Every year is notable in its way. For instance, 2006 was the year in which our solar system lost a planet. Advances in astronomy revealed there were other trans-Neptunian objects as large as Pluto.
As a result, the International Astronomical Union voted to reduce Pluto to a dwarf planet rather than admit an unknown number of other dwarf planets as new planets. Besides this, 2006 also saw much turmoil in the Middle East. It was the year in which the bombing of the al-Askari Mosque triggered a full-scale Iraqi Civil War.
Similarly, it was the year in which Israel invaded Lebanon after Hezbollah killed three Israeli soldiers and captured two others in a cross-border raid. Of course, 2006 also saw the release of numerous Hit Songs. Some of which remain as enjoyable as ever.
Here is our opinion of the ten best hit songs of 2006:
10. “Crazy” – Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley isn’t a single individual. Instead, it is a duo consisting of CeeLo Green and Danger Mouse. In total, Gnarls Barkley has released two studio albums. The first was St. Elsewhere in 2006, while the second was The Odd Couple in 2008. “Crazy” reached the number two position in the United States and the number one position in the United Kingdom. As such, it did a great deal to pump up sales for St. Elsewhere, which went platinum in the United States and double platinum in the United Kingdom.
9. “You’re Beautiful” – James Blunt
It is very understandable for people to interpret “You’re Beautiful” as a love song. That is particularly true because James Blunt’s voice gives the lyrics a rather haunting quality. The funny thing is that “You’re Beautiful” becomes quite different when one realizes that the viewpoint character is a stalker spying on a woman while high on drugs.
8. “Move Along” – The All-American Rejects
“Move Along” is a much more upbeat song than most people would expect based on the music video. For those unfamiliar, the music video shows the All-American Rejects singer Tyson Ritter looking like he is on the verge of crying while presented with various problems.
Despite this, “Move Along” is all about how people should persevere, which makes sense because Ritter and his bandmate Nick Wheeler wrote it when their band was unsure whether it would ever get the chance to release a second studio album.
7. “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” – Bon Jovi featuring Jennifer Nettles
There are plenty of songs about people feeling homesick. However, there aren’t a lot of songs reminding people that most of them have the option of returning home.
6. “SOS” – Rihanna
Rihanna was surging with momentum back in 2006. After all, she released her debut studio album in August 2005 before following up with her second studio album in April 2006. The latter proved to be even more popular than its predecessor. For proof, look no further than the fact it went double-platinum in the United States and double-platinum in the United Kingdom. “SOS” set the tone for the rest of the release by hitting the top of the Billboard Hot 100 before staying there for three consecutive weeks.
5. “Check On It” – Beyonce featuring Slim Thug and Bun B
“Check On It” saw a somewhat convoluted path to release. Initially, Beyonce recorded it for The Pink Panther soundtrack. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it onto the soundtrack. As a result, a second version of “Check On It” featuring Slim Thug was released on Destiny’s Child’s greatest hits album in October 2005.
Subsequently, a third version of “Check On It” featuring Slim Thug and Bun B was released as a single in December 2005. It became Beyonce’s third number-one single in the United States. Moreover, it was one of the longest-running number-one singles in the United States in 2006.
4. “Unwritten” – Natasha Bedingfield
“Unwritten” was the title track from Natasha Bedingfield’s debut studio album. Curiously, it was the third single rather than the lead single. Even so, “Unwritten” was notable because it brought Bedingfield to a higher level of popularity than its predecessor. The song encourages people to keep their eyes open to the full range of possibilities rather than remain fixated upon a small subset.
3. “Temperature” – Sean Paul
Sean Paul released his third studio album in 2005. It started strong with “We Be Burning,” which was a Top 10 song in a wide range of countries. Later, it climbed to even greater heights with its third single, “Temperature.” A song that went number one in the United States and Europe. “Temperature” was undoubtedly one of the best party songs of the mid-2000s, meaning it more than earned its position on this list.
2. “Hips Don’t Lie” – Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean
Shakira’s second English-language studio album came out twice. First, it came out in 2005. Second, it came out in 2006. The reissue happened because of slow sales, which is why it included some notable changes. One of those was the inclusion of “Hips Don’t Lie,” which was released as a single. That proved to be a good move because the song went number one in the United States, thus becoming the first of Shakira’s songs to do so.
1. “Promiscuous” – Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland
Nelly Furtado was already a well-established artist by the time she released “Promiscuous.” Still, it took her out of her comfort zone. Much of “Promiscuous” is done in rap, which was quite a departure from Furtado’s previous releases.
Even so, she rose to the occasion, not least because she had capable assistance from the already legendary Timbaland. “Promiscuous” was the first of Furtado’s songs to reach the number-one position in the United States. Moreover, it did much to make the studio album Loose one of the best-selling releases of the 2000s.
You can also read:
- The 10 Best One Hit Wonder Songs of the 2010s
- The 10 Best Hit Songs from 2002
- The Top 10 Hit Songs of 2001
- The 10 Best Hit Songs of 2007
- 20 Awesome Songs About Unity
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