The Ultimate Guide to 2000s Love Songs: A Nostalgic Journey
The 2000s marked a golden era in music, particularly in the genre of love songs. This period saw a blend of various musical styles and the emergence of new artists who left an indelible mark on the hearts of listeners. Our journey through the 2000s love songs is a trip down memory lane, celebrating the tracks that defined a generation.
“You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban
Song Year: 2003
You can interpret the lyrics in many ways, so some people see this as the ultimate love song, while others see it as a song about a supportive parent or faith in God.
This uplifting version of one of the best 2000s love songs by Josh Groban helped its album hit #1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart in the US and remains one of his most popular hits that's often played at weddings, funerals, and everything in between.
“Keep Holding On” by Avril Lavigne
Song Year: 2006
This pop tune is an anthem to getting through the tough times with someone you love, and it can work for romantic love or love and support from family or friends.
The lyrics are about perseverance and never giving up, which can mean making a relationship work or weathering the storms of life. Avril Lavigne wrote the song for the 2006 film Eragon.
“Fallin'” by Alicia Keys
Song Year: 2001
This soulful R&B song about repeatedly falling in love with someone and falling out of love with them again came from Alicia Keys' debut album, Songs in A Minor. She won five Grammy Awards for the album, and this song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Fallin'” is one of the best 2000s love songs that's different from most love songs with slower tempos and sweeter lyrics.
“Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts
Song Year: 2004
Rascal Flatts performed many narrative songs like this one, but “Bless the Broken Road” was their song that stayed at #1 on the country chart the longest, with five weeks in the top spot.
In this popular wedding song, the singer says that every hardship he's endured in his life was worth it because all those misfortunes led him to the person he loves.
“You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift
Song Year: 2008
Pop icon and multiple award-winner Taylor Swift often writes about her real-life loves, but this song came about after she overheard a girl berating her boyfriend on the phone. She sings about her love for someone whose girlfriend doesn't deserve him.
This pop tune became one of the most popular love songs of the 2000s and one of her earliest hits on the pop and country charts.
“Come Away With Me” by Nora Jones
Song Year: 2002
This easy-listening jazz song came from her debut album of the same name that earned her five Grammy Awards.
In the track, she urges her love to go away with her and suggests places where they can be alone. She doesn't make fancy promises in this beautiful love song, and most places are mundane locations where two people could focus on each other.
“Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane
Song Year: 2004
The idea of a secret place only a person and his lover know about and can go to escape their worries is attractive to many people.
Though the song is sad, more about lost love or one that might end, its nostalgia and sentiments made it one of the most popular love songs of the 2000s. It hit #3 in the UK and helped make the band Keane one of the most popular musical acts of the decade.
“Hero” by Enrique Iglesias
Song Year: 2001
“Hero” from Enrigue Iglesias' second album is a beautiful love song that became a song of strength and hope after the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US.
The song came out 11 days before the attacks and received constant airplay afterward as an anthem for the heroes who risked and sometimes lost their lives trying to save others at Ground Zero
Enrique is the son of Julio Iglesias, one of the best-selling and award-winning singers worldwide with a career spanning over 60 years.
“A Moment Like This” by Kelly Clarkson
Song Year: 2007
Kelly Clarkson won the first season of the singing competition show American Idol and remains its most successful winner. She has sold over 70 million singles and albums and was the first musical artist to hit #1 on five Billboard charts.
This rock ballad about the kind of love some people wait their whole lives to find was her first single from her debut album. It hit #1 in the US and became the bestselling song in 2002.
“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
Song Year: 2006
“Chasing Cars” helped Snow Patrol's album, Eyes Open, become one of the best-selling albums in UK history and one of the top 20 best-selling albums of the 2000s.
The tune was one of the best love songs of the 2000s, hitting #5 in the US and #6 in the UK and earning a Grammy Award nomination. It played during the second-season finale of Grey's Anatomy and appeared twice more during the show's run.
Lyrics about being together and forgetting everything else for a while made the song the UK's most played single of the decade.
“She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5
Song Year: 2002
Maroon 5 won the Best New Artist Grammy Award the same year they released their debut album with this song as one of its hit singles.
The sweet lyrics talk about a girl with problems and how he'll love her despite the insecurities and flaws she sees in herself.
It's one of the best 2000s love songs about beauty being in the eye of the beholder and how so many people are more worthy of love than they think.
“Lips of an Angel” by Hinder
Song Year: 2005
Hinder's tune about being in love with someone from the past and what might have been was their breakthrough hit and most popular song. It came from their debut album, Extreme Behavior, and hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also hit #1 in New Zealand and Australia.
It's one of the most downloaded rock songs in history, with almost 4 million downloads.
“You're Beautiful” by James Blunt
Song Year: 2005
James Blunt wrote one of the best love songs of the 2000s and released it on his debut album, Back to Bedlam. It hit #1 in the US, reached #1 or the top ten in multiple countries, and sold over 3 million copies in the US alone.
The tune is about a love the singer doesn't believe will happen. Blunt said that spotting his ex-girlfriend with a new boyfriend inspired the lyrics about seeing a beautiful face in a crowd and falling for her.
Despite its inspiration, the song became a popular anthem about love at first sight.
“Forever and for Always” by Shania Twain
Song Year: 2002
The lyrics of this song are about still feeling the same way about someone you love years after you first fell for them. It also talks about how that same love is going to last forever, making it a popular wedding first-dance song.
Shania Twain was a star before she released this hit on her fourth album, earning her Grammy Award nominations and “Song of the Year” status from BMI Country Songwriter Awards.
“Here Without You” by 3 Doors Down
Song Year: 2002
This tune is one of the best 2000s love songs that's bittersweet and more about a past, lost love than a happy, current partnership.
In this power ballad, the singer tells the story of being here without his love but how he can't forget her and keeps her close in his dreams.
The song was a hit for 3 Doors Down, but their first hit two years earlier, “Kryptonite,” is the song that made them famous.
“A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton
Song Year: 2002
A bright, upbeat piano rhythm starts Carlton's signature song about what the singer would do to be with the one she loves, including treks of a thousand miles, if necessary.
Carlton was only 16 when she wrote this song about an impossible crush on a famous actor. It became the first single off her debut album and led to the album earning platinum status and three Grammy nominations.
“This I Promise You” by NSYNC
Song Year: 2000
Smash hit NSYNC was a boy band with multiple #1 and top ten hits during their seven-year career. “This I Promise You” is one of the beautiful love songs of the 2000s where the singer promises to be there for his love no matter what happens.
The group, where Justin Timberlake launched his music career, earned multiple Grammy nominations and sold millions of albums before its breakup in 2002.
“Hanging by a Moment” by Lifehouse
Song Year: 2000
This alternative rock love song was the first release from Lifehouse's debut album. It hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains the most successful song released by the band.
It became popular internationally and hit #1 in Australia, quickly going double-platinum, according to the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
“Everything” by Michael Bublé
Song Year: 2007
Michael Bublé's voice is like a modern, mellow, pop-music version of Frank Sinatra, and this song incorporates his smooth sound with a lighthearted pop vibe.
He originally wrote the song for actress Emily Blunt when they were in a relationship. Though they both ended up married to other people, the song remains one of his biggest hits.
“It's Not Over” by Daughtry
Song Year: 2006
The rock band Daughtry, formed and led by Christ Daughtry, had the best-selling album in 2007 with their six-times platinum debut album, Daughtry.
Chris Daughtry was a finalist in the fifth season of American Idol. He released multiple top 20 hits, including this song about starting over and making a failed love affair work the second time.
“Dilemma” by Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland
Song Year: 2002
“Dilemma” is an R&B collaboration between rapper Nelly and pop and R&B singer Kelly Rowland. The song hit #1 on Billboard Hot 100 chart and hit charts in multiple countries. It also earned a Grammy Award nomination.
The song is about the dilemmas faced by people in love when they can only think about one person. It contains a sample from the 1983 Patti LaBelle hit “Love, Need, and Want You.”
“Ain't No Other Man” by Christina Aguilera
Song Year: 2006
This soulful, up-tempo song starts with a vocal riff that makes it instantly recognizable. The song comes from Aguilera's fifth album, Back to Basics, and reached #6 on the Hot 100 chart with over 2 million copies sold.
Aguilera won a Grammy Award for her performance of the song on the 49th Grammy Awards broadcast in 2006.
“I'm Yours” by Jason Mraz
Song Year: 2008
When this lighthearted song hit the Billboard Hot 100, it set the record for spending the most time on the chart, at 76 weeks. The song earned diamond status in the US after selling 10 million copies.
It's the perfect choice when you want to hear a song where someone declares their devotion to the person they love.
“Make You Feel My Love” by Adele
Song Year: 2008
Folk and rock superstar Bob Dylan wrote this slow, sweet love song that became a standard covered by more than 450 musical artists.
Adele's rich, distinctive voice helped make it one of the top five UK hits from her debut album, 19. The album launched this superstar's career and helped make her one of the best-selling musical artists worldwide.
She's had multiple hits, a record-setting six Grammy Awards for her second album, and record-setting global concert attendance.
“I Believe in You” by Celine Dion and Il Divo
Song Year: 2006
Celine Dion is the best-selling Canadian artist and one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, with dozens of hits and five Grammy Awards. Il Divo is an internationally famous group with sold-out world tours and over 160 gold and platinum hits worldwide.
They joined forces on this beautiful love song with English and French lyrics, which helped the song's popularity in countries like France, Portugal, and Switzerland.
“There You'll Be” by Faith Hill
Song Year: 2001
If you're in the mood for a love song that tugs at the heartstrings and hurts a little, “There You'll Be” fits the bill. The object of love is gone, but the singer promises they'll always be with them, no matter where they go.
The song appears on the 2001 film Pearl Harbor soundtrack and earned country superstar Faith Hill a Grammy nomination.
“You're Like Coming Home” by Lonestar
Song Year: 2005
The singer compares the person they love with several good things in this country hit, especially the comfort of coming home.
Though it doesn't appear in every list of all time, it's a testament to how popular Lonestar was in the 2000s.
The band achieved over 20 top hits, including the first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 since the 1983 track “Islands in the Stream” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.
“We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey
Song Year: 2005
This Mariah Carey hit is a love song where the singer has lost the person they love and tries to convince them they belong together.
It was her 16th #1 hit on the Hot 100 chart, staying there for 14 weeks and becoming the third-longest #1 song, just beneath another song of hers with Boyz II Men, “One Sweet Day,” that stayed at #1 for 16 weeks.
“Making Memories of Us” by Keith Urban
Song Year: 2004
Country singer Rodney Crowell wrote this sweet song about making memories with a loved one. Other artists like country singer Vince Gill recorded the tune first, but Urban's version hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Australian-born Urban has four Grammy Awards and multiple songs that topped charts internationally. He served as an American Idol judge and a coach on the Australian version of The Voice.
“If I Ain't Got You” by Alicia Keys
Song Year: 2004
Superstar Alicia Keys drew inspiration for this jazzy R&B love song from tragedies like the September 11th terrorist attacks and the untimely death of singer Aaliyah in 2001.
The song explains that nothing in life means anything without the one you love and that most things are material and unimportant, while love is what matters most.
“Wait for You” by Elliot Yamin
Song Year: 2007
“Wait for You” is Elliot Yamin's biggest hit to date and comes from his debut album. His claim to fame was placing third during American Idol‘s fifth season.
The sweet song promises he only needs a chance to prove his love, and he'll wait as long as it takes, even a lifetime.
“Love Story” by Taylor Swift
Song Year: 2008
This love song is another one of Swift's hits about a past love affair, with references to Romeo and Juliet and The Scarlet Letter in the lyrics.
The single sold over 8 million copies in the US and was the first country crossover to hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart. It also got more radio airplay in 2009 than any other song.
“Incomplete” by Backstreet Boys
Song Year: 2005
The Backstreet Boys debuted in 1993, and despite almost 30 years of competition, they remain the best-selling boy band of all time, with over 100 million albums sold worldwide. They were also the first boy band to hit #1 on the US charts across three decades.
This hit is one of the love songs of the 2000s about how incomplete a person feels when the one they love isn't with them.
Top Love Songs Of The 2000s, Final Thoughts
So those were the best 2000s love songs. It's easy to think of love songs as only ballads, but the love songs of the 2000s on this list show how there are many different kinds of songs about loving someone.
There are great tunes on this list, whether you prefer a country song about home and the heart, a sexy R&B track, or an upbeat pop tune.
We hope you found some new favorites among these best 2000s love songs.
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