3 Female Pop Stars Who Hit No. 1 in 2001 and Still Take It to the Next Level Today

According to our research team, we just found out that 2001 is almost 25 years in the past! How can this be? What devilish work is this? Okay, okay, fine. Yes, we’re getting old. Yes, 2001 is nearly 25 years ago, we admit it, okay! But even though we’re getting old, some of the artists who hit No. 1 in 2001 still seem young and in their primes. That’s just what we wanted to explore below. We wanted to examine three female artists from 2001 who not only hit No. 1 in the seminal year but who are also still doing their thing in popular culture today. Indeed, these are three female pop stars who hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2001 and are still dominating music now.

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“Fallin’” by Alicia Keys from ‘Songs In A Minor’ (2001)

Written and produced by Alicia Keys, “Fallin’” marked the singer’s first No. 1 song on the Hot 100. Since then, she’s garnered a total of four No. 1 tunes. But you never forget your first! And Keys, who came up as a piano and songwriting prodigy in New York City, rocketed up the charts with her love song about falling, well, in love. It’s catchy and affecting and proves Keys’ prowess in the limelight—something she’s still proving to this day.

“I’m Real (Murder Remix)” by Jennifer Lopez from ‘J.Lo’ (2001)

In the 1980s, Paula Abdul parlayed a career as a popular dancer (for the Los Angeles Lakers) into one that boasted No. 1 songs on the Hot 100. Well, a little more than a decade later and Jennifer Lopez cribbed from the same playbook, parlaying her career as a dancer on In Living Color into one of a major pop star, who even performed during the Super Bowl halftime show. And while J.Lo is still doing her thing these days, she garnered one of her four No. 1 songs in 2001 with the release of “I’m Real (Murder Remix)”, featuring rapper Ja Rule.

“Family Affair” by Mary J. Blige from ‘No More Drama’ (2001)

In 2001, singer Mary J. Blige earned her sole No. 1 song with the release of “Family Affair”. It was the track that had everyone moving and shaking in this “dancery”. It’s a sublimely rhythmic song, and Blige became a star amongst pop stars when it hit the top spot on the Hot 100 in 2001. But Blige didn’t stop there. No, she continues to make waves in music, including a recent stop at the Super Bowl halftime show.

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