Napster is the final nail in the coffin of the Pop single as the Airplay and Sales charts diverge, but Post-Grunge bands are scoring major Hot100 hits and Alternative is the new Mainstream in Rock. Meanwhile, Mary J. Blige and Janet Jackson are single again and ready to hit the club and get crunk, Ja Rule’s J.Lo “Murder remixes” are completely different songs and Alicia Keys sweeps the Grammys her first year on the charts.

#1 Song of the Year   The top song according to our Chartcrush ranking of all songs that earned the majority of their chart ranking points in the year

Artists of the Year   The top three artists based on all charted songs during the calendar year

1. Destiny’s Child
2. Ja Rule
3. 112

Artist with Most Charting Songs   Artist(s) with the most charting songs during the year (song count in parentheses)

• Jay-Z (5)

Average #1 Artist Age   The average of how old artists who scored #1 hits during the year were when their songs first reached #1

• 27.2 years

#1 Songs   List of #1 songs that earned the majority of their chart ranking points in the year, and (in parentheses), the month the song first hit #1 and the total number of weeks it was #1

1. Shaggy feat. Ricardo “RikRok” Ducent – It Wasn’t Me (February, 2 wks)
2. OutKast – Ms. Jackson (February, 1 wk)
3. Joe feat. Mystikal – Stutter (February, 4 wks)
4. Crazy Town – Butterfly (March, 2 wks)
5. Shaggy feat. Rayvon – Angel (March, 1 wk)
6. Janet – All for You (April, 7 wks)
7. Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya & Pink – Lady Marmalade (June, 5 wks)
8. Usher – U Remind Me (July, 4 wks)
9. Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious (August, 2 wks)
10. Alicia Keys – Fallin’ (August, 6 wks)
11. Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule – I’m Real (September, 5 wks)
12. Mary J. Blige – Family Affair (November, 6 wks)