Gillian Welch

It was a banner year for producers. The Neptunes — a major commercial force since Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Got Your Money” — helmed more great songs than we could fit on this list. (Shout out to NSYNC’s “Girlfriend,” an all-time classic boy band single.) Timbaland, Kanye West and Dr. Dre were similarly on fire. It was also a crucial year for several elite artists: You’ll notice we couldn’t help but include multiple songs from Radiohead, Daft Punk, Destiny’s Child and The Strokes. But there’s something for everyone here — from Southern hip-hop (Mystikal) to indie-rock (Spoon) to prog-metal (Tool). So raise up, roll out and let us blow your mind. Here are the 50 Best Songs of 2001. 50. No Doubt – “Hella Good” [embedded content] Though “Hella Good” wasn’t the forever end of No Doubt (the band reu...