Like our other articles—at least from me—about the best tracks of the year, we’re going to do a deep dive into the year-end charts to establish our rankings. In this article, we’ll look at the 35 best songs of 2007, from major hip hop players and fantastic debuts to career revivals and one of the biggest country crossover hits in history.
1. Irreplaceable – Beyoncé
Ah, the famous—or infamous—”To the left, to the left.” Irreplaceable was originally a country record before Beyoncé put her spin on it for her second studio album B’Day. It was the third single to come from the album and smashed the records left by previous chart entries, earning a Record of the Year nomination and rising to become her fourth number-one single on the US Hot 100.
2. Umbrella – Rihanna feat. Jay-Z
Umbrella consistently gets ranked as one of the best singles of 2007, not just for its chart performance but for its quality. It won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and was nominated for Record of the Year. It was a massive commercial success, staying at number one on the UK charts for 10 consecutive weeks and number one on the Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks.
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3. The Sweet Escape – Gwen Stefani feat. Akon
Gwen Stefani’s The Sweet Escape may be one of the most iconic songs of 2007. An international commercial success, it would peak inside of the top 20 in the UK and the top five in the US, Canada, and Australia. One of her earlier tracks, this rose to nearly the same level among fans as her iconic Hollaback Girl.
4. Big Girls Don’t Cry – Fergie
Big Girls Don’t Cry might have been a later release from Fergie’s debut solo album, but it was perhaps her biggest commercial success to come from it. Transitioning from her hip hop and soul style, this one took a much more pop-oriented approach and wound up giving her her third number-one single on the Hot 100.
5. Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’) – T-Pain feat. Yung Joc
T-Pain quite literally wrote Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’) to help people approach each other at clubs. It wound up being a massive success for him in 2007, becoming his first number-one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and it peaked at the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100. It interestingly spent time in each of the Top 10 positions during its chart run as well.
6. Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood
Before He Cheats is one of the best examples of a massively-successful country hit that crossed over to find just as much success. It wound up spending 64 weeks on the Hot 100 and peaked as high as number eight, all while owning the country charts and award shows for the entirety of the year. It actually broke into the Top 10 of every official US chart it was eligible for, an incredible feat for any song.
7. Hey There Delilah – Plain White T’s
Hey There Delilah was a weird one that can only be described as a sleeper hit. While it originally didn’t seem like it would amount to much of a chart success, it slowly gained steam and reached number one on the Hot 100 en route to earning nominations at the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance.
8. I Wanna Love You – Akon feat. Snoop Dogg
Akon might have released I Wanna Love You in October of 2006, but it picked up traction in 2007. Appearing on both his second album and Snoop Dogg’s eighth, the song would become his first number-one single on the Hot 100. Funny enough, the ‘love’ part was the radio edit, as he wanted to do some much more explicit things to you in the original.
9. Say It Right – Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado was still going strong in 2007, and Say It Right was one of the most successful songs of the year. In the US, it was the third single to come from her Loose album, and it became a worldwide success. It topped the charts across Europe and in the US, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in the process.
10. Glamorous – Fergie feat. Ludacris
Glamorous was the third single to come off of Fergie’s debut album The Dutchess, and it was a tempo shift from her faster earlier releases. It wound up peaking in the Top 10 of numerous countries, topping the Hot 100 and becoming one of her best-selling singles to this date.
11. Don’t Matter – Akon
Don’t Matter stood out thanks to its reggae-fusion vibe. It was the third single to come from the artist’s second album, earning him a second total number-one in the US. Based partially on the work of Bob Marley, it would bring an extra audience to Akon’s work. In the end, it became one of the best-selling songs of the year and one of his best.
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12. Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne was already a household name by 2007, but she brought it again with her third album The Best Damn Thing. Girlfriend was the lead single for the album, revolving around the narrator having a crush on a boy who already has a girlfriend. It was a playful single that was one of her catchiest songs, eventually topping both the Hot 100 and the Mainstream Top 40 charts.
13. Makes Me Wonder – Maroon 5
Makes Me Wonder set a record for the biggest jump on the Hot 100 in history, rising from number 64 to number one in a single week. As Maroon 5’s first number-one, you know it had to be a special single, which was proven by the track’s win at the Grammys. It took home the award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, marking the second song of theirs to win that award.
14. Party Like a Rock Star – Shop Boyz
For my money, Party Like A Rock Star was the catchiest song of 2007. The lead single of Shop Boyz‘s debut album, it was one of the biggest tracks of 2007 in the US. It broke into the top five of the Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and Hot Rap Songs charts in 2007.
15. Smack That – Akon feat. Eminem
And here we are again with Akon. Smack That was the catchiest of his entries to the 2007 year-end charts and an extra verse from Eminem on the track bolstered its success even further. It was the first single from his Konvicted album and was the number-one single on 10 separate charts.
16. This Is Why I’m Hot – MIMS
This Is Why I’m Hot was the debut single by MIMS, and it instantly became a huge success. Very quickly, the track rose to the top of the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Much of the track pulls from hip hop history and the greatest songs to be released in the genre.
17. It’s Not Over – Daughtry
Daughtry’s It’s Not Over remains one of the band’s most beloved songs today, but it originated as their debut single. Seeing a post-grunge or even alt-rock track peak at number four on the Hot 100 was insane, and the song wound up being in the Top 10 of digital sales for 2007 as well.
18. The Way I Are – Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson, D.O.E., And Sebastian
Awkward grammar aside, The Way I Are was an insanely popular song in 2007. Only the second track to help Timbaland reach the top five of the charts in the US. It also reached triple-platinum status in near-record time.
19. Fergalicious – Fergie
Fergie shows up a lot on our 2007 list, but despite this one falling behind a few other entries to the year-end charts, Fergalicious was her best song that year. A catchy dance track, it would make it to number two on the Hot 100 and eventually earned quadruple platinum status.
20. Crank That (Soulja Boy) – Soulja Boy Tell ’em
Crank That (Soulja Boy) was probably one of the shorter-lived songs to make the year-end list for 2007, but when it got big, it was huge. The entire US wound up with a dance craze alongside the track that started a trend in the hip hop world. It eventually spent seven weeks at the top of the Hot 100 and became the first song to ever reach three-million digital sales in the US.
21. Give It to Me – Timbaland feat. Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake
Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Nelly Furtado all teamed up on Give It To Me, winding up with one of the most successful songs of 2007. Pure club music, the track might have fallen into the electro genre, but it still had a scathing rap diss verse from Timbaland in it.
22. What Goes Around…Comes Around – Justin Timberlake
What Goes Around was something of a psychedelic pop sequel to Justin Timberlake’s earlier Cry Me A River. It was his third-consecutive number-one single on the Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal.
23. Cupid’s Chokehold – Gym Class Heroes feat. Patrick Stump
![Gym Class Heroes: Cupid's Chokehold ft. Patrick Stump [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eiiU-Fky18s/0.jpg)
Cupid’s Chokehold on the other hand was something that blended rap and rock in a different way than the early 2000s rap-rock style. It was a huge hit, rising to number four on the Hot 100 and number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart.
24. How to Save a Life – The Fray
It was pretty close to this spot on our 2006 list that How To Save A Life ranked as well. The song is The Fray’s biggest hit to date, spending 15 consecutive weeks on top of the Adult Top 40 and peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.
25. Home – Daughtry
Daughtry rose quickly when it debuted in 2007. Home was another release from their self-titled album that was climbing the US charts before it was even announced as a single for the album. Eventually, the power ballad would reach the top of the Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts while breaking the top five of the Hot 100.
26. My Love – Justin Timberlake
My Love was yet another number-one single for Justin Timberlake, becoming an international success that won him another Grammy Award this year. The song was a big part of what made FutureSex/LoveSounds such a legendary album.
27. Stronger – Kanye West
Kanye West had some insanely good songs before he went crazy. Stronger was one of the best, seeing him team up with Daft Punk to make one of the best workout tracks of all time and topping the Hot 100 in the process.
28. We Fly High – Jim Jones
The lead single of Jim Jones’ third album, We Fly High is still his highest-charting track to date. It wound up reaching number five on the Hot 100 and took the top spot on the Hot Rap Songs chart.
29. U + Ur Hand – P!nk
U + Ur Hand was the song that told the world that P!nk was back and found a ton of success despite some controversies surrounding the lyrical content of the track. It ended up being an international hit, entering the Billboard 200 on multiple occasions and breaking the Top 10 of the Hot 100.
30. Walk It Out – Unk
It took Walk It Out nearly half a year to gain popularity, but it became a sensation after that. The official remix is also great, featuring Outkast and Jim Jones in the verses.
31. Beautiful Girls – Sean Kingston
The year 2007 was when Sean Kingston debuted, and Beautiful Girls was the lead single of his career. His signature song, this track would see a ton of radio airplay internationally, taking the top spot of the Hot 100 and reaching the top 20 in numerous countries worldwide.
32. This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race – Fall Out Boy
This Ain’t A Scene was the third single from one of Fall Out Boy’s most successful albums. It also provided their international breakthrough, debuting and remaining at number two on the Hot 100 and becoming their first single to chart in multiple countries.
33. Bartender – T-Pain feat. Akon
Bartender became T-Pain’s fourth-consecutive Top-10 hit on the Hot 100 and Akon’s ninth Top-10 hit on that chart as well. One of the most fun songs of the year, it would earn a Grammy nomination as well.
34. Pop, Lock & Drop It – Huey
You can debate all day whether this song is about dancing or shooting a gun, it doesn’t matter. Pop, Lock, & Drop It was another one of the biggest hip hop dance crazes of the 2000s, and its year-end ranking is evidence of its popularity.
35. Runaway Love – Ludacris feat. Mary J. Blige
Runaway Love sees Ludacris put his storyteller hat on to tell the tale of three different runaways alongside Mary J. Blige. The track eventually topped the Hot Rap Songs chart and made it to number two on the Hot 100.
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As a contributing writer for Music Grotto, Dakotah writes and produces professional music/media content. He works closely with editorial staff to meet editorial standards and create
quality content for the Music Grotto website. Dakotah is passionate about music in a wide variety of genres, from hip-hop to country and lo-fi to metal, and he enjoys creating music pieces for Music Grotto.
