Do you remember 2005? Looking back, things were totally different from what they are now. Fashion wise, baggy clothing and oversized outfits were very prominent. Air Force 1s, throwback jerseys and grills made their way to the forefront of the culture. We were dying of laughter when Everybody Hates Chris hit our screens for the first time. Terrence Howard let us know that it was hard out here for a pimp. 2005 was also the year that Tyler Perry released the film that would catapult his growing film empire with Diary of a Mad Black Woman. 106 & Park remained a must-watch show as BET kept us laced with all the Black entertainment and news we could ask for. One of the biggest news stories of the year was the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city of New Orleans. Conversations around the natural disaster brought attention to racial inequality and the government’s response to disasters (especially in predominantly Black communities). In 2005, the Chicago White Sox, the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Antonio Spurs were at the top of their respective sports leagues. Like most of the world back then, players were more than likely communicating on flip phones. Feel old yet?
In 2005, consumers worldwide were still going out to stores to buy their favorite artist’s CDs. Album sales seemingly meant a bit more back in the day. Although some things were different 20 years ago, one thing has and will always remain the same. Great music will always live on and be remembered. 2005 was a year that we got a plethora of music that will never be forgotten. Southern hip-hop had a lot to say as trap, snap and crunk music all started to bubble heavily. We seen forces like Kanye West and Beyoncé continue their dominance. The year also introduced the world to future megastars in Rihanna and Chris Brown. In addition to being a major fashion trendsetter, Pharrell Williams dropped off his lead single to his debut studio album. In the midst of all this, the Billboard bully herself Mariah Carey spent 43 out of the 52 weeks of the year on the charts. What an insane year!
2005 gave us some undeniable gems. The music was so good that some of the songs released that year are still in people’s rotations to this day. It’s hilarious to think about the fact that we listened to all of these songs on our iPods and probably had them as our ringtones. Not too many things top nostalgia and these songs take us back to a much simpler time. Check out a gallery of songs that turn 20 this year! Let us know your favorites and if we’re missing any!
1. Keyshia Cole – Love
Release Date: January 6th
Peak Position: 19
Weeks On Chart: 19
2. Amerie – 1 Thing
Release Date: January 18th
Peak Position: 8
Weeks On Chart: 20
3. The Game ft. 50 Cent – Hate It Or Love It
Release Date: January 28th
Peak Position: 2
Weeks On Chart: 23
4. 50 Cent ft. Olivia – Candy Shop
Release Date: February 8th
Peak Position: 1 (9 Weeks)
Weeks On Chart: 23
5. Bobby Valentino – Slow Down
Release Date: February 14th
Peak Position: 8
Weeks On Chart: 22
6. Trey Songz ft. Twista – Gotta Make It
Release Date: March 2nd
Peak Position: 87
Weeks On Chart: 7
7. Bow Wow ft. Omarion – Let Me Hold You
Release Date: March 11th
Peak Position: 4
Weeks On Chart: 24
8. Pretty Ricky – Grind With Me
Release Date: March 14th
Peak Position: 7
Weeks On Chart: 22
9. Mariah Carey – We Belong Together
Release Date: March 15th
Peak Position: 1 (14 Weeks)
Weeks On Chart: 43
10. Missy Elliott ft. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop – Lose Control
Release Date: May 23rd
Peak Position: 3
Weeks On Chart: 28
11. Rihanna – Pon de Replay
Release Date: May 24th
Peak Position: 2
Weeks On Chart: 27
12. Destiny's Child – Cater 2 U
Release Date: June 7th
Peak Position: 14
Weeks On Chart: 24
13. Chris Brown ft. Juelz Santana – Run It!
Release Date: June 30th
Peak Position: 2
Weeks On Chart: 36
14. Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger
Release Date: July 5th
Peak Position: 1 (10 weeks)
Weeks On Chart: 39
15. Young Jeezy ft. Akon – Soul Survivor
Release Date: July 16th
Peak Position: 4
Weeks On Chart: 24
16. Sean Paul – We Be Burnin' (Recognize It)
Release Date: August 22nd
Peak Position: 6
Weeks On Chart: 28
17. Black Eyed Peas – My Humps
Release Date: September 20th
Peak Position: 3
Weeks On Chart: 36
18. Jamie Foxx ft. Ludacris – Unpredictable
Release Date: October 18th
Peak Position: 8
Weeks On Chart: 11
19. D4L – Laffy Taffy
Release Date: October 18th
Peak Position: 1
Weeks On Chart: 23
20. Lil Wayne – Fireman
Release Date: October 25th
Peak Position: 32
Weeks On Chart: 17
21. Nelly ft. Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp – Grillz
Release Date: November 1st
Peak Position: 1 (2 weeks)
Weeks On Chart: 28
22. Destiny's Child – Soldier
Release Date: November 8th
Peak Position: 3
Weeks On Chart: 21
23. Mary J. Blige – Be Without You
Release Date: November 14th
Peak Position: 3
Weeks On Chart: 33
24. Dem Francize Boyz – Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It
Release Date: December 13th
Peak Position: 7
Weeks On Chart: 20
25. T-Pain ft. Yung Joc – Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')
