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Do you remember 2005? Looking back, things were totally different from what they are now. Fashion wise, baggy clothing and oversized outfits were very prominent. Air Force 1s, throwback jerseys and grills made their way to the forefront of the culture. We were dying of laughter when Everybody Hates Chris hit our screens for the first time. Terrence Howard let us know that it was hard out here for a pimp. 2005 was also the year that Tyler Perry released the film that would catapult his growing film empire with Diary of a Mad Black Woman. 106 & Park remained a must-watch show as BET kept us laced with all the Black entertainment and news we could ask for. One of the biggest news stories of the year was the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city of New Orleans. Conversations around the natural disaster brought attention to racial inequality and the government’s response to disasters (especially in predominantly Black communities). In 2005, the Chicago White Sox, the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Antonio Spurs were at the top of their respective sports leagues. Like most of the world back then, players were more than likely communicating on flip phones. Feel old yet?

In 2005, consumers worldwide were still going out to stores to buy their favorite artist’s CDs. Album sales seemingly meant a bit more back in the day. Although some things were different 20 years ago, one thing has and will always remain the same. Great music will always live on and be remembered. 2005 was a year that we got a plethora of music that will never be forgotten. Southern hip-hop had a lot to say as trap, snap and crunk music all started to bubble heavily. We seen forces like Kanye West and Beyoncé continue their dominance. The year also introduced the world to future megastars in Rihanna and Chris Brown. In addition to being a major fashion trendsetter, Pharrell Williams dropped off his lead single to his debut studio album. In the midst of all this, the Billboard bully herself Mariah Carey spent 43 out of the 52 weeks of the year on the charts. What an insane year!

2005 gave us some undeniable gems. The music was so good that some of the songs released that year are still in people’s rotations to this day. It’s hilarious to think about the fact that we listened to all of these songs on our iPods and probably had them as our ringtones. Not too many things top nostalgia and these songs take us back to a much simpler time. Check out a gallery of songs that turn 20 this year! Let us know your favorites and if we’re missing any!