The Best Hip Hop Songs of 1986

In this blog post, we’ll be discussing the best hip hop songs of 1986. This was a great year for hip hop music, and we’ll be sharing some of our favorites with you!

Introduction

1986 was a banner year for hip hop. It was the year that Run-D.M.C.’s Raising Hell became the first hip hop album to go platinum, while the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill became the first hip hop album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200. It was also the year that Public Enemy released their groundbreaking debut album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show.

In addition to these albums, there were a number of other great hip hop songs released in 1986. Here are 10 of the best:

1) Run-D.M.C. – “Walk This Way”
2) Beastie Boys – “Fight for Your Right (To Party)”
3) LL Cool J – “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”
4) Public Enemy – “Yo! Bum Rush the Show”
5) Boogie Down Productions – “South Bronx”
6) Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is President”
7) EPMD – “You Gots to Chill”
8) Big Daddy Kane – “Ain’t No Half Steppin'”
9) KRS-One – “Crime Waves”
10) Salt-N-Pepa – “My Mic Sound Nice”

Run DMC- “Walk This Way”

The song borrows heavily from Aerosmith’s 1975 classic of the same name, both in terms of its distinctive guitar riff and in its use of Steven Tyler’s vocals. It also interpolates the chorus from Tyler’s song “Dream On”. Despite being over three minutes long, the song’s radio edit was only two minutes and 37 seconds long, which was too short for some radio stations to play.

Beastie Boys- “Fight for Your Right”

The song, which is one of the Beastie Boys’ best-known songs, is about partying and having fun. The song was released as the lead single from the group’s debut album Licensed to Ill (1986). The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Public Enemy- “Bring the Noise”

“Bring the Noise” is a song by American hip hop group Public Enemy. It was released as the third single from their album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. The song, produced by Hank Shocklee, features Chuck D on lead vocals and Flavor Flav on backup vocals. According to Chuck D, “He wrote most of the music that went with it. I wrote most of the lyrics.” The song samples various sounds from films, including dialogue from Jean-Claude Van Damme’s film Bloodsport, and an exchange between Popeye Doyle and Dirty Harry.

N.W.A.- “Straight Outta Compton”

N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” is considered by many to be one of the best hip hop songs of all time. It was released in 1986 on the album of the same name and featured Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and MC Ren. The song was controversial for its explicit lyrics about gang life and violence, but it was also a huge commercial success, reaching #1 on the Billboard Rap chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Boogie Down Productions- “The Bridge is Over”

“The Bridge is Over” is a song by Boogie Down Productions, released as the third single from their debut album, Criminal Minded. The song is a diss track aimed at the hip hop duo KRS-One and Scott La Rock of Boogie Down Productions’ rivals, Bronx-based hip hop group Juice Crew.

The song became an instant classic, helped in part by its music video, which was in regular rotation on MTV. It is considered one of the greatest diss tracks of all time, and was ranked #2 on XXL’s list of the 25 greatest diss songs of all time.

Eric B. & Rakim- “Paid in Full”

This hip hop classic was released in July of 1986 and immediately shot to the top of the charts. It features a smooth beat and Rakim’s signature flow that helped to define the sound of hip hop for a generation.

EPMD- “You Gots to Chill”

EPMD’s “You Gots to Chill” was released in the spring of 1988 as part of the duo’s album Strictly Business. The song is a response to other rappers who were beefing with EPMD at the time, specifically MC Hammer and LL Cool J. “You Gots to Chill” is widely considered to be one of the best diss tracks of all time, and it solidified EPMD’s place as one of the most respected hip hop groups of the 1980s.

LL Cool J- “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”

LL Cool J’s debut album Radio was released in 1985, but the lead single “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” didn’t make it to radio until 1986. The song is a celebration of the power of music, with LL proclaiming that he would rather have his radio than a girlfriend or money. It was a hit with both hip hop and pop audiences, reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Slick Rick- “La Di Da Di”

“La Di Da Di” is a song co-written and performed by rapper Slick Rick. It first appeared on his album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick and has been ranked as one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time. The song was produced by Doug E. Fresh, who also provides the beatbox accompaniment throughout the track. The song’s iconic opening line, “Ladies and gentlemen, we got the distinguished pleasure of having in our presence for this evening, my man, Ricky D,” is delivered by Ricky D himself in a deep voice.

The song is based on a simple loop consisting of two musical phrases sampled from previous tracks: the drums from Betty Wright’s “Clean Up Woman” and the guitar riff from Rose Royce’s “Car Wash”. These samples are repeated throughout the song withFresh adding his own ad-libs and scratch effects over top. The result is a hypnotic and minimalist track that has been praised for its inventive use of sampling.

Slick Rick’s lyrics tell a comic story of hedonistic pursuits set against a backdrop of street life in 1980s New York City. In the song, Rick brags about his sexual conquests, his skills as a robbery artist, and his general disregard for authority figures. The song’s humor and lighthearted delivery helped to offset its more serious themes, making it an instant classic in the hip-hop community.

The Fat Boys- “The Twist”

The Fat Boys were an American hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York City, that The Source magazine called “the innovators of the smart-ass lyrical style.” The group’s original members consisted of Mark Morales (“Prince Markie Dee”), Damon Wimbley (formerly “Kool Rock-Ski”; “Human Beatbox”), and Darren Robinson (“Buff Love” or “The Human Beatbox”). All three members attended high school together. They found out they could sing harmonically together while BSing in lunchroom lines.

The Fat Boys made their rap debut on a 1983 single, “Disorderly Conduct”, with their friend childhood friend Spoonie Gee. Spoonie Gee and The Fat Boys were two of the earliest recorded Hip hop acts on vinyl. In 1985, The Fat Boys released their first album titled Rappin’ and Swingin’ with the Fat Boys which did not gain much attention. Later that year, the group was featured in the movie Krush Groove performing a cover of Chubby Checker’s 1960 hit song “The Twist”. The song became a top 40 hit in early 1986.

Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew- “The Show”

“The Show” is a 1986 single by Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew. The song was originally released on the album Oh, My God! and later appeared on the group’s compilation album, The Best of Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew. The song became a surprise hit, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. “The Show” is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.

Whodini- “Freaks Come Out at Night”

“Freaks Come Out at Night” is a song by American hip hop trio Whodini. The song was released on October 31, 1986, as the lead single from their fourth studio album Back in Black (1986). It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Salt-N-Pepa- “Push It”

Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” might be the most emblematic song of hip hop’s golden age. It’s a perfect example of how hip hop could be both fun and political, with the group tackling gender norms and celebrating black female empowerment all in one track. The song’s catchy hook and heavy bass line make it one of the most iconic tracks of the era, and it’s still as fresh today as it was when it was first released.

Run DMC- “Peter Piper”

Released on October 21, 1986, “Peter Piper” was the first single from Run-D.M.C.’s third album, Raising Hell. The song peaked at #9 on the Hot 100 and is arguably the most well-known track from the album. It samples “The Big Beat” by Billy Squier and features some of the most iconic lines in hip hop history (“A little bit of this, a little bit of that / I’m going to rock the house until the roof comes down”).

Kool Moe Dee- “Go See the Doctor”

One of the first mainstream records to specifically and unapologetically address the topic of safe sex, “Go See the Doctor” was a much needed PSA against the rising tide of HIV/AIDS in the African American community. Kool Moe Dee drops rhymes over a sparse, minimal beat punctuated by a synth bassline and hand claps, giving the track a stripped down feel that allows his lyrics to take center stage. His no-nonsense approach to tackling such a sensitive subject matter helped make “Go See the Doctor” one of the most important hip hop songs of 1986.

LL Cool J- “I Need Love”

“I Need Love” is a song by LL Cool J from his album Bigger and Deffer. It was released as a single in October 1986 and became LL Cool J’s first hit, reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song helped to establish LL Cool J as a mainstream rapper and is considered a classic of 1980s hip hop.

Public Enemy- “Rebel Without a Pause”

“Rebel Without a Pause” is a song by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released as the lead single from their second album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988). The song samples heavily from the horn section of James Brown’s “Funky Drummer” and percussion from The J.B.’s “The Grunt”. Chuck D’s lyrics are based on the story of George Jackson, a Black Panther member who was killed by guards in California’s San Quentin State Prison.

EPMD- “I’m Housin'”

EPMD’s album Strictly Business is now considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever made, but “I’m Housin'” was the song that made people take notice. The track is an unapologetic banger, with Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith spitting verses over a relentless bassline and drumbeat. It’s one of the most perfect examples of ’80s hip-hop, and it’s still as fresh today as it was 30 years ago.

Eric B. & Rakim- “I Ain’t No Joke”

Rakim is widely considered one of the best MCs of all time, and his debut album with producer Eric B. is full of classic tracks. “I Ain’t No Joke” is one of the best, with Rakim’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics backed by a simple but catchy drum loop. It’s a perfect example of the duo’s incredible chemistry, and it remains one of the most influential hip hop songs of all time.