2012 Hip Hop Charts: The Top Songs of the Year

Looking for the best hip hop songs of 2012? Check out our top picks for the year, including hits from Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and more.

“Niggas in Paris” by Jay-Z and Kanye West

“Niggas in Paris” is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaboration album Watch the Throne (2011). The song was released as the third single from the album on October 24, 2011. “Niggas in Paris” peaked at number five on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. The song debuted at number 75 on the former chart, on the issue dated October 29, 2011, and reached its peak position six weeks later. On the latter chart, it debuted at number 79, on the issue dated November 12, 2011, and also reached its peak position six weeks later. “Niggas in Paris” won Best Rap Performance at the 55th Grammy Awards held on February 10, 2013.

The song’s music video features footage of Jay-Z and West partying in Paris, intercut with footage of a knife fight. The video received positive reviews from critics who praised its staging and humor. In an alternate version of one scene in the video, West is shown with his head superimposed onto a naked woman’s body.

“No Lie” by 2 Chainz

“No Lie” is a song by American hip hop recording artist 2 Chainz, released as the lead single from his debut studio album Based on a T.R.U. Story (2012). The song, which features Canadian rapper Drake, was produced by Mike Will Made It and written by the two artists along with the producer. The track was first released to mainstream urban radio on May 8, 2012. The music video was filmed in April 2012 and features cameos from rapper T-Pain and basketball player Dwight Howard. It peaked at number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Wild Ones” by Flo Rida

“Wild Ones” by Flo Rida was one of the top songs of 2012. The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified six times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song also peaked at number one in several other countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

“Take Care” by Drake

“Take Care” is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake, featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna. The song served as the lead single from Drake’s second studio album Take Care. The song became Drake’s second number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, after “Forever”. It remained atop the chart for seven consecutive weeks, making it the longest running number-one hip hop single of 2012.

“Gangnam Style” by PSY

“Gangnam Style” is a 2012 K-pop single by South Korean rapper PSY. The song, a reference to the wealthy Gangnam district of Seoul, became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views.

“Lights” by Ellie Goulding

“Lights” is a song by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding from Lights (2010). “Lights” was released as the album’s second single in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2011.The song debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart, selling 133,965 copies in its first week. With “Lights”, Goulding became the second artist to score multiple number-ones on the chart in the 2010s, following Cheryl Cole’s three chart-toppers. It also peaked at number six on the Irish Singles Chart. In April 2012, “Lights” was certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting sales of over 900,000 copies in the country.

The song was included as part of the set list for Goulding’s debut headlining concert tour, Lights (2011–12). Several remixes of “Lights” were commercially released by DJs such as Skrillex, Porter Robinson and Bassnectar. The official remixes album was made available to download on 6 December 2011. Commercially, it topped Dance Club Songs chart in North America and became an international hit single. The accompanying music video depicts Goulding performing various dance routines with several other people in a warehouse lit with fluorescent lights.”

“Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye

“Somebody That I Used to Know” is a song by Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye, featuring New Zealand singer Kimbra. The song was released in Australia and New Zealand on 5 July 2011 as the second single from his album Making Mirrors and was later released in Europe and the United States on 27 July 2011. In the US, “Somebody That I Used to Know” was certified Diamond by the RIAA, denoting sales of more than 10 million copies. The song received two Grammy Awards at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

In 2010, Gotye released a guitar-based version of his previous 2009 single “Hearts a Mess” as his fourth overall single from his third studio album, Making Mirrors. In an interview with Sound on Sound magazine, Gotye revealed that he wrote “Somebody That I Used to Know” in one week during a creative burst. The synthetic percussion used throughout the song are programmed drums set before Gotye sent out an email requesting sound samples to various drummers he knew of; many he received were unsuccessful in complementing the track properly.

The lyrics were inspired by a relationship Gotye experienced in which he discovers that an ex-lover had been cheating on him while they were together. Nevertheless, he decided not to confront her about it out of fear that she would tell him where he could go and how he could “improve himself”. In addition, Gotye stated that while writing the lyrics he drew inspiration from society’s perception of revenge – specifically male fury over discovering their partner’s infidelity – hinting at societal double standards:

You’d lash out and cry ‘Don’t ever for a second get to thinking you are irreplaceable’ but women have been called hysterical for feeling exactly what you’re feeling now.

“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen

On the list of top songs of 2012, “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen comes in at number 1. The song was originally released in Canada in 2011, but became an international hit after it was released in the United States in 2012. The song is about a girl who has a crush on a guy and is trying to find the courage to tell him how she feels.

“We Are Young” by Fun

Released in September 2011, “We Are Young” by Fun. quickly rose to the top of the charts and stayed there for several weeks. The song is about young love and having fun while you’re young. It’s a feel-good song that is perfect for dancing and singing along.

“Payphone” by Maroon 5

“Payphone” by Maroon 5 is a song about a man who is trying to get in touch with his ex-lover, but she has changed her number and moved on with her life. The song reflects on the regrets of the relationship and how the protagonist is struggling to let go. The track peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).