29. Ludacris, "Rollout (My Business)" (No. 17, Hot 100)
When you're in the public eye, fans expect to know absolutely everything about your life, from how much money you're spending and who you're dating to where you go shopping or, simply, what in the world is in that BAG? Ludacris has a simple answer to all those prying questions in this hilarious clapback of a song: "Stay the f--k up out my BIZ-NESS." Over a typically thumping Timbaland beat, the Atlanta rapper shoots down busybodies with one-liner after one-liner, showing off his perfect blend of lyrical skills and laugh-out-loud sense of humor. -- K.A.
28. Dido, "Thank You" (No. 3, Hot 100)
We “Stan” Eminem for bringing Dido's ode to much-needed relationship comforts to the attention of U.S. audiences, but the English artist gets all the credit for writing a tune that still endures on its own. Her hit’s theme of having a no good, very bad day brightened by a call from a loved one continues to resonate, especially during a global pandemic. So much so, Anuel AA borrowed the aching beat for his 2020 track "Me Contagie 2" to sing about his own solitude. -- ANNA CHAN
27. Gorillaz, "Clint Eastwood" (No. 57, Hot 100)
Blur frontman Damon Albarn got it right on the first try on his second time around with “Clint Eastwood,” debut single from his then-new virtual supergroup’s self-titled debut album. An eerie, seductive blend of reggae, electronic, funk and hip-hop -- with animated bars from Del The Funky Homosapien -- “Clint Eastwood” sounded like nothing else that came before it, and nothing has quite matched it since. Paired with a nightmarish cartoon music video, the song became Gorillaz' first entry on the Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 57 and became an essential building block in music history, even before the collective's brilliant next two decades. -- T.C.
26. The Shins, "New Slang" (Did not chart)
As the story goes, James Mercer’s band Flake opened for Modest Mouse on a few tours in the late ‘90s, and Mercer passed Isaac Brock a burned CD of his then-side project called The Shins. It included “New Slang,” a folk-leaning track about wanting to leave everything behind, in demo form; Brock gave the CD to Jonathan Poneman at Sub Pop, who quickly signed The Shins, as anyone in their right mind would do. A few years and 100,000 records sold later, the song was esteemed enough to make a key appearance in 2004’s Garden State -- not merely on the Grammy-winning soundtrack, but actually written into the script for Natalie Portman’s character to rave about -- and The Shins had a true stealth hit. Twenty years later, the sound of Mercer’s sublime vocals over tranquil acoustic guitar is just as affecting. -- G.G.