was co-produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, known for their work with Janet Jackson. The song received strong positive acclaim from critics and earned a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance.

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4. Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink - "Lady Marmalade"

This Moulin Rouge remake of the LaBelle classic spent 5 weeks at the top of the pop singles chart. Eventually, the record won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. LaBelle's version was a #1 hit in 1975, and the new multi-artist version also hit #1.

The recording was co-produced by Missy Elliott and Rockwilder. "Lady Marmalade" spent nine weeks at the top of the mainstream pop radio chart. It became only the third song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on radio airplay.

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3. Train - "Drops of Jupiter"

Train had a top 20 pop single, "Meet Virginia," from their first album, but it was the title song of their second album Drops of Jupiter that turned into a monster hit. By the time its chart run was finished, "Drops of Jupiter" had spent 53 weeks on the pop singles chart.

Train lead vocalist Patrick Monahan said that the song "Drops of Jupiter" was inspired by his late mother who died from cancer. The distinctive strings in the recording were arranged by Paul Buckmaster, who worked on some of Elton John's legendary recordings in the 1970s.

He won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals. "Drops of Jupiter" also won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song and earned nominations for Record and Song of the Year.

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2. Eve - "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" featuring Gwen Stefani

This is the pop breakthrough for rapper Eve. It also played a key role in the development of Gwen Stefani into a solo artist. "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" was Eve's second single from her top 5 charting album Scorpion. The song was co-produced by Dr. Dre and Scott Storch. It earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video. 

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1. Lifehouse - "Hanging By a Moment"

"Hanging By a Moment" by Lifehouse is one of the biggest pop hits ever by a Contemporary Christian band crossing over into secular pop. The song was the biggest hit of summer 2001 and was eventually named the most played song of the year on the radio.

Lifehouse lead vocalist Jason Wade has said that he wrote the song in five minutes. "Hanging By a Moment" is a post-grunge song that helped define the turn of the millennium sound of alternative rock. It reached #1 at alternative radio, adult pop radio, and #2 on mainstream pop radio.

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