The ‘00s saw some major radio hits, and for good reason. In 2002, our fave singing competition reality show American Idol debuted. Perhaps no one imagined just how influential that first season would be, but Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson has been making waves ever since. In fact, she was recently recognized on VH1’s ‘100 Greatest Songs of the ‘00s’ list.
Where did the Idol alum place on the list, you ask? Platinum hit “Since U Been Gone”, off her second album Breakaway, came in at number five! And for good reason. Kelly won her first-ever Grammy Award for the song in 2006.
Who else made VH1’s list? Beyonce, OutKast, Lady Gaga, and Eminem filled in the 1–4 slots, while following close behind “Since U Been Gone” were artists like Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, and Jay-Z. (Kelly even outranked powerhouse diva Mariah Carey!) And that's not all. Kelly beat out Idol alums, Daughtry (for "It's Not Over") and Carrie Underwood (for "Before He Cheats"), who just barely made the list at slots 94 and 99!