The Best Hip Hop Music of All Time
From old school to contemporary, these are the best hip hop tracks of all time according to our experts.
The Best Hip Hop Songs of All Time
music is a big part of our lives. It can be a way to relax, or it can be a way to get pumped up for a big event. For some people, music is a way to escape the everyday grind. whatever your reason for listening to music, there is a song out there for you.
“Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang
“Rapper’s Delight” is a 1979 hip hop track released by The Sugarhill Gang. The song is credited with being the first hip hop single to gain widespread popularity, and it is often credited as being the first rap song. “Rapper’s Delight” was released on the Sugar Hill Records label and was an instant hit, peaking at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Rapper’s Delight” is often regarded as a defining track of the early hip hop genre, and it has been sampled or interpolated by numerous artists over the years.
“The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow
“The Breaks” is a 1980 single by American hip hop artist Kurtis Blow. The song was released as the lead single from his self-titled debut album. It peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is considered to be one of the earliest hip hop songs to achieve widespread mainstream success.
“The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
“The Message” is a Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five song that was released in 1982. The song is credited with being one of the first hip hop songs to gain mainstream attention and is often cited as one of the best hip hop songs of all time.
“Walk This Way” by Run-D.M.C.
This legendary track by Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith is often credited as one of the first songs to successfully merge rap and rock. The song was a huge hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it helped pave the way for Run-D.M.C.’s crossover success.
“Fight the Power” by Public Enemy
“Fight the Power” is a song by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released as a single in June 1989 on Motown Records. The song was written and produced by group members Chuck D and Hank Shocklee, with additional production from Norman Rogers. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential songs in hip hop history.
The song’s message is ambiguously anti-racist and anti-police, calling for African Americans to unite against discrimination and violence. “Fight the Power” peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, and has been included on multiple lists of the greatest songs of all time. In 2001, the song was ranked number 288 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2005, it was ranked number 24 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
The Best Hip Hop Albums of All Time
Hip hop is a genre of music that first gained popularity in the 1970s. It is a style of music that is characterized by rhyming lyrics and a strong beat. Hip hop music has come to be associated with a number of different things, including rap, turntablism, and break dancing.
“Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” by Wu-Tang Clan
“Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” is the debut album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on November 9, 1993, by Loud Records. The album is considered one of the most influential hip hop albums of all time. It features a unique blend of hardcore rap and martial arts-inspired beats, and helped to launch the solo careers of several of its members.
“All Eyez on Me” by 2Pac
2Pac’s “All Eyez on Me” is often considered one of the best hip hop albums of all time. The album was released in 1996 and features some of 2Pac’s most famous songs, including “California Love” and “How Do U Want It.” “All Eyez on Me” was also the last album 2Pac released before his untimely death in 1996.
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” by Lauryn Hill
Released in 1998, Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” is widely considered one of the best hip hop albums of all time. The album’s popularity was boosted by the success of its lead single, “Doo Wop (That Thing)”, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, making Hill the first woman to win in that category.
“The Blueprint” by Jay-Z
Released on September 11, 2001, “The Blueprint” is the sixth studio album by American rapper and producer Jay-Z. The album was recorded in a two-month span from April to June 2001 atJay-Z’s Brooklyn studio, The Vault, and was produced byJust Blaze, Kanye West, Bink!, and Timbaland.
“The Blueprint” features some of Jay-Z’s most personal and introspective lyrics yet, touching on topics such as the pain of growing up without a father figure, his mothers’ addiction to crack cocaine, and his own experiences with infidelity. The album also features several high-profile guest appearances, including rappers Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Nas, and Eminem.
While its commercial success was somewhat overshadowed by the terrorist attacks of September 11th, “The Blueprint” is widely considered to be one of the most important and influential hip hop albums of all time. In 2002, it was ranked #218 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
“To Pimp a Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” is one of the most acclaimed hip hop albums of all time.
The album was released in 2015 to widespread critical acclaim. It received complaints from some quarters for purported gangsta rap glorification and its use of the N-word, but many considered it a courageous and important work that addressed pressing social issues.
“To Pimp a Butterfly” topped numerous best album lists and won several Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album. It is widely considered one of the best hip hop albums of all time.
