大象传媒

Last Updated: 1 October 2021

Sounds of the 21st Century is a new series of eleven soundscapes featuring the music, media, news, triumphs, tragedies, and trivia from the years 2000 to 2010.

The Sounds of 2003, available now on 大象传媒 Sounds, recalls the year of the sexed-up dossier and Jonny Wilkinson’s drop for World Cup glory, Love Actually, Finding Nemo, the Black Eyed Peas and the White Stripes.

It was also the year Beyonce went solo, Christina Aguilera was singing her heart out on Beautiful, Busted steered skate-punk towards the charts with 'Year 3000', and we had the odd one-hit wonder like DJ Sammy’s cover of Don Henley’s 'The Boys of Summer'. Meanwhile, Harry Potter fever went into overdrive, and temperatures soared as the UK experienced its hottest day on record.

Below we look back on a selection of memorable moments from the year in music and popular culture, nearly 20 years on…

By 2003, Destiny’s Child were well established as one of the early 00's biggest R&B groups, but they were a blip on the radar for what would follow.

Beyoncé already had one single to her name with the Austin Powers-soundtracking 'Work It Out', but 2003 kickstarted an iconic solo career rivalled by few ever since.

Debut album Dangerously In Love was a hit-packed statement of intent, topping the charts in the UK and US. Standout track 'Crazy in Love', featuring husband and rap entrepreneur Jay Z, became one of the biggest hits of the decade backed by an equally iconic video. This was just the beginning for Beyoncé’s superstardom.

CDs were still all the rage in 2003 and Internet speeds remained at a snail’s pace, but the opening of Apple’s iTunes Store was the first sign of a sea change, with many more digital stores following in their footsteps.

Tracks cost 79p, albums around £7.99, and for the first time music was available digitally, easily and – a big factor for a financially troubled music industry – legally. By 2007, the digital download would account for 11% of total sales, when a few years prior the option to purchase with a click didn’t even exist.

Years later, downloads would have a rival of their own with the rise of music streaming platforms, and eventually both formats would be incorporated into the UK charts.

Before downloading and streaming really took off later in the decade, 2003 proved to be one of music’s more unpredictable years.

Not least when considering the success of The Darkness: a Queen-aping, spandexed, brilliantly ridiculous group whose short lived time at the top almost resulted in a Christmas Number One with 'Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)'. Their brief time in the spotlight was so frenzied, they headlined Reading + Leeds Festivals the following year.

However, in one final twist, a sentimental cover of a Tears For Fears 80s classic ended up taking the top spot. Michael Andrews and Gary Jules’ tender rendition, from the 2001 cult movie Donnie Darko, outsold The Darkness (the bookies’ favourite) and ended up spending three weeks at No.1, probably rivaled only by Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing In The Name Of' as the decade's least festive Yuletide chart-topper. A mad world indeed.

Meanwhile Jamie Gomez 'Taboo', William Adams 'Will I Am', Allan Pienda 'Apl. De Apl', and Stacey Ferguson 'Fergie' aka the Black Eyed Peas were behind the year's biggest selling single in the UK. 'Where Is The Love?' topped the charts for six weeks in September / October 2003, and was followed into the charts by No.2 hit 'Shut Up' later in the year. The group's Elephunk was also among the year's biggest selling albums, and they would be chart regulars for the remainder of the decade, enjoying their final No.1 to date in 2010.

Other big hits of the year included Christine Aguilera's 'Beautiful', ex S Club 7 star Rachel Stevens' debut solo hit 'Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex', Russian duo t.A.T.u.'s 'All the Things She Said' and 50 Cent's 'In Da Club'. Busted were one of the year's most successful pop groups, with four top three hits, including two No.1s, while EastEnders star Shane Richie took his cover of Wham!'s 'I'm Your Man' to No.2 in aid of Children in Need.

Over in the album charts there was more success for Dido, who followed up her 2001 best-selling album of the year No Angel by repeating the feat with 2003's 'Life for Rent.' Justin Timberlake, Daniel Bedingfield, Norah Jones, The White Stripes, and Avril Lavigne released some of the year's other biggest selling albums.

, who all continued to enjoy chart success in 2003.

Teaming up with pop’s super-producers Xenomania, Girls Aloud released some of the year’s biggest singles in 'No Good Advice', 'Life Got Cold' and 'Jump', while debut album Sound of the Underground peaked at No.2 in the UK. The five-piece, featuring Cheryl Cole and the late Sarah Harding, would go on to enjoy further chart success throughout the 00s, becoming the biggest selling girl group of the 21st century so far.

Will Young released one of his most memorable singles with 'Leave Right Now'. Although Will would enjoy more chart success in subequent years, and turn his hand to presenting on Radio 2, it remains his final No.1 to date. Meanwhile Gareth Gates teamed up with fictional TV family the Kumars for Comic Relief single 'Spirit In The Sky', also his final No.1. December's 'Say It Isn't So' was Gareth's last Top Ten hit to date, with only two subsequent singles reaching the Top 40 as his post Pop Idol music career fizzled out.

After initial success, 2003’s talent show winners have stayed relatively under the radar. Fame Academy victor Alex Parks (pictured above) has kept an incredibly low profile since picking up the prize, and reaching No.3 with her debut hit 'Maybe That's What It Takes.'

Michelle McManus won the second series of Pop Idol and went to No.1 with debut single 'All This Time'. But after follow-up 'The Meaning Of Love' stalled at No.16 in 2004, her music career was pretty much over, just months after finding fame in front of a prime time TV audience. Runner-up Mark Rhodes, and third placed contestant Sam Nixon, have fared slightly better, forging a successful career on children's TV as presenting duo Sam and Mark. Since 2020 they've been hosting a revival of the long-time kids' favourite Crackerjack on the C大象传媒 channel.

Neither Pop Idol or Fame Academy would return to our screens. Comic Relief Does Fame Academy debuted in 2003, with Will Mellor the inaugural winner, and was revived for two further runs in 2005 and 2007. And in 2004, ITV launched a new music talent show, The X-Factor, which became a mainstay of Saturday night TV for the following two decades, bringing us the likes of Little Mix, Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, James Arthur, and of course future Radio 2 star Rylan, before finally being axed in 2021.

Looking back, 2003 can be seen as the turning point for the United Kingdom's Eurovision fortunes. After Jessica Garlick came a respectable joint third in 2002, hopes were high for this year's Latvia-hosted event.

However, Liverpool duo Jemini picked up the country’s first humiliating “nul points”, and their derided 'Cry Baby' song became the first English language tune to score absolutely nothing. It could be worse – ah, actually, it couldn’t.

Our best performance since was peaking in 5th place in 2009 with Jade Ewen’s 'It’s My Time', composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren, but more often than not the UK has found itself at the wrong end of the voting table, finishing last in the two most recent contests in 2019 and 2021. Surely, the only way is up?

In the early 00s, it looked as if Bruce Forsyth’s time in the spotlight had come to an end. He was no longer presenting primetime shows like Play Your Cards Right, and he was nearing the age most television stars would retire.

But Brucie flipped the script by experiencing a revival in 2003, when Paul Merton suggested he host Have I Got New For You. Forsyth was hilarious, and ended up being one of the show's most popular guest hosts ever.

A year later he’d be pulling out his finest moves as host of Strictly Come Dancing, ensuring he'd spend another decade as a fixture on Saturday night TV.

Our screens bid a fond farewell to Del Boy and Rodney with the final Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special, 22 years on since its 大象传媒 debut (the show would only return for a brief Sport Relief edition in 2004). The Office also bowed out after just two series and a two-part Christmas special.

In January 2003, Cilla Black sensationally quit Blind Date during a first ever live edition of the dating show, and its final episode aired in May. Channel 4's Brookside aired for the last time 21 years after its introduction, while ITV's Crossroads revival also bowed out this year.

But while time was up for these national treasures, in came the likes of cult classic Peep Show, starring David Mitchell, Robert Webb, and Olivia Coleman, QI, hosted by Stephen Fry, and cop drama New Tricks, featuring James Bolam, Alun Armstrong, Dennis Waterman and Amanda Redman. And 大象传媒 Three was born, replacing 大象传媒 Choice, with a remit to attract younger audiences, initially with shows such as Little Britain and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, and later the likes of The Mighty Boosh, Gavin and Stacey, Torchwood, and Being Human.

• David Jason talks about being cast as Del for Only Fools (from 2013)

Pottermania hit new highs in 2003 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth instalment of J. K. Rowling’s worldwide phenomenon.

At the stroke of midnight on 21st June 2003, fans got their hands on the first Potter book in three years, and the first since the launch of the series’ accompanying films in 2001. Eager families queued for hours in anticipation. Some customers, in a whirl of impatience, flicked right to the end of the book to find out the ending. that five million copies of the book were sold in the first 24 hours of publication.

The Potter brand has since gone from strength to strength. In 2004, Rowling began handing out a “fan site award” via her official website. Next came theme parks – in Orlando, Florida and at Warner Bros.’ UK studios – and a special 9¾ platform at London’s King’s Cross station. In fact, judging by the fandom surrounding theatre production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the ongoing Fantastic Beasts film franchise, Pottermania is here to stay.

So many films with all-star casts fail to live up to their billing, but Richard Curtis’ ‘Love Actually’ instantly became a Christmas classic in 2003.

It remains a timeless must-watch. Hugh Grant took the unofficial accolade of ‘most handsome Prime Minister portrayal ever’, and the film also starred Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Bill Nighy, to name just a few of its stellar cast.

Half a dozen twisting-and-turning love stories elapsed at once, and some storylines remained unanswered until Curtis wrote another script for 2017’s Red Nose Day Actually.

In 2003, Orlando Bloom starred in two of the year’s biggest blockbusters: 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl', as well as 'Lord of the Rings: Return of the King'.

Sure, the Bloom that played Sindarin Elf Legolas in ‘Lord of the Rings’ was very different to blacksmith-turned-hero Will Turner in ‘Pirates…’, but he still managed to become a veritable sex symbol. “I find it nerve-wracking,” . “I just don't take it seriously, you know. It's all kind of new for me and hopefully I won't let it get to me too much .”

He still hasn’t shaken off the hearthrob tag, and he starred in the fifth Pirates… instalment back in 2017.

Finding Nemo, a beautiful tale of yapping seagulls, chilled-out turtles, and a clownfish lost at sea, enchanted famiy audiences up and down the country in 2003, making it one of the year's highest-grossing films, and at the time the highest-grossing animated film ever. It went on to spawn 2016 sequel Finding Dory.

Among its voice cast were Hollywood stars such as Willem Dafoe, Elizabeth Perkins, and Allison Janney, plus Barry Humphries, who's recently presented several series of his Musical Masterpieces series for Radio 2. It also helped re-launch the career of Ellen DeGeneres, previously best known for her self-titled sitcom. Ellen told her role as dopey, forgetful chum Dory, “saved my life in many ways.” DeGeneres also kickstarted her chat show in 2003, which went on to become a U.S. daytime mainstay for 18 years, with the final edition broadcast in 2021.

Step on to any train carriage in the UK 15 years ago, and someone would be reading a copy of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. The religious conspiracy thriller had many of us hooked, and by 2009, the novel had sold over 80 million copies. In 2003, it was only outsold by the aforementioned Potter book.

That’s not to say it didn’t have its critics, however. Stephen Fry referred to Brown’s work as “complete loose stool-water” (lovely), and The New York Times later described it as a “best-selling primer on how not to write an English sentence.” A gripping page-turner? Overrated nonsense? You’ve probably made your own mind up by now.

Either way, Brown made haste on his success by releasing three more in the Robert Langdon franchise, the latest being 2017’s Origin. Three of his works have been turned into films, too – The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons and Inferno have starred the likes of Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones.

With 29 seconds left on the clock, 24-year-old Jonny Wilkinson scored a drop goal that won the nation’s hearts. This was the year England triumphed in the Rugby World Cup, so far for the only time, beating Australia in the final on their own soil.

The whole tournament brought the country together, Wilkinson being the tournament’s star player throughout. For a brief moment, it looked like England would let their lead over the Aussies slip – but deep into extra time, Wilkinson scored the first of four drop goal attempts during the game, and the rest was history.

He’d go on to win 2003’s Sports Personality of the Year, but England haven’t won the World Cup again since. They came close again in 2007 and 2019, missing out to South Africa in both finals.

Elsewhere in sport in 2003, David Beckham quit Manchester United for Real Madrid, a 17-year-old Wayne Rooney made his England debut, and the pair both helped the country qualify for Euro 2004, the only one of the home nations to quality. Roger Federer won his first Wimbledon title, while Serena Williams retained her women's singles title, beating sister Venus in a re-run of the 2002 final. Michael Schumacher won the sixth of his seven Formula One championships, while England lost the Ashes to Australia for an eighth consecutive time - two years before Freddie Flintoff would finally inspire them to victory.

After winning the 大象传媒 Sports Personality of the Year in December 2002, 2003 was all gold for Paula Radcliffe, who heroically set a personal best and world record at the London Marathon. She also won the Great North Run and the World Half Marathon Championships, and her London Marathon time was only topped 14 years later by Kenyan Mary Jepkosgei Keitany.

Anyone who manages to run a full marathon deserves endless praise, but Paula became a genuine national treasure 15 years ago.

There was certainly no need to wrap up back in the summer of 2003, with a heatwave sweeping the country.

On 11 August, it was announced that Gravesend in Kent had recorded a new UK high of 38.1C (100.6F) the previous day. But it later emerged that a temperature of 38.5C (101.3F) had been recorded elsewhere in Kent on the same day - in Brogdale, near Faversham.

The Met Office announced the record had changed hands seven weeks after the fact, because results from Brogdale were only checked monthly.

This scorcher remained the UK's hottest day until 2019, when a temperature of 38.7°C was recorded in Cambridge.

• Coldplay, Kylie's comeback, and the Millennium Dome: 20 things that will make you feel nostalgic for the year 2000

• From Wizards to Wernham Hogg to Wikipedia: 21 memorable moments in music and popular culture from 2001

• Pop Idols, Memorable Movies, and an Office Romance: 12 massive moments that shaped 2002

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