2000 in music

• International trends
  • Pop albums dominate the charts and set records for sales - 'N Sync (No Strings Attached), Britney Spears (Oops!... I Did It Again), Nelly (Country Grammar), Backstreet Boys (Black & Blue ), Creed (Human Clay), Destiny's Child (The Writing's on the Wall ), Faith Hill (Breathe), Bon Jovi (Crush) and No Doubt (Return of Saturn) release top-selling albums
• Music of Finland
  • Bomfunk MC's ("Freestyler"), HIM and Tik N' Tak succeed in bringing Finnish rock to the fringes of the mainstream in Europe
• Music of the United States
  • O Brother Where Art Thou (soundtrack) is a surprise success, bringing bluegrass to the fringes of the mainstream

2001 in music

• International trends
  • Napster's popularity peaks
• Music of Canada
  • With the opening of the first urban-format radio station in Canada (CFXJ Flow 93.5 in Toronto), Canadian hip hop finally enters the mainstream en masse
• Music of the United States
  • Important nu metal releases from System of a Down (Toxicity) and Tool (Lateralus) define the burgeoning scene; Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory is the top-selling album of the year in the United States.

2002 in music

• International trends
  • Several hyped garage rock and alternative country artists break into the mainstream, at least partially -- The Vines (Highly Evolved), The Strokes (Is This It), The White Stripes (White Blood Cells), The Hives (Veni Vidi Vicious), Wilco (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) and Ryan Adams (Gold, Demolition) achieve sales unheard of for such bands in recent years.
• Music of the United States
  • 50 Cent's hit "In Da Club" re-popularizes gangsta rap with mainstream audiences.
  • Traditional-styled R&B groups suh as Dru Hill and Jaged Edge experience decreasing sales and popularity, while pop-oriented boy bands such as B2K rise to prominence.

2003 in music

• Music of the United States
  • Lil Jon's "crunk" style of Southern hip hop becomes nationally popular.

2004 in music

• Music of the United States
  • Many groups and artists such as Bruce Springsteen show unprecedented involvement in the 2004 Presidential Election to prevent George W. Bush's successful bid for a second term.