In the early 2010s, VH1 set out to codify a decade that had only just concluded. The "100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s" was more than a countdown; it was a definitive look at a transitional era where the digital revolution met the peak of the MTV age. Spanning five nights of television, the special attempted to organize the beautiful, digital chaos of a decade defined by ringtone rap, the garage rock revival, and the emergence of pop’s new royalty.