164 Fun Facts About 2000s Music

Which singer-songwriter's 2008 hit 'I'm Yours' spent 76 weeks on the Hot 100?

Jason Mraz first released 'I'm Yours' as a demo on a limited 2005 EP; three years later the single began what was then the longest Hot 100 run on record.

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

Adele's 25 sold 3.38 million US copies in its first week in 2015; she had kept it off streaming services, so anyone who wanted the album had to buy it.

In the 'Bye Bye Bye' video, the members of NSYNC begin under a woman's control, portrayed as what?

Puppets on a puppet-master's strings fit the album the single launched, No Strings Attached, the first NSYNC made after suing to leave manager Lou Pearlman.

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

Dido's opening lines of 'Thank You' form the hook of 'Stan'; the title character's name then became slang for an obsessive fan and is now a dictionary entry.

Which Eminem song won the 2003 Best Original Song Oscar while he slept at home?

'Lose Yourself', from 8 Mile, won without him: sure he had no chance, Eminem skipped the ceremony and co-writer Luis Resto accepted. He finally performed it at the Oscars in 2020.

Which Linkin Park album is named after what the band used to be called?

Hybrid Theory was the band's name until they became Linkin Park, spelt that way rather than 'Lincoln' so that they could register the .com web address.

Which Linkin Park single reached number two on the Hot 100 in 2002?

'In the End' is the hit Chester Bennington nearly vetoed: he disliked it at first and didn't want it on the album at all, let alone released as a single.

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

Metallica traced a leaked demo of 'I Disappear' to Napster, then had 60,000 pages naming 335,435 users delivered to its office, demanding that every one be banned.

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' sold the first iPod; twenty years on, Apple retired the line in May 2022, saying its spirit lives on in the iPhone and its other devices.

By 2008 Apple's iTunes Store had overtaken which chain to become America's biggest music retailer?

Walmart lost the top spot in early 2008 as young buyers gave up on the CD: a survey that year found nearly half of American teenagers had not bought a single disc in 2007.

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

'Get Ur Freak On' owes its six-note hook to producer Timbaland, who picked it out himself on a tumbi, a one-stringed instrument from Punjabi bhangra music.

Which production duo made Nelly's 2002 hit 'Hot in Herre'?

The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, built it on Chuck Brown's go-go hit 'Bustin' Loose', which is why Brown shares the writing credit.

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.

Which guitarist played the 'bass' riff of 'Seven Nation Army' on a pitch-shifted guitar because his band had no bassist?

Jack White ran his guitar through an octave pedal to fake the bass; he had been saving the riff in case he was ever asked to write a James Bond theme.

Which Beyoncé hit takes its blaring horn hook from the Chi-Lites' 1970 song 'Are You My Woman'?

'Crazy in Love' began with producer Rich Harrison, who had been sitting on the Chi-Lites horn sample long before he met Beyoncé, holding it back for the right song.

In which OutKast video does André 3000 play all eight members of a fictional band?

'Hey Ya!' is modelled on the Beatles' 1964 Ed Sullivan Show debut. Its famous line about shaking a Polaroid picture is bad advice, though: shaking modern instant film does nothing, and can even spoil the image.

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

'Clocks' nearly missed the album: Chris Martin found its piano riff late one night in Liverpool, and the band shelved the demo for a later record until manager Phil Harvey pushed them to finish it.

Brandon Flowers wrote the words of 'Mr. Brightside' after finding his partner with another man in which city?

Las Vegas's Crown and Anchor pub is where Flowers, woken by a feeling that something was wrong, found her with another man; it became one of the first songs the Killers wrote.

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

Lil Jon produced 'Yeah!' and shouts its title hook; after 12 weeks at number one it was knocked off the top by Usher's own next single, '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 Record of the Year at the 2006 Grammys?

'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' was written while Billie Joe Armstrong was living alone in New York; he took the title from a Gottfried Helnwein picture of James Dean.

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

A million downloads was the landmark; Stefani had written the song as a comeback after Courtney Love dismissed her as a cheerleader in a magazine interview.

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

Ray Charles's 1954 song is sampled on 'Gold Digger', and its hook is re-sung at the start by Jamie Foxx, fresh from winning an Oscar for playing Charles in the film Ray.

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

Chicago's suburbs gave the band its start and a voice in the crowd gave it a name: at its second show an audience member shouted 'Fallout Boy', the Simpsons sidekick, and it stuck.

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 guest artist?

Wyclef Jean rebuilt it from 'Dance Like This', a song of his own that had gone unnoticed on a 2004 film soundtrack; with Shakira it went to number one.

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

'Promiscuous' spent six weeks at number one from July 2006; Furtado nicknamed it 'The BlackBerry Song', because every flirty line could be sent as a text message.

Which band released 'Welcome to the Black Parade'?

My Chemical Romance built the song around a dying man, the Patient: death comes for him in the shape of a childhood memory, a trip to see a marching band.

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

Mark Ronson hired the Dap-Kings, Sharon Jones's Brooklyn soul band, to play on his half of Back to Black, giving it a vintage sixties sound; Salaam Remi produced the rest.

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

'Rehab' won Record and Song of the Year, but Winehouse wasn't in the room: unable to get a US visa in time, she performed and accepted by satellite from London.

Which Australian singer had a worldwide hit in 2001 with 'Can't Get You Out of My Head'?

Kylie Minogue got the song second-hand: writers Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis had first offered it to S Club 7, without success.

Which Rihanna single spent 10 straight weeks at UK number one in 2007, the longest run of the decade?

'Umbrella' was written with Britney Spears in mind and reached Rihanna only after others had passed; its UK reign fell in a summer of relentless rain and floods.

Which solo single by the Black Eyed Peas' female singer samples J.J. Fad's 1988 hit 'Supersonic'?

'Fergalicious' is Fergie's tribute to the 1980s party rap she grew up on, built with bandmate will.i.am from J.J. Fad's 'Supersonic' and Afro-Rican's 'Give It All You Got'.

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

'Love Story' grew out of a boy Swift's family disliked; she recast the stand-off as Romeo and Juliet, working the song out on her bedroom floor.

At which 2009 awards show did Kanye West interrupt Taylor Swift's acceptance speech?

The MTV Video Music Awards crowd jeered as West took the microphone to praise Beyoncé's video instead; later that night Beyoncé, winning the top prize, called Swift back to finish her speech.

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

'Just Dance' was a slow burner: it took 22 weeks on the Hot 100 to reach number one, in January 2009. Gaga wrote it hungover, just after arriving in Los Angeles.

Which Lady Gaga single became her second US number one in April 2009?

'Poker Face' made Gaga the first new act since Christina Aguilera to top the Hot 100 with her first two chart entries; she said its lyric drew on her bisexuality.

Which French dance act co-produced the Black Eyed Peas' 2009 hit 'I Gotta Feeling'?

David Guetta was brought in as will.i.am fell for club music, and the result spent 14 weeks at number one, the longest run of 2009.

Which Canadian band's 'How You Remind Me' was the most-played song on US radio in 2002?

Nickelback almost left it off: Chad Kroeger brought the song to the band only a week before recording began, as a last-minute addition to the album.

Which pop star's Sticky & Sweet Tour of 2008–09 was her first under a $120 million deal with promoter Live Nation?

Madonna had walked away from Warner, her label for 25 years, to sign with a concert promoter rather than a record company.

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 knocked the Beatles' 1 off the top of the Billboard 200 in the same week her film led the box office, a double no woman had managed before.

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

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is really two solo albums in one sleeve, Big Boi's and André 3000's; the pair even promoted it apart, each performing his own hit.

Which Britain's Got Talent runner-up had the UK's best-selling album of 2009?

Susan Boyle lost the final to the dance troupe Diversity, yet her debut album, out only in late November, outsold every other in Britain that year.

Which 50 Cent single became his first Hot 100 number one in early 2003?

'In da Club' rode a beat first made for the group D12, who couldn't make it work for the 8 Mile soundtrack; 50 Cent took it and wrote his lyrics in about an hour.

How many bullets hit 50 Cent in the 2000 shooting he survived before recording Get Rich or Die Tryin'?

Nine shots hit him at close range in May 2000, one through the face that left the slur in his voice; Columbia then dropped him with his first album unreleased.

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

'Crazy' reached UK number one on download sales alone, before its CD was in the shops; after two months on top the duo had it withdrawn so people wouldn't get sick of it.

Which singer built a following by posting demos on MySpace before 'Smile' topped the UK chart in 2006?

Lily Allen wrote 'Smile' about a cheating ex-boyfriend whose misery she now enjoys; by her account, he then sold his story to the papers.

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.

Which Beyoncé hit did Ne-Yo first write as a country song?

'Irreplaceable' kept its country streak: after ten weeks at number one, Beyoncé sang a country version with the duo Sugarland at the 2007 American Music Awards.

Flo Rida's chart-topping 'Low' featured on the soundtrack of which dance film?

Step Up 2: The Streets opens its soundtrack with 'Low'; the rap hit then crossed genres when blink-182 drummer Travis Barker released his own rock remix of it.

Which Black Eyed Peas single topped the Hot 100 for 12 weeks in 2009?

'Boom Boom Pow' was finally knocked off the top by the group's own next single, which kept the Black Eyed Peas at number one for 26 straight weeks, half of 2009.

Which Black Eyed Peas album of 2009 produced five top-ten singles on the Hot 100?

The E.N.D. owes its electro sound to Australia: will.i.am spent months there filming X-Men Origins: Wolverine and came home hooked on the dance music he heard in its clubs.

Whose 2004 Super Bowl halftime duet with Justin Timberlake ended in a 'wardrobe malfunction'?

Janet Jackson's split-second exposure had an odd legacy: YouTube's founders said the trouble they had finding the clip online helped inspire the site a year later.

Where did Lady Gaga unveil the finished 'Bad Romance' in October 2009?

An Alexander McQueen fashion show in Paris heard the full song first, as the soundtrack to its finale, days after Gaga had teased a snippet on Saturday Night Live.

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

RedOne co-wrote and produced 'Bad Romance' after Gaga began it on the road: by her account it started as a melody and a lyric scribbled on her tour bus.

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".

Which Beyoncé hit won Song of the Year at the 2010 Grammys?

'Single Ladies' won three Grammys that night. Its dance video was the cheap, quick one, made after the budget had gone on another clip, yet Beyoncé came to see it as her most iconic.

Which Disney Channel movie's soundtrack was the best-selling album in the US in 2006?

High School Musical's songs were recorded in just five days, yet the soundtrack outsold every other album in America that year.

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

Alicia Keys was not the first choice: Jay-Z was on the point of asking Mary J. Blige to sing the hook, then heard the track's piano and thought of Keys.

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

All That You Can't Leave Behind opens with it; Bono said the song is about a man who has lost everything but finds joy in what he still has.

Which Avril Lavigne single topped the Hot 100 in 2007?

'Girlfriend' gave Lavigne her first US number one, and a lawsuit: the Rubinoos claimed it copied their 1970s song 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend', and the two sides settled.

Which Songs in A Minor single topped the Hot 100 in 2001?

'Fallin'' got its break on daytime TV: label boss Clive Davis wrote to Oprah Winfrey to win its singer a spot on her show.

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 wrote the words across a watermelon in a 1954 still life, one of her last paintings after years of ill health; Chris Martin said he loved the boldness of it.

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

Grey's Anatomy played "Chasing Cars" over its season-two finale in May 2006; the title came from Gary Lightbody's father, who said his son's crush on a girl was like a dog chasing a car.

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

Johnny Cash was talked into the song by producer Rick Rubin, who also cleared it with Reznor; Cash died about a year after its release, and the cover became his farewell.

Which French producer co-wrote Madonna's 2000 single "Music" with her?

Mirwais Ahmadzaï co-wrote and produced "Music" with Madonna; an unfinished version leaked onto Napster two months before its August 2000 release, and her record company threatened legal action.

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

"SexyBack" was Timberlake's own choice of lead single: his label had doubts and favoured "My Love", but he insisted, and it spent seven weeks at number one.

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

Dr. Dre built the beat for the rapper Rakim, who never used it; Mary J. Blige heard it, wrote the words with her brother Bruce Miller and got her first Hot 100 number one.

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

Charlie's Angels got a rebuilt song: the group's first recording, later issued as Part II, was reworked by producers Poke & Tone into the Part I that spent 11 weeks at number one.

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

Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin appear in the February 2000 video, though LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson sing on the record and say they learned they were out only when it aired.

Which songwriter wrote and produced Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful"?

Linda Perry, once of 4 Non Blondes, played Aguilera the song to break the ice and hesitated to hand it over; the rough demo vocal Aguilera then cut, opening with a spoken "don't look at me", is the one on the record.

Which Shaggy hit became a single only after a Hawaiian DJ's airplay?

It Wasn't Me wasn't meant to be a single: a Honolulu DJ downloaded it from the internet, played it, and the response convinced the label. With Rikrok singing the guilty verses, it became the UK's best-selling single of 2001.

Which Radiohead album, released in 2000, was promoted with no singles at all?

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 reached US shops two weeks late and with one song swapped: after the September 11 attacks the band pulled "New York City Cops" from the American CD and put "When It Started" in its place.

The White Stripes left Detroit to record their 2003 album on vintage analogue gear in which city?

London's Toe Rag Studios offered only vintage analogue equipment and tape machines, so the album was made without a single computer, most of it in about two weeks.

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

"The Real Slim Shady" won on a night when gay-rights group GLAAD was protesting Eminem's lyrics; he answered by performing "Stan" on stage with Elton John.

Which OutKast single won the 2002 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group?

"Ms. Jackson" is André 3000's apology to Erykah Badu's mother, who loved it so much that, Badu says, she bought herself a "Ms. Jackson" license plate.

Which 2003 Jay-Z release was billed as his farewell before a short-lived retirement?

The Black Album was sold as Jay-Z's last and capped by a farewell concert at Madison Square Garden; the retirement did not hold, and he was back with Kingdom Come in 2006.

Which Mariah Carey single spent 14 weeks at number one on the Hot 100 in 2005?

We Belong Together held the top spot for 14 weeks; in its video Carey runs out on a wedding wearing the Vera Wang dress from her own 1993 marriage to Tommy Mottola.

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 country trio was dropped by many US radio stations in 2003 after its singer criticised President Bush on stage abroad?

Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines told a British concert crowd they were ashamed the president came from Texas; in 2006 they answered the backlash with "Not Ready to Make Nice", which won Record and Song of the Year.

Which Nashville songwriter co-wrote "You Belong with Me" and "White Horse" with Taylor Swift?

Liz Rose wrote "You Belong with Me" with Swift after the singer overheard a bandmate on the phone trying to calm his angry partner and brought the idea to their session; "White Horse" won the pair a Grammy.

Lady Gaga took her stage name from a 1984 hit by which band?

Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" gave Stefani Germanotta her name; her early producer Rob Fusari says he coined it, though who thought of it first later became a point of dispute between them.

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

New wave and post-punk shaped more than the sound: the Killers took their name from a fictional band in the video for New Order's "Crystal".

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

Arcade Fire named Funeral for the relatives several members lost while making it; its "Neighborhood" songs picture a town without power, drawn from Régine Chassagne's memories of Montreal's 1998 ice storm.

Which 2002 rap album features the political track "White America"?

The Eminem Show puts "White America" straight after its opening skit: in it he argues that his skin colour helped him reach suburban kids and takes aim at Lynne Cheney and Tipper Gore, critics of explicit lyrics.

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

Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker were teenagers who had met in an online chatroom when they launched Napster in 1999; record-industry lawsuits followed, and court orders shut the service down in July 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 fronted Apple's 2004 iPod advert, launched alongside a U2 Special Edition iPod?

"Vertigo" begins with Bono's Spanish count-in, which ends not on four but on "catorce", fourteen; Apple paired the advert with a black-and-red iPod engraved with the band's signatures.

Which company bought MySpace for $580 million in 2005?

News Corporation paid $580 million for MySpace in 2005, then watched Facebook overtake it and sold the site in 2011 for about $35 million.

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 singer is credited with making heavy Auto-Tune a mainstream sound in the late 2000s?

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 comeback single off UK number one in 2005?

"Speed of Sound" entered at number two behind the ringtone hit in May 2005, and Coldplay had to wait until "Viva la Vida" in 2008 for a first UK number one single.

Which reunited band played the 2004 Coachella festival after an 11-year split?

Pixies shared the bill with Radiohead and the Cure at Coachella's first sellout; co-founder Paul Tollett says that once Radiohead had played, every band started to call.

In which California city is the Coachella festival held?

Indio's Empire Polo Club was first tested in 1993, when promoter Goldenvoice put Pearl Jam on there before a huge crowd; the show convinced its founders the desert site could hold a festival.

Which Usher single followed "Yeah!" and "Burn" as his third straight Hot 100 number one of 2004?

"Confessions Part II" has a man admit he got his mistress pregnant, and listeners took it as Usher's own story; producer Jermaine Dupri later said the confession was his.

Which Britney Spears hit takes its high-pitched strings from a 1981 Bollywood film song?

Toxic lifts its strings from "Tere Mere Beech Mein"; Kylie Minogue was offered the song first and turned it down, later calling it the fish that got away.

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

"Work It" plays its hook line backwards straight after singing it forwards; the single then sat at number two for 10 weeks, stuck the whole time behind "Lose Yourself".

Which 2003 album was Beyoncé's solo debut?

Dangerously in Love nearly went unreleased, by Beyoncé's account: she says her label told her it didn't have one hit on it, and by her count it had five.

Which College Dropout single did Kanye West promote with three separate music videos?

Jesus Walks dared radio to play a rap song about faith; stations did, West shot three videos for it, and it won Best Rap Song at the 2005 Grammys.

The cartoon band Gorillaz was co-created by the frontman of which Britpop group?

Blur's Damon Albarn built Gorillaz with artist Jamie Hewlett; their first single was called "Clint Eastwood" because its melodica line sounded to Albarn like the score of one of the actor's westerns.

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

"Yellow" was written at Rockfield Studios in Wales after the band stepped outside to a sky full of stars; Chris Martin says the title word came from a Yellow Pages lying nearby.

Which star's 2001 comeback album reportedly cost a record $30 million to make?

Michael Jackson's Invincible was reported as the most expensive album ever made; when it fell short of a blockbuster he accused Sony of failing to promote it and publicly called the label's chief, Tommy Mottola, a racist.

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 Spears album was released while her personal struggles filled the tabloids?

Blackout was rush-released in October 2007 after leaking online; early the next year a court placed Spears under a conservatorship that lasted until November 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 American Idol's three original judges?

Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell judged the first eight seasons together; Abdul left in 2009 when contract talks stalled, breaking the news herself on Twitter.

Which Kelly Clarkson single leapt from 52 to number one in 2002, breaking a Beatles record from 1964?

A Moment Like This made the jump after selling 236,000 copies in its first week on sale; Clarkson took the record back in 2009, when "My Life Would Suck Without You" went from 97 to number one.

Who fronts the Strokes as lead singer and main songwriter?

Julian Casablancas, son of Elite Model Management founder John Casablancas, was sent to a Swiss boarding school as a teenager, where he met future Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.

Which Fall Out Boy album featured "Sugar, We're Goin Down" in 2005?

From Under the Cork Tree takes its title from The Story of Ferdinand, the children's book about a bull who would rather sit under a cork tree smelling flowers than fight.

Which British frontman sings on blink-182's 2003 track "All of This"?

Robert Smith of the Cure agreed to sing after hearing the album's demos, which he called fantastic; the trio had grown up as Cure fans, and Mark Hoppus called the collaboration a dream come true.

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 came from the same recording sessions as its predecessor?

Amnesiac was recorded at the same time as the album before it; Radiohead split the material in two because they felt a double album would be too dense.

In which English city did Arctic Monkeys form in 2002?

Sheffield's High Green suburb produced Arctic Monkeys, who burned their demos onto CDs and gave them away at gigs; fans shared the songs online and built the band's following before it had a record deal.

M.I.A.'s 2008 hit "Paper Planes" is built on a sample of which British punk band's "Straight to Hell"?

The Clash's 1982 track runs under the whole song, so its members share the writing credit; "Paper Planes" took off in the US after a trailer for the comedy Pineapple Express used it.

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

The X Factor found Leona Lewis working as a receptionist and a pizza waitress to pay for studio time; she won its third series in December 2006.

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 White Stripes album won the 2004 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album?

Elephant was cut on an old eight-track tape machine, and its sleeve notes boast that no computers were used in writing, recording, mixing or mastering it.

Which 2002 debut single did Avril Lavigne write with the production trio The Matrix?

Complicated came once Arista paired her with The Matrix after trying other producers; the trio say they wrote most of it, while Lavigne insists the lyrics and melody were largely hers.

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

Blue Note signed Jones on the strength of a short demo; when her first studio sessions strayed from that sound, veteran producer Arif Mardin was brought in to recapture it.

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.

Which 2007 rap hit rode a how-to dance video to number one?

Crank That (Soulja Boy) was made by a 16-year-old on his home computer and first posted online by him; the dance craze then carried it to seven weeks at number one.

"Since U Been Gone" was the 2004 lead single from which Kelly Clarkson album?

Breakaway shares its name with a ballad Avril Lavigne co-wrote and then passed over for her own record; Clarkson first recorded it for the film The Princess Diaries 2.

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.