# List of Billboard number-one adult alternative singles of the 2000s

Adult Alternative Airplay, also known as Triple A, is a record chart that ranks the most-played songs on American adult album alternative radio stations. Formulated based on each song's weekly total plays, the chart was introduced in the January 20, 1996 issue of Radio & Records magazine. Adult Alternative Songs, along with other Radio & Records airplay charts, was initially compiled using radio airplay data from Mediabase. In August 2006, Radio & Records was acquired by The Nielsen Company – then known as VNU Media – parent company of rival publication Billboard. Following the purchase, Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems replaced Mediabase in monitoring airplay for charts, beginning with the issue dated August 11, 2006. Billboard themselves introduced the chart in their July 5, 2008 issue, appropriating the same Nielsen data, and became its sole publisher after Radio & Records ceased publication in June 2009.
The Billboard website currently lists Adult Alternative Songs charts dating back to January 1996. These charts are based on data from a Triple A chart that had previously been published in the Billboard-owned Airplay Monitor magazine from that date until the acquisition of Radio & Records, and which had used Nielsen data that was largely similar to the Mediabase data used in the Radio & Records chart.
On the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs decade-end chart, "Use Somebody" by American rock band Kings of Leon, which originally topped the chart for two weeks in 2009, ranked as the overall top single of the 2000s. The decade-end top artist was English alternative rock band Coldplay, who scored eight number-one adult alternative singles during the 2000s.

## Number-one singles
### Key

    † – Billboard year-end number-one single
    ‡ – Billboard decade-end number-one single
    ↑ – Return of a single to number one
| Single | Artist | Reached number one | Weeks at number one |
| "The Great Beyond" | R.E.M. | December 25, 1999 | 8 |
| "Telling Stories" | Tracy Chapman | February 19, 2000 | 8 |
| "Steal My Kisses" | Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals | April 15, 2000 | 3 |
| "Desert Rose"† | Sting featuring Cheb Mami | May 6, 2000 | 4 |
| "Bent" | Matchbox Twenty | June 3, 2000 | 14 |
| "Babylon" | David Gray | September 9, 2000 | 2 |
| "Beautiful Day" | U2 | September 23, 2000 | 16 |
| "Sleepwalker" | The Wallflowers | January 13, 2001 | 1 |
| "Easy Tonight" | Five for Fighting | January 20, 2001 | 1 |
| "I Did It" | Dave Matthews Band | January 27, 2001 | 5 |
| "Camera One" | Josh Joplin Band | March 3, 2001 | 2 |
| "Superman Inside" | Eric Clapton | March 17, 2001 | 1 |
| "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"† | Train | March 24, 2001 | 12 |
| "Imitation of Life" | R.E.M. | June 16, 2001 | 3 |
| "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" ↑† | Train | July 7, 2001 | 2 |
| "The Space Between" | Dave Matthews Band | July 21, 2001 | 1 |
| "When You're Falling" | Afro Celt Sound System featuring Peter Gabriel | July 28, 2001 | 6 |
| "Life on a Chain" | Pete Yorn | September 8, 2001 | 6 |
| "Peaceful World" | John Mellencamp featuring India Arie | October 20, 2001 | 1 |
| "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" | U2 | October 27, 2001 | 1 |
| "Peaceful World" ↑ | John Mellencamp featuring India Arie | November 3, 2001 | 4 |
| "New York, New York" | Ryan Adams | December 1, 2001 | 2 |
| "No Such Thing" | John Mayer | December 15, 2001 | 1 |
| "New York, New York" ↑ | Ryan Adams | December 22, 2001 | 1 |
| "Everyday" | Dave Matthews Band | December 29, 2001 | 8 |
| "Let Me Down Easy" | Chris Isaak | February 23, 2002 | 4 |
| "Strange Condition" | Pete Yorn | March 23, 2002 | 1 |
| "In a Little While" | U2 | March 30, 2002 | 1 |
| "Strange Condition" ↑ | Pete Yorn | April 6, 2002 | 1 |
| "Soak Up the Sun" | Sheryl Crow | April 13, 2002 | 7 |
| "Flake"† | Jack Johnson | June 1, 2002 | 3 |
| "American Girls" | Counting Crows | June 22, 2002 | 1 |
| "Where Are You Going" | Dave Matthews Band | July 6, 2002 | 4 |
| "The Rising" | Bruce Springsteen | August 3, 2002 | 3 |
| "Where Are You Going" ↑ | Dave Matthews Band | August 24, 2002 | 3 |
| "Your Body Is a Wonderland" | John Mayer | September 14, 2002 | 2 |
| "In My Place" | Coldplay | September 28, 2002 | 3 |
| "Electrical Storm" | U2 | October 19, 2002 | 6 |
| "When You're on Top" | The Wallflowers | November 30, 2002 | 1 |
| "The Zephyr Song" | Red Hot Chili Peppers | December 7, 2002 | 5 |
| "Clocks"† | Coldplay | January 11, 2003 | 15 |
| "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" | Jason Mraz | April 26, 2003 | 2 |
| "Peacekeeper" | Fleetwood Mac | May 10, 2003 | 1 |
| "Calling All Angels" | Train | May 17, 2003 | 2 |
| "The Horizon Has Been Defeated" | Jack Johnson | May 31, 2003 | 2 |
| "Calling All Angels" ↑ | Train | June 14, 2003 | 1 |
| "The Horizon Has Been Defeated" ↑ | Jack Johnson | June 21, 2003 | 1 |
| "Calling All Angels" ↑ | Train | June 28, 2003 | 6 |
| "Amsterdam" | Guster | August 9, 2003 | 2 |
| "Smoothie Song" | Nickel Creek | August 23, 2003 | 1 |
| "Amsterdam" ↑ | Guster | August 30, 2003 | 2 |
| "Bigger Than My Body" | John Mayer | September 13, 2003 | 5 |
| "Bad Day" | R.E.M. | October 18, 2003 | 5 |
| "Red Light" | Jonny Lang | November 22, 2003 | 1 |
| "You and I Both" | Jason Mraz | November 29, 2003 | 1 |
| "The First Cut Is the Deepest" | Sheryl Crow | December 6, 2003 | 3 |
| "Perfect Time of Day" | Howie Day | December 27, 2003 | 1 |
| "The First Cut Is the Deepest" ↑ | Sheryl Crow | January 3, 2004 | 1 |
| "She Don't Want Nobody Near" | Counting Crows | January 10, 2004 | 1 |
| "Save Me" | Dave Matthews | January 17, 2004 | 3 |
| "She Don't Want Nobody Near" ↑ | Counting Crows | February 7, 2004 | 2 |
| "Sunrise"† | Norah Jones | February 21, 2004 | 2 |
| "Breathe" | Melissa Etheridge | March 6, 2004 | 2 |
| "Sunrise" ↑† | Norah Jones | March 20, 2004 | 4 |
| "Mad World" | Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules | April 17, 2004 | 1 |
| "Clarity" | John Mayer | April 24, 2004 | 1 |
| "Cannonball" | Damien Rice | May 1, 2004 | 2 |
| "Everything" | Alanis Morissette | May 15, 2004 | 4 |
| "Oh" | Dave Matthews | June 12, 2004 | 4 |
| "Accidentally in Love" | Counting Crows | July 10, 2004 | 2 |
| "What Am I to You?" | Norah Jones | July 24, 2004 | 2 |
| "Accidentally in Love" ↑ | Counting Crows | August 7, 2004 | 3 |
| "Gonna Be Some Changes Made" | Bruce Hornsby | August 28, 2004 | 3 |
| "Leaving New York" | R.E.M. | September 18, 2004 | 4 |
| "Vertigo" | U2 | October 16, 2004 | 9 |
| "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" | Green Day | December 18, 2004 | 9 |
| "All Because of You" | U2 | February 12, 2005 | 3 |
| "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"† | Jack Johnson | March 5, 2005 | 6 |
| "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" | U2 | April 16, 2005 | 5 |
| "Speed of Sound" | Coldplay | May 21, 2005 | 9 |
| "Good People" | Jack Johnson | July 23, 2005 | 10 |
| "The One I Love" | David Gray | October 1, 2005 | 1 |
| "Good Is Good" | Sheryl Crow | October 8, 2005 | 1 |
| "The One I Love" ↑ | David Gray | October 15, 2005 | 5 |
| "Soul Meets Body" | Death Cab for Cutie | November 19, 2005 | 10 |
| "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" | KT Tunstall | January 28, 2006 | 3 |
| "Talk" | Coldplay | February 18, 2006 | 1 |
| "Upside Down" † | Jack Johnson | February 25, 2006 | 13 |
| "Better Way" | Ben Harper | May 27, 2006 | 3 |
| "Dani California" | Red Hot Chili Peppers | June 17, 2006 | 1 |
| "Crazy" | Gnarls Barkley | June 24, 2006 | 6 |
| "Saving Grace" | Tom Petty | August 5, 2006 | 1 |
| "Waiting on the World to Change" | John Mayer | August 12, 2006 | 5 |
| "Is It Any Wonder?" | Keane | September 16, 2006 | 2 |
| "Waiting on the World to Change" ↑ | John Mayer | September 30, 2006 | 1 |
| "Chasing Cars" | Snow Patrol | October 7, 2006 | 1 |
| "How to Save a Life" | The Fray | October 14, 2006 | 1 |
| "Chasing Cars" ↑ | Snow Patrol | October 21, 2006 | 7 |
| "Window in the Skies" | U2 | December 9, 2006 | 7 |
| "See the World" † | Gomez | January 27, 2007 | 4 |
| "New Shoes" | Paolo Nutini | February 24, 2007 | 5 |
| "Thinking About You" | Norah Jones | March 31, 2007 | 3 |
| "Read My Mind" | The Killers | April 21, 2007 | 6 |
| "Better Than" | John Butler Trio | June 2, 2007 | 7 |
| "Hey There Delilah" | Plain White T's | July 21, 2007 | 4 |
| "Bubbly" | Colbie Caillat | August 18, 2007 | 3 |
| "Hold On" | KT Tunstall | September 8, 2007 | 4 |
| "Shut Your Eyes" | Snow Patrol | October 6, 2007 | 1 |
| "Hold On" ↑ | KT Tunstall | October 13, 2007 | 7 |
| "You're the World to Me" | David Gray | December 1, 2007 | 8 |
| "If I Had Eyes" † | Jack Johnson | January 26, 2008 | 10 |
| "Supernatural Superserious" | R.E.M. | April 5, 2008 | 4 |
| "You Can't Count on Me" | Counting Crows | May 3, 2008 | 1 |
| "Supernatural Superserious" ↑ | R.E.M. | May 10, 2008 | 1 |
| "I Will Possess Your Heart" | Death Cab for Cutie | May 17, 2008 | 2 |
| "Violet Hill" | Coldplay | May 31, 2008 | 2 |
| "I Will Possess Your Heart" ↑ | Death Cab for Cutie | June 14, 2008 | 2 |
| "I'm Yours" | Jason Mraz | June 28, 2008 | 1 |
| "I Will Possess Your Heart" ↑ | Death Cab for Cutie | July 5, 2008 | 1 |
| "Viva la Vida" | Coldplay | July 12, 2008 | 11 |
| "Come Around" | Counting Crows | September 27, 2008 | 3 |
| "Shattered (Turn the Car Around)" | O.A.R. | October 18, 2008 | 4 |
| "Take Back the City" | Snow Patrol | November 15, 2008 | 1 |
| "Lost!" | Coldplay | November 22, 2008 | 3 |
| "Take Back the City" ↑ | Snow Patrol | December 13, 2008 | 2 |
| "Rock & Roll" | Eric Hutchinson | December 27, 2008 | 1 |
| "You Found Me" | The Fray | January 3, 2009 | 5 |
| "Get On Your Boots" | U2 | February 7, 2009 | 4 |
| "You Found Me" ↑ | The Fray | March 7, 2009 | 2 |
| "Crack the Shutters" | Snow Patrol | March 21, 2009 | 7 |
| "Funny the Way It Is" | Dave Matthews Band | May 9, 2009 | 12 |
| "Life in Technicolor II" | Coldplay | August 1, 2009 | 1 |
| "Use Somebody" † ‡ | Kings of Leon | August 8, 2009 | 1 |
| "You Never Know" | Wilco | August 15, 2009 | 1 |
| "Use Somebody" ↑ † ‡ | Kings of Leon | August 22, 2009 | 1 |
| "You Never Know" | Wilco | August 29, 2009 | 2 |
| "Fugitive" | David Gray | September 12, 2009 | 10 |
| "Who Says" | John Mayer | November 21, 2009 | 5 |
| "Chasing Pirates" | Norah Jones | December 26, 2009 | 6 |