2 Rock Bands That Hit No. 1 in 2001 (And a Pop Star Who Sampled a Classic Rocker to Also Hit No. 1)

It’s true, 2001 was a strange year. It was a new century, a new millennium. We’d gotten through Y2K and the year 2000. All of a sudden, the world for certain wasn’t going back to the 1990s. And then… tragedy struck. September 11. Oh boy. People needed relief. And when they looked to the world of music, a lot of that relief came in the form of pop songs. But not every song to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2001 was from a boy band or starlet. No, rock music was still strong and making waves in popular culture. And that’s just what we wanted to explore below. Indeed, these are two rock bands that hit No. 1 in 2001, and the one pop star who sampled a classic rocker to also make the top spot.

Videos by American Songwriter

“How You Remind Me” by Nickelback from ‘Silver Side Up’ (2001)

In 2001, the chorus, “This is how you remind me of what I really am,” was all over the radio. Nickelback, for whatever you thought of them in the moment, was supremely catchy, and with their buzzy sounds, they were helping to keep rock in the mainstream at the turn of the millennium. It’s funny what gets love and what gets derided in a certain generation. The Canadian-born Nickelback got to experience both during their height, including a No. 1 song in 2001.

“Butterfly” by Crazy Town from ‘The Gift Of Game’ (2000)

At the turn of the new millennium, rock and rap music were fused together by a number of popular bands into a hybrid of sounds. And one of the bands that did it best was Crazy Town, which earned a No. 1 song thanks to their track “Butterfly”. Featuring lyrics both sung and spit, the song also features record scratches and electric guitar licks. The No. 1 tune is a product of cultures colliding, and in many ways, it’s a beautiful thing to see. Like a crawling caterpillar becoming a winged creature.

“Angel” by Shaggy from ‘Hot Shot’ (2001)

Written by Chip Taylor and originally recorded by Evie Sands, the song “Angel Of The Morning” was made a hit by Seattle singer Merrilee Rush in 1968. But 33 years later, pop star Shaggy sampled the offering and made it into a new chart-topper all on his own. Indeed, in 2001, Shaggy got a No. 1 thanks to his unique version of the track, “Angel”. With a robust, bubbly voice, Shaggy made his romantic thoughts known on the song and was all the rage because of it.

Merrilee Rush via “Angel of the Morning” YouTube music video