The year 2006 was loaded with hits and that summer the artistes turned up the heat. Saturday Hustle takes you back.

Promiscuous

Nelly Furtado feauring Timbaland

Hands down, Timbaland’s beat behind this track made it the club banger it was meant to be. However, Nelly Furtado’s vocals made it a hit. The track was recorded and released as the lead single from the Canadian’s album, Loose. It received mostly positive reviews, with some critics calling the song the highlight of the album. It was an international success and it had become Furtado’s first number one single in the United States. The track also topped the chart in Denmark and New Zealand and peaked within the top 10 on many charts across Europe. Not long after, it won Best Pop Single of the Year at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards.

Hips Dont lie

Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean

“I never really knew that she could dance like this/She make a man want to speak Spanish/Como se llama? Bonita, mi casa, su casa…”

The track was released as the second single from Shakira’s second English album Oral Fixation Vol. 2. It became a global success, reaching the number one spot on the charts in at least 55 countries. It was also Shakira and Wyclef’s first (and to date, only) number one single in the US. In the UK, the single was Wyclef’s third number one hit (after The Fugees’ Killing Me Softly and Ready Or Not) as well as Shakira’s first hit. The track also set a record for the fastest-selling record to reach the one million digital download mark. It sold its millionth digital download after nine weeks in the US.

Crazy

Gnarls Barkley

“I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind/There was something so pleasant about that place… Does that make me crazy?/Does that make me crazy?/Does that make me crazy?/Probably…”

Crazy is Gnarls Barkley’s debut single from their debut album St Elsewhere. It became a top 10 hit throughout Europe, North America and Australia and also reached number one on the single charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Canada and New Zealand. It became the first single to top the British charts on download sales alone. The track remained at number one in the United Kingdom for nine weeks (which at the time, no other song had achieved in over 10 years. It won a 2007 Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance and was also named the best song of 2006 by Rolling Stone.

Ridin’

Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone

“They see me rollin, they hatin/Patrolling, they tryin to catch me ridin dirty/Tryin to catch me ridin dirty/Tryin to catch me ridin dirty/Tryin to catch me ridin…”

Chamillionaire released Ridin as the second single from his album, The Sound of Revenge. Upon its release, the track topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the US for two weeks and peaked at number two in the United Kingdom. It was awarded Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards and Best Rap Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2006. The track went on to be ranked number three on Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Songs of 2006 and was also the best selling ringtone in 2006, with 3.2 million in sales.

Over My Head (Cable Car)

The Fray

“Everyone knows I’m in over my head, over my head/With eight seconds left in overtime she’s on your mind, she’s on your mind…”

Released as the debut single for the Rock band’s debut album How To Save A Life, the track sold over two million digital downloads in the US and was certified double platinum by the RIAA in May 2006. The song was the fifth most downloaded single of 2006 and was ranked number 13 on the Hot 100 singles of 2006 by Billboard.

Unfaithful

Rihanna

“And I know that he knows I’m unfaithful and it kills him inside to know that I am happy with some other guy. I can see him dying…”

Written by Ne-Yo for Rihanna’s second album A Girl Like Me, Unfaithful was the second track released from the album. The track reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 2006. It debuted at number 16 in the UK Singles Chart on downloads alone one week prior to its physical release. On July 24, 2006, Unfaithful debuted at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart, and reached number one on the Eurochart 100. The track sold over 4.5 million copies and has sold 2,727,000 in paid digital downloads in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan.