The 2000s brought us the height of the boy band era, bubbly pop bops and pop-punk greatness.
But which artists were the most influential on the overall sound of the 2000s pop-scape?
In the Reddit forum Popheads, fans of 2000s music sounded off on who they think are the ultimate icons of pop music in the first decade of the 21st century.
As one Reddit user put it, the 2000s was the “wild west of pop,” because it was a mix of R&B, pop-rock, electropop and more.
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One name that (predictably) came up over and over again was none other than Pop Princess Britney Spears.
“Britney Spears was THE pop star of the 2000s,” one Reddit user said.
Another person added, “Britney first and foremost,” while several people noted that Spears’ work with legendary producer Max Martin was one the most – if not the most – influential of the early 2000s.
“It’s Britney, b—h,” someone else wrote in a comment, using Spears’ signature phrase.
One person noted that even Spears’ simplest lyrics were defining, such as her “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,” from “Oops! I Did It Again.”
Similarly, the same fan noted that Usher’s “Yeah!” had the same “positive, energetic” effect on the era.
Many fans also noted that you can’t talk about the 2000s without talking about Christina Aguilera and her Stripped album in particular.
“Christina [Aguilera] ran through those runs like it was the Boston Marathon!” one fan commented of Aguilera’s vocal gymnastics.
Another person added, “Christina Aguilera’s ‘Stripped’ really is the answer if I’m just picking one album. It contains all the various pop sounds of everyone who got hits in the decade just within its singles.”
Others noted that a lot of music in the early 2000s was heavily influenced by hip-hop and R&B, with artists like Beyoncé, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Nelly, Brandy and more making hits.
“When I think of 2000s pop music, I automatically think of hip-hop and R&B. Even artists you wouldn’t typically group into that category such as Britney or Gwen [Stefani] were heavily influenced by it at the time,” one fan pointed out.
Another star who took major notes from R&B was Justin Timberlake after he exited *NSYNC and began working with Timbaland.
Pop-rock was another branch of 2000s pop music that had its moment, and one Reddit user commented that it had a “very polished feel” in songs like “Let Go” by Avril Lavigne, “Why Not” by Hilary Duff and “Into the Rush” by Aly and AJ.
Ultimately, every music fan has a different answer for who truly defined pop music in the 2000s.
But one thing is for sure: Britney’s reign is undeniable.
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Gallery Credit: Taylor Alexis Heady
