When the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” came out 40 years ago, many trendsetters dismissed it as a worthless track made to make money. The song then began to sell in the millions and climbed up the US Billboard charts, reaching No. 36 in 1980 and No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. Rapper’s Delight wasn’t the first hip-hop song, but it was the genre’s commercial Big Bang, and a sign that this music, born in the hallways of apartment buildings and public parks in the Bronx, was more than a passing fad.
Hip hop is now pop culture. The genre’s dominance on the airwaves, streaming and billboard charts is undeniable, not to mention its influence on everything from avant-garde electronics to mainstream pop DNA from artists like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande.
But it’s something more. Hip hop has become a dominant cultural force, promoting conversations about music, literature, and entertainment. Cardi B and Common are movie stars. Young Thug has created a range of imitators spanning genres and sounds. Kendrick Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for his 2018 album DAMN. And it has become a truly global phenomenon that has overcome ethnic, linguistic and geographical boundaries. The path from DJ Kool Herc turntables to Megan Thee Stallion and Lil’ Nas X’s breathtaking memes has been a long one, but hip-hop hasn’t gone away.
We asked 108 critics, artists, trendsetters, producers and photographers from 15 different countries to name their five personal best hip hop tracks of all time. Over 280 different songs have been named, a testament to the breadth and depth of the genre, and how the term “greatest” can be interpreted in different ways.
The results are dominated by the so-called “Golden Age” of hip-hop between the mid-80s and mid-90s, although there are some surprises from the later crop: Kanye West’s Runaway, assisted by Pusha T, took 12th place. There was a clear lack of women in the top 25; only Queen Latifah’s 1993 hit “U.N.I.T.Y.” and the supremely catchy song “Doo Wop (That Thing)” by Lauryn Hill appears on the list. (You can read more about the lack of female MCs on our list here.) Rapper’s Delight, which may have started it all, came in at number 14.
The full list of critics’ selections is below. One more addition: the purpose of such polls should be to create discussion, as well as to encourage discovery. And we understand that no list is definitive or will appeal to everyone – so take a look at the list below, listen to the playlist and contact us using the #GreatestHipHopSongs hashtag and let us know what’s missing. And stay tuned for updates on the global impact of hip-hop in the coming weeks.
- Juicy, Notorious B.I.G.
- Fight The Power, Public Enemy
- Shook Ones (Part II), Mobb Deep
- The Message, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
- Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang, Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Doggy Dogg
- C.R.E.A.M., Wu-Tang Clan
- 93 ’Til Infinity, Souls of Mischief
- Passin’ Me By, The Pharcyde
- N.Y. State Of Mind, Nas
- Dear Mama, Tupac Shakur
- Electric Relaxation, A Tribe Called Quest
- Runaway, Kanye West ft. Pusha T
- Paid In Full, Eric B & Rakim
- Rapper’s Delight, Sugarhill Gang
- They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.), Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
- B.O.B., OutKast
- It Was A Good Day, Ice Cube
- Fuck Tha Police, NWA
- U.N.I.T.Y., Queen Latifah
- International Players Anthem, UGK ft. OutKast
- Doo Wop (That Thing), Lauryn Hill
- Lose Yourself, Eminem
- Grindin’, Clipse
- All Of The Lights, Kanye West ft. Rhianna, Kid Cudi
- Rosa Parks, OutKast
- Alright, Kendrick Lamar
RSVIRAL 