164 Fun Facts About 2000s Music

Which rapper was the top-selling artist of the 2000s across all genres?

Eminem was Nielsen SoundScan's best-selling artist of the 2000s in the US, moving about 32 million albums over the decade, ahead of The Beatles.

Which album finally broke NSYNC's first-week US sales record set by No Strings Attached?

Adele's 25 sold 3.38 million in its opening week in 2015.

In the 'Bye Bye Bye' video, NSYNC are portrayed as what, a nod to their legal fight with manager Lou Pearlman?

The 'Bye Bye Bye' video shows NSYNC as marionette puppets dangling on strings, echoing the album title No Strings Attached after their split from Lou Pearlman.

Eminem's 2000 single 'Stan' samples 'Thank You' by which British singer?

Dido's opening lines of 'Thank You' run under 'Stan'; the title character's name became slang for an obsessive fan and entered the Oxford English Dictionary.

Who accepted the 2003 Best Original Song Oscar for 'Lose Yourself' while Eminem stayed home?

Co-writer Luis Resto accepted the Oscar; Eminem, not expecting to win, was asleep at home in Detroit and skipped the ceremony.

Under what name did Linkin Park originally form in 1996?

Linkin Park formed as Xero in 1996, became Hybrid Theory after Chester Bennington joined in 1999, then took the Linkin Park name before their 2000 debut.

Which Linkin Park song won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2002?

'Crawling' won Best Hard Rock Performance at the 2002 Grammys, Linkin Park's first Grammy, while 'In the End' was the album's highest-charting single.

Which band sued Napster in April 2000 after an unreleased demo leaked onto it?

Napster shut its network down in July 2001 to comply with a court injunction.

When Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPod in 2001, its 5 GB hard drive was pitched with what slogan?

'1,000 songs in your pocket' was how Jobs sold a Mac-compatible player with a 5 GB hard drive; Apple sold about 450 million iPods before discontinuing the line in May 2022.

In what year did Apple open the iTunes Store, selling songs for download?

It opened on 28 April 2003, two years after the first iPod.

Which Missy Elliott single, built on a Punjabi tumbi melody, won the 2002 Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance?

'Get Ur Freak On' won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2002 Grammys; Timbaland built its beat around a bhangra-style Punjabi tumbi riff.

Nelly's 'Hot in Herre' (2002) was the first Billboard number one for which production duo?

The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, produced 'Hot in Herre', which spent seven weeks atop the Hot 100 in 2002, their first Billboard number one as producers.

Kelly Clarkson won the first American Idol in 2002 with 58% of the vote against which runner-up?

Justin Guarini was the season-one runner-up to Kelly Clarkson; the pair then co-starred in the 2003 box-office flop From Justin to Kelly.

The bass-like riff of 'Seven Nation Army' (2003) was played on a guitar through what?

Jack White played the riff on a semi-acoustic guitar through a Whammy pedal by DigiTech pitched an octave down, since the White Stripes had no bassist.

'Crazy in Love' built its horn hook on a sample of 'Are You My Woman' by which 1970s soul group?

The horns come from The Chi-Lites' 1970 track 'Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)', written by Eugene Record; 'Crazy in Love' won two Grammys in 2004.

How many members of a fictional band does André 3000 play in the 'Hey Ya!' video?

André 3000 plays all eight members of the fictional band in the 'Hey Ya!' video, a pastiche of the Beatles' Ed Sullivan Show debut; the song topped the Hot 100 for nine weeks.

Which Coldplay song, from A Rush of Blood to the Head, won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 2004?

'Clocks' won Record of the Year at the 2004 Grammys; Chris Martin came up with its piano riff late one night at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool.

Brandon Flowers wrote 'Mr. Brightside' after seeing his girlfriend with another man where?

Flowers walked in on his girlfriend with another man at the Crown & Anchor pub in Las Vegas, the city where the Killers formed in 2001.

Usher's 2004 hit 'Yeah!' featured Ludacris and which other guest artist?

Lil Jon dubbed the style 'crunk&B'; the single was knocked off number one by Usher's own 'Burn'.

Green Day's 2004 concept album American Idiot follows an anti-hero with what name?

The album follows Jesus of Suburbia, a disaffected suburban youth who leaves for the city and meets St. Jimmy and Whatsername; it became a Broadway musical in 2010.

Which Green Day single won the top Grammy single prize in 2006?

'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' won Record of the Year at the 2006 Grammys, a year after American Idiot had taken Best Rock Album.

Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl' (2005) was the first single to pass what US download milestone?

'Hollaback Girl' became the first song to pass a million downloads in the US, in 2005; in the video the Harajuku Girls spell out B-A-N-A-N-A-S with cue cards.

Kanye West's 2005 hit 'Gold Digger' samples 'I Got a Woman' by which artist?

Ray Charles's 1954 song 'I Got a Woman' supplied the line 'she give me money when I'm in need', sung on the track by Jamie Foxx; 'Gold Digger' spent 10 weeks at number one.

Fall Out Boy formed in 2001 in Wilmette, a suburb of which city?

Wilmette sits on Chicago's North Shore; Fall Out Boy's 2005 breakthrough 'Sugar, We're Goin Down' reached number eight on the Hot 100.

The Crazy Frog's 2005 hit was a cover of 'Axel F', the theme from which film series?

Harold Faltermeyer's 'Axel F' was the theme to 1984's Beverly Hills Cop; the Crazy Frog began as The Annoying Thing, built on Daniel Malmedahl's two-stroke engine impression.

Shakira's 'Hips Don't Lie' (2006), her first US number one, featured which former Fugee?

Wyclef Jean co-wrote and rapped on 'Hips Don't Lie', and the pair performed it at the 2006 World Cup closing ceremony in Berlin before the final.

Which Nelly Furtado single, produced by Timbaland, became her first US number one in 2006?

"Promiscuous", featuring Timbaland, topped the Hot 100 for six weeks from July 2006, Nelly Furtado's first US number one; "Say It Right" followed in 2007.

Which single piano note famously opens 'Welcome to the Black Parade'?

'Welcome to the Black Parade' opens on a lone G struck on the piano, a note so recognizable that My Chemical Romance fans call it simply 'the G note'.

Amy Winehouse's Back to Black (2006) was produced entirely by Salaam Remi and which British DJ-producer?

Mark Ronson produced Back to Black's Motown-flavoured half, including 'Rehab', with Salaam Remi handling the rest; Ronson won Producer of the Year at the 2008 Grammys.

Which Amy Winehouse song swept the two biggest single categories at the 2008 Grammys?

'Rehab' won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2008 Grammys, the night Back to Black also took Best Pop Vocal Album.

Rihanna's "Umbrella" won which award at the 2008 Grammys?

"Umbrella", credited to Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2008 Grammys, Rihanna's first Grammy; Tricky Stewart and The-Dream wrote the song.

How many consecutive weeks did 'Umbrella' spend at number one on the UK Singles Chart, the longest of any single that decade?

'Umbrella' spent 10 consecutive weeks at UK number one in 2007, a stay that coincided with an unusually wet British summer the tabloids blamed on the song.

Which Fergie single, featuring will.i.am, samples J.J. Fad's 1988 hit 'Supersonic'?

'Fergalicious' borrows its beat from J.J. Fad's 1988 'Supersonic'; its candy-factory video was inspired by Willy Wonka, and the single peaked at number two.

Which Fearless single gave Taylor Swift her first Hot 100 top-five hit?

'Love Story', Fearless's lead single from September 2008, climbed to number four on the Hot 100 in early 2009, Swift's first top-five entry.

Who invited Taylor Swift back on stage to finish after Kanye West's 2009 VMA interruption?

Beyoncé won Video of the Year later that night for 'Single Ladies' and invited Swift back on stage to finish.

Which was Lady Gaga's first US number one single?

'Just Dance' hit number one in January 2009, and 'Poker Face' followed, making Gaga the first new act since Christina Aguilera to open with two Hot 100 chart-toppers.

Which Lady Gaga single was the world's best-selling single of 2009, with around 9.8 million sales?

'Poker Face', produced by RedOne, was IFPI's top-selling digital single of 2009 at 9.8 million copies and won the 2010 Grammy for Best Dance Recording.

The Black Eyed Peas' 'I Gotta Feeling' (2009) was produced by which French DJ?

David Guetta co-produced 'I Gotta Feeling' with Frédéric Riesterer; together with 'Boom Boom Pow' it kept the Black Eyed Peas at number one for 26 consecutive weeks in 2009.

Which Canadian band's 'How You Remind Me' was Billboard's number one song of 2002?

Nickelback's 'How You Remind Me' topped Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for 2002, and the Alberta band went on to sell more than 50 million albums.

Whose Sticky & Sweet Tour became the highest-grossing tour by a female artist at $408 million?

Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour grossed $408 million over 2008 and 2009, then the record for a tour by a female artist; Bon Jovi's Lost Highway Tour topped 2008 alone.

Which singer-actress topped the Billboard 200 in 2001 the same week The Wedding Planner opened at number one?

Jennifer Lopez's album J.Lo debuted at number one in February 2001 as The Wedding Planner topped the box office, making her the first person to do both in the same week.

Which OutKast album won Album of the Year at the 2004 Grammys?

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won Album of the Year in 2004, only the second hip-hop album to do so after Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation in 1999.

Where was "Hey Ya!" recorded in December 2002?

He had written the song back in 2000.

Which producers wrote "In da Club" with 50 Cent?

Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo wrote and produced 'In da Club' with 50 Cent; it became his first Hot 100 number one in 2003 and spent nine weeks on top.

How many times had 50 Cent been shot before recording Get Rich or Die Tryin'?

He wrote that surviving nine close-range shots made him feel he had a purpose in life.

Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" made UK chart history in 2006 by topping the chart how?

'Crazy' hit UK number one in April 2006 on download sales alone, before any physical release; it stayed on top for nine weeks, then was withdrawn from sale.

"Since U Been Gone" was written by Max Martin and which producer?

Dr. Luke co-wrote and co-produced 'Since U Been Gone' with Max Martin, his first major hit; the single was released in November 2004 and peaked at number two on the Hot 100.

Which two artists turned down "Since U Been Gone" before Kelly Clarkson recorded it?

Pink and Hilary Duff both passed on 'Since U Been Gone'; Duff's camp felt the high notes were out of her range, and Clarkson pushed for heavier guitars.

Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" started life as which genre before being reworked?

Ne-Yo wrote 'Irreplaceable' as a country record, and Stargate reworked it into an R&B ballad for Beyoncé; it spent 10 weeks at number one.

Flo Rida's "Low" was the most downloaded single of the 2000s and appeared on which film's soundtrack?

'Low' featured on the soundtrack of Step Up 2: The Streets (2008); it topped the Hot 100 for ten weeks and was later certified Diamond.

How many consecutive weeks did the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" top the Hot 100?

Their own "I Gotta Feeling" beat it that year with 14 weeks at number one.

Which album spawned the Black Eyed Peas' five top-ten hits including "Boom Boom Pow"?

The E.N.D. (2009) yielded five top-ten hits: 'Boom Boom Pow', 'I Gotta Feeling', 'Meet Me Halfway', 'Imma Be' and 'Rock That Body', and won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album.

Justin Timberlake said "SexyBack" was like David Bowie and David Byrne covering whose song?

Timberlake described "SexyBack" as David Bowie and David Byrne covering James Brown's "Sex Machine"; he sang it in a distorted rock style rather than R&B.

Where did Lady Gaga premiere "Bad Romance" in October 2009?

Gaga premiered 'Bad Romance' in full at an Alexander McQueen fashion show, Plato's Atlantis, at Paris Fashion Week in October 2009; it led The Fame Monster, her debut's reissue.

Which producer co-wrote "Bad Romance" with Lady Gaga?

RedOne co-wrote and produced 'Bad Romance' with Gaga during her 2009 Fame Ball tour; the electropop track draws on German house and techno.

What did Beyoncé name her aggressive onstage alter ego on her 2008 album?

"Single Ladies" was released as a double A-side with "If I Were a Boy".

How many Grammys did "Single Ladies" win in 2010, including Song of the Year?

It topped the Hot 100 for four non-consecutive weeks.

"Empire State of Mind" samples "Love on a Two-Way Street" by which group?

The sampled piano comes from The Moments' 1970 ballad "Love on a Two-Way Street"; writers Angela Hunte and Janet Sewell-Ulepic first saw Roc Nation pass on the song.

Which R&B star duets with Jay-Z on "Empire State of Mind"?

Alicia Keys sings the hook on "Empire State of Mind", from Jay-Z's 2009 album The Blueprint 3; it became his first Hot 100 number one as lead artist.

U2's "Beautiful Day" is the opening track of which album?

"Beautiful Day" opens All That You Can't Leave Behind, released in October 2000, and won three Grammys in 2001 including Record and Song of the Year.

Which Avril Lavigne single topped the Hot 100 in 2007?

"Girlfriend", the lead single from The Best Damn Thing, topped the Hot 100 in May 2007, Avril Lavigne's first US number one, and was also recorded in several other languages, including Japanese and Mandarin.

Alicia Keys's 2001 debut album Songs in A Minor was released on which label?

Songs in A Minor arrived in June 2001 on J Records, the label Clive Davis founded after leaving Arista in 2000; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

Who co-wrote and produced Leona Lewis's "Bleeding Love" with Jesse McCartney?

Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic wrote "Bleeding Love" with Jesse McCartney, whose label rejected his version; Lewis's 2007 recording became the UK's best-selling single of that year.

Coldplay took the title "Viva la Vida" from a final painting by which artist?

Frida Kahlo painted the words 'Viva la Vida' on a watermelon in her final work, completed days before her death in 1954.

Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" surged in the US after featuring in which TV show's season finale?

"Chasing Cars" played over the Grey's Anatomy season-two finale in May 2006, sending it up the Hot 100; PPL later named it the UK's most-played song of the decade.

Which country star's 2002 cover of "Hurt" led Trent Reznor to say "that song isn't mine anymore"?

Johnny Cash recorded "Hurt" for 2002's American IV: The Man Comes Around; Nine Inch Nails first released it on 1994's The Downward Spiral.

Madonna's 2000 single "Music" was co-written with which producer?

Mirwais Ahmadzaï co-wrote and produced "Music" with Madonna; the track leaked to Napster weeks before its August 2000 release, prompting legal threats from her team.

Which single gave Justin Timberlake his first solo Hot 100 number one?

"SexyBack" topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks from September 2006, Justin Timberlake's first solo number one; "My Love" followed it to the top that December.

Which producer created "Family Affair", Mary J. Blige's six-week Hot 100 number one of 2001?

Dr. Dre produced "Family Affair", which spent six weeks at number one in late 2001, Mary J. Blige's first Hot 100 chart-topper after a decade of hits.

Destiny's Child's "Independent Women" was the lead single for which film's soundtrack?

"Independent Women Part I" led the Charlie's Angels soundtrack in 2000 and held the top of the Hot 100 for 11 straight weeks.

The video for Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" introduced which two replacement members?

LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson sang on "Say My Name", but in the February 2000 video they had been replaced on screen by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin, who left that July.

Who wrote and produced Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful"?

Linda Perry, formerly of 4 Non Blondes, wrote and produced "Beautiful"; Aguilera said she put her heart and soul into the Stripped anthem, which won a 2004 Grammy.

Shaggy's breakthrough "It Wasn't Me" (2000) featured which singer?

Rikrok, born Ricardo Ducent, sings the confessions on "It Wasn't Me", the UK's best-selling single of 2001 at over 1.15 million copies; Rayvon featured on the follow-up "Angel".

Which Radiohead album, released in 2000, came out with no singles or interviews?

Kid A arrived in October 2000 with no singles and barely any press; Radiohead promoted it with short web animations called 'blips', and it debuted at number one in the US regardless.

Which Strokes album, released in 2001, helped launch the garage-rock revival?

Is This It, recorded with producer Gordon Raphael in a Manhattan basement studio, came out in 2001 and made the Strokes the face of the garage-rock revival.

Which studio hosted the recording of the White Stripes' Elephant?

Elephant was cut in about two weeks at Toe Rag Studios in Hackney, London, an all-analogue eight-track studio; it yielded "Seven Nation Army" and "The Hardest Button to Button".

Which Marshall Mathers LP track won Eminem the 2001 Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance?

"The Real Slim Shady" won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2001 Grammys, where The Marshall Mathers LP also took Best Rap Album and Eminem performed "Stan" with Elton John.

Which Stankonia single won OutKast a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group?

"Ms. Jackson", André 3000's apology to Erykah Badu's mother, topped the Hot 100 in 2001 and won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2002 Grammys.

Which then up-and-coming producer handled the largest share of Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001)?

Kanye West produced four of its tracks, including "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and "Takeover"; the release was moved up a week to beat bootlegs and landed on September 11, 2001.

Roughly how many US copies did Usher's Confessions move in week one?

Confessions sold about 1.1m US copies in its first week in March 2004 and finished as the year's best-selling album; lead single "Yeah!" had fused crunk and R&B.

What term describes the soul-sampling production style of Kanye West's 2004 debut The College Dropout?

The College Dropout's pitched-up vocal samples were dubbed chipmunk soul; "Through the Wire", rapped with his jaw wired shut after a 2002 car crash, speeds up Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire".

Which two hip-hop stars executive-produced 50 Cent's 2003 debut?

Dr. Dre and Eminem signed 50 Cent to Shady/Aftermath and executive-produced Get Rich or Die Tryin', which debuted at number one in February 2003 behind lead single "In da Club".

Which co-writer worked with Taylor Swift on much of Fearless (2008)?

Liz Rose co-wrote much of Fearless with Swift, including "You Belong with Me" and "White Horse", which won the 2010 Grammy for Best Country Song.

Lady Gaga's stage name was taken from which Queen song?

Producer Rob Fusari nicknamed Stefani Germanotta 'Gaga' after Queen's 1984 hit "Radio Ga Ga", and the name stuck before The Fame was released in 2008.

The Killers' debut Hot Fuss (2004) drew mainly on which two genres?

Hot Fuss drew on 1980s new wave and post-punk acts such as Duran Duran, New Order and the Smiths; its singles included "Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me".

Which Canadian band's 2004 debut Funeral drew on the North American ice storm of 1998?

Arcade Fire's Funeral (2004) includes "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)", written about the 1998 ice storm that blacked out Montreal; the title mourned relatives of several members who died during recording.

Which Eminem album, released in 2002, features the political track "White America"?

The Eminem Show (2002) features "White America" and "Square Dance", which reference 9/11 and the war on terror; it finished as the year's best-selling US album.

Who founded the file-sharing app Napster, launched in 1999?

Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker launched Napster in June 1999, Fanning having written it as a Northeastern University student; it peaked at about 80 million registered users before shutting in 2001.

Which Metallica album, released in 2003, was recorded without a permanent bassist?

St. Anger (2003) was recorded after Jason Newsted quit, with producer Bob Rock playing bass; Robert Trujillo joined only once the album was finished.

Which U2 song soundtracked Apple's 2004 iPod campaign and a U2 Special Edition iPod?

"Vertigo", the lead single from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, soundtracked Apple's 2004 iPod ad campaign alongside a black-and-red U2 Special Edition iPod.

Which company bought MySpace for $580 million in 2005?

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation paid $580 million for MySpace's parent Intermix in July 2005; by mid-2006 MySpace was the most-visited website in the US.

Which 2008 Kanye West album was sung almost entirely through Auto-Tune?

808s & Heartbreak (2008) paired Auto-Tuned singing with Roland TR-808 drum-machine beats, written after the death of West's mother Donda and a broken engagement.

Which R&B artist is credited with sparking the mainstream Auto-Tune craze in 2007?

T-Pain's 2007 hits "Buy U a Drank" and "Bartender" made heavy Auto-Tune a mainstream R&B sound, leading to the 2009 'I Am T-Pain' iPhone app that sold the effect to the public.

The Crazy Frog's "Axel F" kept which Coldplay single off UK number one in 2005?

Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" entered at number two in May 2005 as the Crazy Frog's "Axel F" took the UK top spot, outselling it several times over in its first week.

Which band's 2004 Coachella set marked their reunion after an 11-year split?

Pixies reunited in 2004 after splitting in 1993; their Coachella appearance that spring, on the day Radiohead headlined, became the signature show of the comeback.

In which California city is the Coachella festival held?

Coachella takes place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, in California's Coachella Valley; organiser Goldenvoice, part of AEG Presents, added a second weekend in 2012.

Which Usher single was his third consecutive Hot 100 number one of 2004?

"Confessions Part II" topped the Hot 100 in July 2004, following "Yeah!" and "Burn"; "My Boo" with Alicia Keys then made it four chart-toppers from Confessions that year.

"Toxic" samples strings from which 1981 Bollywood song?

Bloodshy & Avant lifted the high strings of "Toxic" from "Tere Mere Beech Mein", sung by Lata Mangeshkar for the 1981 film Ek Duuje Ke Liye.

Which 2002 Missy Elliott single has a chorus line played backwards on the record?

"Work It" (2002) reverses its hook line on tape; it spent 10 weeks at number two on the Hot 100, then a record for a single that never reached the top.

Which 2003 album was Beyoncé's solo debut?

Dangerously in Love, released in June 2003, was Beyoncé's solo debut; it won five Grammys in 2004, including Best Contemporary R&B Album.

Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" won which award at the 2005 Grammys?

"Jesus Walks" won Best Rap Song at the 2005 Grammys, the night The College Dropout took Best Rap Album; the track was given three separate music videos.

Arctic Monkeys' 2006 record set a UK chart record as the fastest-selling what?

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not also won the Mercury Prize.

Which Parachutes single was Coldplay's breakthrough hit in 2000?

"Yellow" reached number four in the UK in 2000 and became Coldplay's first US hit; Parachutes won the 2002 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.

Michael Jackson's final record Invincible (2001) is notable as what?

Invincible cost an estimated $30 million to produce, which made it the most expensive ever made; it debuted at number one in the US in November 2001.

Which physician administered the propofol that caused Michael Jackson's death in 2009?

Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, gave him propofol as a sleep aid at his rented Los Angeles home; he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.

Which 2007 Britney album came out amid a public breakdown?

Blackout arrived in October 2007 during Britney's very public breakdown, months after she shaved her head; she was placed under a conservatorship in 2008 that ended in 2021.

On which network did American Idol premiere on June 11, 2002?

American Idol premiered on Fox on 11 June 2002 and ran there for 15 seasons until 2016, before ABC revived it in 2018.

Who were the three original American Idol judges?

Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell judged seasons one through eight together, until Abdul left the show in 2009.

What Hot 100 record did Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This" set in 2002?

"A Moment Like This" leapt from number 52 to number one in October 2002, the biggest single-week jump to number one in Hot 100 history until then, beating the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love".

Who is the lead singer and primary songwriter of the Strokes?

Julian Casablancas, son of Elite Model Management founder John Casablancas, fronts the Strokes and wrote nearly all of their 2001 debut Is This It himself.

Which Fall Out Boy record delivered "Sugar, We're Goin Down" in 2005?

From Under the Cork Tree (2005) carried "Sugar, We're Goin Down" and "Dance, Dance"; Pete Wentz wrote the lyrics and Patrick Stump the music.

Robert Smith of the Cure sang on which track from blink-182's 2003 self-titled album?

Robert Smith of the Cure guests on "All of This" from blink-182's 2003 self-titled album, the darker record the band made before going on hiatus in 2005.

Billie Joe Armstrong wrote Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" about whose death?

Armstrong wrote "Wake Me Up When September Ends" about his father, who died of cancer in September 1982 when Billie Joe was ten; its video instead follows a soldier sent to Iraq.

Which 2001 Radiohead album collected further material from the Kid A sessions?

Amnesiac, released in June 2001, drew on the same 1999-2000 sessions as Kid A; the two were reissued together in 2021 as Kid A Mnesia.

In which English city did Arctic Monkeys form in 2002?

Arctic Monkeys formed in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, in 2002; their 2006 debut went on to win the Mercury Prize.

Which record label released Arcade Fire's Funeral in September 2004?

Merge Records, the Durham, North Carolina label co-founded by Superchunk's Mac McCaughan, released Funeral in September 2004; it was recorded largely at Montreal's Hotel2Tango studio.

Which UK talent show did Leona Lewis win in 2006, the year before "Bleeding Love"?

Leona Lewis won the third series of The X Factor in December 2006; "Bleeding Love", released in October 2007, became the UK's best-selling single of that year.

Which song topped Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for 2006?

Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" was Billboard's number one song of 2006, lifted by its use as the send-off music for eliminated American Idol contestants that season.

Which Grammy did the White Stripes' Elephant win at the 2004 ceremony?

Elephant won Best Alternative Music Album at the 2004 Grammys, where "Seven Nation Army" also took Best Rock Song.

Which production team co-wrote and produced Avril Lavigne's 2002 debut single 'Complicated'?

The Matrix shared the writing credit with Lavigne; the single arrived on Arista in March 2002, ahead of the album Let Go.

Norah Jones's 2002 debut Come Away with Me, which took Album of the Year, was released on which jazz label?

Blue Note Records put out the album, which won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album and was certified Diamond in 2005 for shipments over ten million.

Evanescence's 'Bring Me to Life' first appeared on the soundtrack of which 2003 superhero film?

"Bring Me to Life" debuted on the Daredevil soundtrack in early 2003; the male vocal came from Paul McCoy of 12 Stones at the label's insistence, and the song won a 2004 Grammy.

Driven by its instructional dance video, how many weeks did Soulja Boy's 'Crank That' top the Hot 100 in fall 2007?

Seven weeks at number one followed a dance video that passed 27 million YouTube views by early 2008, an early sign of how online video could drive a hit.

'Since U Been Gone', written by Max Martin and Dr. Luke, was the 2004 lead single from which Kelly Clarkson album?

Breakaway's lead single arrived two weeks before the album and became one of the defining pop-rock hits of the decade.

Whose costume reveal at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show brought CBS a record FCC indecency fine?

Janet Jackson's exposure had an unlikely consequence: YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim credits the incident with leading to the creation of the video site.

Which group remade a Trinidadian musician's song as the stadium anthem 'Who Let the Dogs Out'?

Baha Men were covering 'Doggie' by Anslem Douglas, who says his original was a feminist song scolding men who catcall women and has nothing to do with dogs.

Which Mariah Carey comeback single did Billboard declare the most popular song of the 2000s decade?

We Belong Together revived a career many critics had written off after the flops Glitter and Charmbracelet, then held the Hot 100's top spot for fourteen weeks.

In which Disney Channel movie was most of Zac Efron's singing actually performed by Drew Seeley?

High School Musical's songs were written for a tenor before Efron, a baritone, was cast, so Seeley's voice was blended in to cover the parts he could not reach.

Which single first took Katy Perry to number one after her gospel debut sold about 200 copies?

I Kissed a Girl was counted as the 1,000th number-one song of the rock era; Perry's 2001 Christian album, released as Katy Hudson, vanished when its label shut down.

Which Australian singer's hit 'Can't Get You Out of My Head' was first offered to S Club 7?

Kylie Minogue got the song only after its writers, Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis, had also pitched it without success to Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

Which American Idol winner's debut album Some Hearts featured the revenge hit 'Before He Cheats'?

Carrie Underwood nearly had a record deal at 14, but Capitol cancelled the contract after a management change, years before a TV talent contest gave her a second chance.

Christina Aguilera led an all-star 2001 cover of 'Lady Marmalade' for which film's soundtrack?

Moulin Rouge gave the remake a new setting, the Paris cabaret of its title, and Missy Elliott co-produced the track and performed its outro.

Which Scottish singer went viral with a 2009 Britain's Got Talent audition of 'I Dreamed a Dream'?

Susan Boyle was the clear favourite but finished second in the final to dance troupe Diversity, even as her audition became YouTube's most-watched video of 2009.

Which ex-Army captain wrote 'You're Beautiful' after seeing an old flame on the London Underground?

James Blunt served with NATO forces in Kosovo, where he kept a guitar strapped to the outside of his tank and sometimes played for locals and troops.

Which Moldovan group's hit 'Dragostea din tei' soundtracked the viral Numa Numa Dance video?

O-Zone's song found a new audience when vlogger Gary Brolsma filmed himself lip-syncing to it at his computer in December 2004, an early internet sensation.

Which Miley Cyrus hit was first written for Jessie J, about her own move to Los Angeles?

Party in the U.S.A. was reworked to mirror Cyrus's own relocation from Nashville, Tennessee, after Jessie J decided the song was not quite right for her.

Which Memphis rap group won the Best Original Song Oscar for a track from the film Hustle & Flow?

Three 6 Mafia became the first hip hop group to win the award, and performed the song at the ceremony with actress Taraji P. Henson shortly before the envelope was opened.

Jason Derulo's chart-topper 'Whatcha Say' samples 'Hide and Seek' by which British singer?

Imogen Heap's 2005 original was sampled so heavily that some critics winced, but Derulo said she was in love with what he had made of it.

Which band began as Kara's Flowers before relaunching with the 2002 album Songs About Jane?

Maroon 5 had a humbling start: as Kara's Flowers they lost the best-band award at UCLA's Spring Sing in 2000 to a Barry Manilow parody act, the same year their friend Sara Bareilles won the show's grand prize.

Which 2005 video game came with a miniature Gibson SG controller and five colored fret buttons?

Guitar Hero made its studio, Harmonix, famous, yet the series soon passed to other developers and Harmonix answered with a full-band rival, Rock Band.

Which singer walked off Saturday Night Live when a wrong backing track exposed her lip-syncing?

Ashlee Simpson danced a brief jig and walked off, later blaming acid reflux that had inflamed her vocal cords and cost her voice during rehearsals.

Which group behind the hit 'Don't Cha' began in 1995 as a Los Angeles burlesque troupe?

Pussycat Dolls shows once featured guest performers such as Christina Applegate and Carmen Electra, before founder Robin Antin recast the troupe as a recording group.

Which Puerto Rican rapper's hit 'Gasolina' is credited with introducing reggaeton worldwide?

Daddy Yankee had hoped to play professional baseball and tried out for the Seattle Mariners, until being shot in the leg turned him toward music instead.

Which band danced on eight treadmills in a single take for the viral video 'Here It Goes Again'?

OK Go left the finished clip sitting on a laptop for about a year, afraid of being typecast as a goofy dancing band; it went on to win a Grammy for best short-form video.

Which band consists of four cartoon characters drawn by Jamie Hewlett, including bassist Murdoc?

Gorillaz were dreamed up by Damon Albarn and Hewlett while the pair sat watching MTV, as a cartoon answer to a channel they felt had nothing of substance on it.

Which band led by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl scored a 2000s rock hit with 'Best of You'?

Foo Fighters began as a one-man project: Grohl recorded the 1995 debut mostly alone in six days and borrowed the name from a wartime term for UFOs.

Which band first planned Stadium Arcadium, the album behind 'Dani California', as a trilogy?

Red Hot Chili Peppers wrote 38 songs and wanted three discs released six months apart; the trimmed two-disc set still won the Grammy for Best Rock Album.

Which New Jersey band did Gerard Way form after watching the World Trade Center towers fall in 2001?

My Chemical Romance grew from that day: Way decided to start a band and wrote one of its earliest songs, 'Skylines and Turnstiles', about what he had seen.

Which band behind 'Use Somebody' consists of three sons of a Pentecostal preacher and their cousin?

Kings of Leon took their name from grandfather Leon, and the Followill brothers have joked that they kidnapped cousin Matthew from Mississippi to complete the band.

Which English band's 'Supermassive Black Hole' plays over the vampire baseball game in Twilight?

Muse had released the song two years earlier, with singer Matt Bellamy calling it the most different thing the band had ever done.

Which Glasgow band's debut album, featuring the hit 'Take Me Out', won the 2004 Mercury Prize?

Franz Ferdinand got their name by way of a racehorse called Archduke Ferdinand, whose 2001 win set the band talking about the archduke shot on the eve of World War I.

Which supergroup joined Soundgarden's Chris Cornell with three members of Rage Against the Machine?

Audioslave formed on producer Rick Rubin's suggestion and in 2005 became the first American rock band to play an open-air concert in Cuba.

Which indie band's 'New Slang' soared after Natalie Portman's character praised it in Garden State?

The Shins had already licensed the track to a McDonald's advert aired during the 2002 Winter Olympics, a tie-in singer James Mercer knew could cheapen it.

Which Armenian-American metal band topped the Billboard 200 with Toxicity, home of 'Chop Suey!'?

System of a Down saw 'Chop Suey!' pulled into controversy after the September 11 attacks, when it landed on a Clear Channel list of songs its radio stations were advised not to play.

Which 2007 number one is sung to a real steeplechase runner who had turned the songwriter down?

Hey There Delilah imagines a relationship that never happened: runner Delilah DiCrescenzo had rejected singer Tom Higgenson and later found the song's fame hard to deal with.

Which Train hit did Pat Monahan write about his late mother after its opening came in a dream?

Drops of Jupiter imagines her returning from a journey through the planets, and it won the Grammy for Best Rock Song.

Which Avril Lavigne hit tells of a snobby girl who rejects a boy who then becomes world-famous?

Sk8er Boi was optioned by Paramount Pictures for a feature film based on its lyrics, but the studio's option lapsed without a movie being made.

Which Kelly Clarkson ballad did she first write at sixteen to cope with her parents' divorce?

Because of You was turned down by her label for her debut album, so she polished it with two co-writers and talked the label into releasing it on her next record.

Which Coldplay song did Chris Martin write to comfort Gwyneth Paltrow after the death of her father?

Fix You grew out of grief: Martin met Paltrow three weeks after her father, television director Bruce Paltrow, died, and the couple married the following year.

Taylor Swift's debut single, about a lost summer love, is named after which country star?

Tim McGraw is the singer whose song the narrator asks her ex to remember her by; Swift finished recording the debut album just as her freshman year ended.

Which Dixie Chicks single answered the backlash over Natalie Maines's remark about President Bush?

Not Ready to Make Nice turned the boycott into a triumph, sweeping Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2007 Grammys.

Gwen Stefani wrote 'Hollaback Girl' to answer which rock singer, who had called her a cheerleader?

Courtney Love had cast Stefani as the cheerleader of the famous in a Seventeen magazine interview; Stefani replied by playing a cheerleader in the song's video.

In Wheatus's hit 'Teenage Dirtbag', the narrator's crush invites him to see which heavy metal band?

Iron Maiden tickets set up the happy ending, which the video acts out with Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari, stars of the teen film Loser that featured the song.

Which band's 'How to Save a Life' grew from its singer mentoring at a camp for troubled teens?

The Fray's singer Isaac Slade says the song is about everyone who tried to reach one boy and failed, and its verses follow an adult confronting a troubled teen.