14 Bands From The 2000s You May Have Forgotten (But Remembered Their Bops)

Join us as we explore 14 bands that defined the early 2000s music scene. From pop-punk anthems to sweet melodies, these groups left a lasting impact on their fans and the music industry. So, dust off your iPods and let’s take a trip down memory lane!

Table of Contents

• The Click Five was just the band we were looking for
• Sugarcult is in our Memory
• The Reason is, obviously, Hoobastank
• soulDecision was Kinda Crazy before they Faded
• Dream was Diddy’s OG girl group
• Danity Kane's ups and downs left some damage
• The Donnas really took off (for a while)
• 2Gether gave us our meta boy band fix
• We want BBMak Back Here
• Dream Street left us dreaming of more
• 3LW may be no more, but baby they’re gonna do right
• The Calling was with us wherever we would go
• All of the (kinda controversial) things that t.A.T.u. said
• Eden's Crush told us to get over ourselves, goodbye

The Click Five was just the band we were looking for

Back in the era of skinny ties and mop-top haircuts, the Boston-based The Click Five (aka TC5) was the boy band meets The Beatles ensemble that brought the infectious "Just The Girl" to airwaves in 2005. The group originally composed of guitarist Joe Guese, bassist Ethan Mentzer, keyboardist Ben Romans, drummer Joey Zehr, and singer/guitarist Eric Dill, toured with Ashlee Simpson, Jesse McCartney, and the Backstreet Boys, as their debut single peaked at number 11 on the Billboard charts. The hit was written by the late Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger, who many may remember as the band responsible for getting everyone obsessed with "Stacy's Mom." "It was really cool for us," guitarist Guese told Pop Entertainment. "To get handed basically an unreleased Fountains of Wayne song, it’s something really cool ... I’ve always thought they were such a great band."

Sugarcult is in our Memory

Any emo-alt kids from the early 2000s likely remember California-based band Sugarcult's bouncy hit "Memory." The group originally consisted of vocalist/guitarist Tim Pagnotta, guitarist Marko DeSantis, bassist Airin Older, and drummer Ben Davis. Prior to "Memory" taking over the airwaves, the band had a minor hit with their song "Bouncing Off The Walls," which appeared on the "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" soundtrack in 2002.

The Reason is, obviously, Hoobastank

In 2004, California foursome Hoobastank released the now classic "The Reason" off of their second album of the same title. The band, originally composed of vocalist Douglas Robb, guitarist Daniel Estrin, bassist Markku Lappalainen, and drummer Chris Hesse, saw the song skyrocket all the way to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "It wasn't about anyone specifically," Robb told The Daily Beast. "I had a lot of journal entries, and at the time, our guitar player sent me some music that he liked — which was almost the song, about 90 percent complete — and I grabbed it, rifled through some notes, and it came together very fast."

soulDecision was Kinda Crazy before they Faded

Canadian pop trio soulDecision exploded onto the music scene with the one-two punch of singles "Faded" and "Ooh It's Kinda Crazy" in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Lead vocalist/guitarist Trevor Guthrie, guitarist/vocalist David Bowman, and keyboardist Ken Lewko were marketed primarily as a boy band, slotting them alongside contemporaries like the Backstreet Boys and LFO.

Dream was Diddy’s OG girl group

Fab foursome Dream was the girl group brainchild of Sean "Diddy" Combs who made their debut at the peak of the new millennium. After signing to Diddy’s Bad Boy Records (aka Bad Boy Entertainment), the girls released their debut single "He Loves U Not," which took over both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the TRL countdown in 2001.

Danity Kane's ups and downs left some damage

From one Dream to the next, Sean "Diddy" Combs started the search for his next girl group in the mid aughts on the third season of reality show "Making the Band," the show responsible for putting together fellow pop ensemble O-Town. After weeks of enduring a grueling pop diva boot camp, Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment formed the final five ladies into their newest group, Danity Kane.

The Donnas really took off (for a while)

Not all girl groups of the aughts were of the pop or R&B persuasion. Guitar-thrashing quartet The Donnas took the stage (literally) in 2002 with their mega hit "Take It Off," their first big break despite having formed in California in the early 1990s and releasing records prior to their major label debut.

2Gether gave us our meta boy band fix

In the ultimate MTV meta moment, fictional boy band 2gether exploded on the scene in 2000 with a made-for-TV farcical film and television spin-off series that ended up being the impetus for their eventual success.

We want BBMak Back Here

British trio BBMak made a sizable splash in the pop music scene with their single "Back Here" in 2000. Although it was released off of their debut album "Sooner or Later" in 1999, it gained traction in the United States the next year, and the song eventually climbed its way up both the Billboard and TRL charts.

Dream Street left us dreaming of more

Amongst the bevy of boy bands that populated the aughts airwaves, five-piece set Dream Street made tweenage dreams come true at the turn of the century with their truly dreamy single, "It Happens Every Time."

3LW may be no more, but baby they’re gonna do right

Pop trio 3 Little Women (aka 3LW) made a splash with their debut single "No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)" in 2000. Members Naturi Naughton, Kiely Williams, and Adrienne Bailon were the sassy teen dreams behind the sugary-sweet track, which peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Calling was with us wherever we would go

By 2002, most adult pop radio stations were non-stop blasting "Wherever You Will Go" by California rock group The Calling. Released off of their debut album "Camino Palmero," the song exploded and eventually peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

All of the (kinda controversial) things that t.A.T.u. said

Russian electro-pop duo t.A.T.u. took airwaves by storm in the early 2000s with