23. "Hey Ya!" by Outkast (2003)

Shake it like a Polaroid picture. Shake it. Shake it. Outkast's "Hey Ya!" launched a thousand catch-phrases and burst the pleasure-centers of critics and radio listeners everywhere. Combining Prince-like funk, 60's girl-group fantasies, and whatever else in hell influenced Andre 3000, "Hey Ya!" crossed borders and made everyone want to dance. The song left the stratosphere of pop music and culture behind; we will never hear the likes of it again.

Outkast was the most inventive and exciting hip-hop group of the decade, if that label is even appropriate for the group's outlandish musical triumphs. The duo's triumvirate of originality also included "Ms. Jackson" and "B.O.B," all three of which deserve inclusion on this list, depending on your cup of tea. For The D Man, give me extra sugar, ice cold.

For the sweet video for "Hey Ya!," click here.

Why listen? Outkast's ability to eschew the trappings of an often repetitive and narrow genre is commendable. The duo's wildly inventive music draws from more influences than any previous hip-hop artist. Yet there is even more at work in "Hey Ya!": bona-fide zeitgeist-loving domination.

Something else? "Roses," "So Fresh, So Clean," "The Way You Move," and "The Whole World."