The Top Songs of 2004, from Yeah! to Drop It Like It's Hot

What was the number one song of 2004?

"Yeah!" by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris was the number one song of 2004 on Billboard's year-end Hot 100, after twelve straight weeks at the top. Usher's "Burn" was second and Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" third. Usher had four number ones that year and spent 28 weeks at the top of the chart.

The top 20 songs of 2004

1. "Yeah!", Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris: the crunk smash of the year.
2. "Burn", Usher: a smooth breakup ballad and an eight-week number one.
3. "If I Ain't Got You", Alicia Keys: a soulful piano ballad.
4. "This Love", Maroon 5: the funky breakthrough from Songs About Jane.
5. "The Way You Move", OutKast featuring Sleepy Brown: Big Boi's number one from the double album.
6. "The Reason", Hoobastank: an earnest rock ballad.
7. "I Don't Wanna Know", Mario Winans featuring Enya and P. Diddy: built on an Enya sample.
8. "Hey Ya!", OutKast: André 3000's irresistible number one.
9. "Goodies", Ciara featuring Petey Pablo: a crunk and R&B debut that spent seven weeks at number one.
10. "Lean Back", Terror Squad featuring Fat Joe and Remy Ma
11. "Tipsy", J-Kwon
12. "Confessions Part II", Usher
13. "Slow Motion", Juvenile featuring Soulja Slim
14. "Freek-a-Leek", Petey Pablo
15. "Here Without You", 3 Doors Down
16. "Slow Jamz", Twista featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx
17. "Someday", Nickelback
18. "Naughty Girl", Beyoncé
19. "My Immortal", Evanescence
20. "Sunshine", Lil' Flip featuring Lea

More top songs of the 2004 chart (21 to 40)

21. "Dirt off Your Shoulder", Jay-Z
22. "Move Ya Body", Nina Sky featuring Jabba
23. "Dip It Low", Christina Milian
24. "My Boo", Usher and Alicia Keys
25. "One Call Away", Chingy featuring J-Weav
26. "Me, Myself and I", Beyoncé
27. "Turn Me On", Kevin Lyttle featuring Spragga Benz
28. "The First Cut Is the Deepest", Sheryl Crow
29. "You Don't Know My Name", Alicia Keys
30. "My Place", Nelly featuring Jaheim
31. "Overnight Celebrity", Twista
32. "Hotel", Cassidy featuring R. Kelly
33. "Numb", Linkin Park
34. "Diary", Alicia Keys featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!
35. "She Will Be Loved", Maroon 5
36. "White Flag", Dido
37. "Heaven", Los Lonely Boys
38. "It's My Life", No Doubt
39. "Pieces of Me", Ashlee Simpson
40. "Leave (Get Out)", JoJo

Every number one song of 2004

These songs were number one on the Billboard Hot 100 during 2004, in order: "Hey Ya!" (OutKast), "The Way You Move" (OutKast featuring Sleepy Brown), "Slow Jamz" (Twista featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx), "Yeah!" (Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris), "Burn" (Usher), "I Believe" (Fantasia), "Confessions Part II" (Usher), "Slow Motion" (Juvenile featuring Soulja Slim), "Lean Back" (Terror Squad), "Goodies" (Ciara featuring Petey Pablo), "My Boo" (Usher and Alicia Keys) and "Drop It Like It's Hot" (Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell).

Usher's record year

Usher's album Confessions made 2004 his year. "Yeah!", "Burn", "Confessions Part II" and his duet with Alicia Keys, "My Boo", all went to number one, and together they spent 28 weeks at the top, the most for any act in a single calendar year on the Hot 100. At times Usher held the number one and number two spots at once, as "Yeah!" handed the top spot to "Burn".

Crunk and the rise of Southern hip-hop

Lil Jon's crunk sound, built on chanted hooks and booming synths, powered "Yeah!" and spread through the clubs, while Ciara, Petey Pablo, Juvenile, Lil' Flip and Twista helped make the South and the Midwest the center of hip-hop. OutKast's double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, with "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move", won the Grammy for Album of the Year, a rare win for a rap album. For more, see our Nelly songs.

Rock, pop and American Idol in 2004

On the rock side, Maroon 5, Hoobastank, 3 Doors Down, Nickelback, Evanescence and Linkin Park filled the year-end chart, and Los Lonely Boys' "Heaven" won a Grammy. American Idol's third-season winner Fantasia debuted at number one with "I Believe", and 13-year-old JoJo's "Leave (Get Out)" made her one of the youngest artists to top a Billboard chart. Kevin Lyttle's soca hit "Turn Me On" and Nina Sky's "Move Ya Body" brought Caribbean rhythms to the top 40, the same year Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" introduced reggaeton to many listeners.

Alicia Keys in 2004

Alicia Keys' second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, gave her three year-end hits, "If I Ain't Got You", "You Don't Know My Name" and "Diary", plus her number one duet with Usher, "My Boo". "If I Ain't Got You" became one of the most-performed love songs of the decade and is still a favorite at weddings.

Beyoncé and Destiny's Child in 2004

Beyoncé's first solo album, Dangerously in Love, kept producing hits well into 2004, with "Naughty Girl" and "Me, Myself and I" both in the year-end top 30, and it won five Grammys that February. Later that year she reunited with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for Destiny's Child's final album, Destiny Fulfilled. For more great voices of the era, see our Sheryl Crow songs, whose cover of "The First Cut Is the Deepest" was a 2004 favorite.

Songs of 2004 for a party or an anniversary

For a throwback party, "Yeah!", "Hey Ya!", "Goodies", "Lean Back", "Dip It Low" and "Turn Me On" bring back 2004 instantly. For a 2004 wedding anniversary, "If I Ain't Got You", "My Boo", "This Love", "She Will Be Loved" and "Here Without You" are perfect for a slow dance. For more, see our hip-hop wedding songs and No Doubt songs.

Top songs of other years

For more year-by-year hits, see our top songs of 1985, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2012 and 2013.

A song as unforgettable as 2004

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