3 One-Hit Wonders From the 2000s That Make Me Feel Good

Were you born in the 1980s? Did you grow up in the 1990s? Well, if you answered yes to both of those questions, then we know one more thing about you: You had a blast in the 2000s! The new decade, century, and millennium had their fair share of worries, but there were also a lot of occasions to cut loose. And when you cut loose, that means one thing. Music!

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We wanted to do a little reminiscing here. We wanted to explore three songs from the glorious decade of the 2000s and recall how fondly we felt during that time period. Not only that, but we wanted to examine three one-hit wonders from the decade just for fun. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 2000s that make us feel good.

“Drive” by Incubus from ‘Make Yourself’ (2000)

This might not be the first song you think of when you think of feel-good music. But people who were in their 20s in the 2000s know. Something about the vocal timbre, the acoustic riff, the random record scratches—it’s in our veins! Yes, whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there. With open arms! Whatever that means! Still, go on a road trip with a few people in their late 30s or early 40s today and watch them light up when this track, which hit No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, comes on the playlist.

“Because I Got High” by Afroman from ‘Because I Got High’ (2000)

In the 2000s, before the stuff was legal in many states, any song that seemed to give young people license to enjoy smoking c*nnabis or living the c*nnabis culture was a hit. How many mix CDs had Afroman on there, singing with his deep voice about missing appointments and messing up because he decided to get high instead of meeting his responsibilities? It was relatable and it was jovial and it was one of those pieces of then-modern culture that galvanized a disparate community of tokers.

“Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones from ‘Come Away With Me’ (2002)

A cover of a song originally by Jesse Harris, this tune helped cement a young Norah Jones as one of the voices of her generation. Soft and smooth, it’s like an ASMR machine put to jazz piano. Jones crooned her way into our hearts thanks to this tune from her 2002 LP, Come Away with Me. It was an album many had—bought from the store or a freshly burned copy—and today “Don’t Know Why” remains like a mug of soup and a warm sweater, despite the heartbreak it’s all about.

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