Lost Factor vs. the 2000s Year by Year: Naughties Songs Get Lost, Too

A few months ago, I finally brought the Lost Factor series, my calculation of which songs had taken the biggest moves from hit to obscurity, into the early 2000s. Shortly thereafter, BDSradio, whose data had been a part of my “year-end chart points then, divided by weekly radio spins now” formula, announced its shutdown and I turned my attention to finishing the ’00s before the Nov. 1 changeover.

As it happens, 2009 was a logical place to stop. Top 40 was resurgent that year, and music changed with the rise of EDM-flavored “turbopop.” It’s interesting that a lot of the highest Lost Factor songs of the late ’00s feel a few years older than they really were, but many of those songs were pop/rap and teen idols whose songs felt very 2006 among the excitement of 2009.

The teen idols who have been dominating Lost Factor for the first 50 years measured are prominent through the ’00s as well. But we can add a new category now: Radio Disney acts from Sammie in 2000 to Jesse McCartney in 2009. There are superstar artists from Mariah Carey to Taylor Swift to Kelly Clarkson with their overflow hits. (“Never Again,” the song that put Clarkson at odds with RCA, is here, but so is “I Do Not Hook Up,” one of her hits after deciding to try it their way again.)

Clarkson’s American Idol winner song, “A Moment Like This” isn’t “lost.” It still receives some Top 40 airplay, but coronation songs are a new category, with Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, and even Carrie Underwood all here. Then one has to ask, can a song be lost if it was never really a radio hit to begin with, as was the case with most Idol finale songs? We first faced this question with “Candle in the Wind (1997),” but it’s one of the reasons I’m not sad about stopping before we get too close to today’s chart controversies.

Here are the top 10 Lost Factor songs of 2000-09, beginning with two years that you’ve already seen in print. We’ll be back soon with a full Top 100 for those years, as well as a special all-time Lost Factor countdown finale covering 1960-2009, the entire 50-year stretch we looked at.

2000: “Forever” Didn’t Last Too Long

1. Jessica Simpson, “I Wanna Love You Forever” (LF 45, spins for the week 1)
2. Britney Spears, “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart” (24, 0)
3. Westlife, “Swear It Again” (13, 2)
4. Debelah Morgan, “Dance With Me” (12, 1)
5. Mariah Carey f/Joe & 98 Degrees, “Thank God I Found You” (11, 5)
6. 98 Degrees, “Give Me Just One Night” (11, 4)
7. Sammie, “I Like It” (10, 1)
8. Savage Garden, “Crash and Burn: (8, 0)
9. Smash Mouth, “Then the Morning Comes” (8, 7)
10. Janet, “Doesn’t Really Matter” (8, 11)

2001: Living la Vida Lonely

1. Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera, “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely” (LF 46, spins for the week 0)
2. Mystikal f/Nivea, “Danger (Been So Long)” (43, 0)
3. S Club 7, “Never Had a Dream Come True” (40, 0)
4. Faith Hill, “There You’ll Be” (35, 1)
5. R. Kelly f/Jay-Z, “Fiesta” (19, 3)
6. Willa Ford, “I Wanna Be Bad” (17, 0)
7. Janet, “Someone to Call My Lover” (16, 4)
8. Jessica Simpson, “Irresistible” (13, 3)
9. Evan and Jaron, “Crazy for This Girl” (12, 4)
10. Dream, “He Loves You Not” (10, 7) 

2002: J-Lo Could You Go? 

1. Jennifer Lopez f/Nas, “I’m Gonna Be Alright” (24, 3)
2. Angie Martinez f/Lil Mo & Sacario, “If I Could Go” (16, 2)
3. Irv Gotti Presents the Inc., “Down 4 U” (10, 6)
4. Creed, “One Last Breath” (9, 8)
5. Craig David, “7 Days” (5, 9)
6. Eve f/Alicia Keys, “Gangsta Lovin’” (5, 18)
7. Brandy, “What About Us” (5, 8)
8. ’N Sync, “Gone” (4, 3)
9. ’N Sync f/Nelly, “Girlfriend” (3, 21)
10. Truth Hurts f/Rakim, “Addictive” (3, 21)

2003: The First Idle Idol

1. Clay Aiken, “This Is the Night” (54, 0)
2. R. Kelly, “Thoia Thoing” (40, 0)
3. R. Kelly, “Ignition” (17, 6)
4. Frankie J, “Don’t Wanna Try” (15, 2)
5. Michelle Branch, “Are You Happy Now” (15, 3)
6. Christina Aguilera f/Lil’ Kim, “Can’t Hold Us Down” (11, 3)
7. Ginuwine f/Baby, “Hell Yeah” (9, 3)
8. Daniel Bedingfield, “If You’re Not the One” (8, 5)
9. Ruben Studdard, “Flying Without Wings” (7, 2)
10. Amanda Perez, “Angel” (6, 5)

2004: “Gigolo” Gets Lonely Too

1. Nick Cannon f/R. Kelly, “Gigolo” (21, 1)
2. Cassidy f/R. Kelly, “Hotel” (17, 4)
3. Jessica Simpson, “With You” (17, 3)
4. Ruben Studdard, “Sorry 2004” (12, 4)
5. Avril Lavigne, “Don’t Tell Me” (9, 1)
6. Eamon, “F**k It (I Don’t Want You Back” (8, 5)
7. Chingy f/J-Weav, “One Call Away” (6, 12)
8. Nelly f/Jaheim, “My Place” (6, 12)
9. R. Kelly, “Step in the Name of Love” (6, 4)
10. Christina Milian, “Dip it Low” (6, 14)

2005: Backstreet’s Back Pages

1. Backstreet Boys, “Incomplete” (37, 0)
2. Carrie Underwood, “Inside Your Heaven” (30, 0)
3. Will Smith, “Switch” (18, 4)
4. Natalie, “Goin’ Crazy” (16, 2)
5. Ryan Cabrera, “True” (11, 0)
6. Black Eyed Peas, “Don’t Phunk With My Heart” (9, 10)
7. 50 Cent f/Mobb Deep, “Outta Control” (8, 3)
8. Click Five, “Just the Girl” (6, 2)
9. Eminem, “Mockingbird” (5, 8)
10. Natasha Bedingfield, “These Words” (5, 4)

2006: What’s Left of Boy Bands

1. Nick Lachey, “What’s Left of Me” (47, 0)
2. Jibbs, “Chain Hang Low” (12, 3)
3. Fort Minor f/Holly Brook & Jonah Matranga, “Where’d You Go” (12, 5)
4. Juelz Santana, “There It Go (The Whistle Song)” (9, 5)
5. Pussycat Dolls f/will.i.am, “Beep” (9, 2)
6. Fergie, “London Bridge” (6, 13)
7. Ludacris f/Pharrell, “Money Maker” (6, 12)
8. Busta Rhymes, “Touch It” (4, 8)
9. Rihanna, “Unfaithful” (3, 21)
10. D4L, “Laffy Taffy” (3, 17)

2007: Run, Runaway

1. Ludacris f/Mary J. Blige, “Runaway Love” (66, 0)
2. R. Kelly f/T.I. & T-Pain, “I’m a Flirt” (52, 0)
3. Beyoncé & Shakira, “Beautiful Liar” (39, 1)
4. Paula DeAnda f/the D.E.Y., “Walk Away (Remember Me)” (22, 0)
5. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony f/Akon, “I Tried” (22, 2)
6. Gwen Stefani, “Wind It Up” (18, 1)
7. Kelly Clarkson, “Never Again” (16, 2)
8. Omarion f/Timbaland, “Ice Box” (14, 4)
9. Bow Wow f/Chris Brown & Johnta Austin, “Shorty Like Mine” (12, 4)
10. Nickelback, “If Everyone Cared” (10, 5)

2008: Headed for a Fall 

1. Secondhand Serenade, “Fall for You” (43, 0)
2. Jesse McCartney, “Leavin’” (40, 2)
3. Natasha Bedingfield f/Sean Kingston, “Love Like This” (29, 1)
4. Miley Cyrus, “See You Again” (23, 3)
5. Jordin Sparks, “One Step at a Time” (20, 2)
6. Britney Spears, “Piece of Me” (18, 0)
7. Wyclef Jean f/Akon, “Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)” (15, 3)
8. The Game f/Lil Wayne, “My Life” (13, 1)
9. Three 6 Mafia, “Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)” (10, 3)
10. Sean Kingston, “Take You There” (10, 7)

2009: Untouched by Programmer Hands

1. Veronicas, “Untouched” (32, 0)
2. Kanye West, “Love Lockdown” (29, 2) — West’s airplay fell 47% during October, but this and “Jesus Walks” are his only major hits that had a “Lost Factor” over 1.0 as of last month
3. Asher Roth, “I Love College” (28, 1)
4. Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent, “Crack a Bottle” (27, 2)
5. Taylor Swift, “White Horse” (25, 0)
6. Flo Rida f/Wynter, “Sugar” (22, 2)
7. Pussycat Dolls, “I Hate This Part” (17, 3)
8. Jesse McCartney f/Ludacris, “How Do You Sleep” (15, 0)
9. Britney Spears, “If U Seek Amy” (14, 2)
10. Kelly Clarkson, “I Do Not Hook Up” (10, 0)