Hip-Hop 50: The Soundtrack of a Culture

So, with Hip-Hop celebrating its 50 years of existence, it’s only right to spotlight the songs that voiced the culture. In a perfect world, it would be great to list a banger ballad for every year of the genre’s inception since 1973; however, most records weren’t technically Hip Hop created tunes but more so break-beat records used for the block and house parties. So for this list, it’s best to start when the first documented studio-created Hip Hop record was produced in 1979 until 2019, to make it even.

1979

1. Sugar Hill Gang – Rapper’s Delight
2. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – Superrappin’
3. Lady B –  To the Beat Ya’ll
4. Spoonie Gee – Spoonie Rap
5. The Sequence – Funk You Up

1980

1. Funky Four Plus One – That’s the Joint
2. Kurtis Blow – The Breaks
3. Blondie – Rapture
4. Trickeration – Rap, Bounce, Rockskate
5. Jimmy Spicer – Adventures of Super Rhyme

1981

1. Doctor Ice – Calling Dr. Ice
2. Sugar Hill Gang – Apache
3. Treacherous Three – Put thee Boogie in your Body
4. Kurtis Blow – It’s Getting Hot
5. Kool Kyle the Starchild – It’s Rockin Time

1982

1. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message
2. Whodini – Magic’s Wand
3. Busy Bee Starski – Making Cash Money
4. Grand Wizard Theodore – Can I Get a Soul Clap(fresh out the pack)
5. Nairobi – Funky Soul Makossa

1983

1. Mellie Mel – White Lines
2. World’s Famous – Malcolm McLaren (Supreme Team)
3. Jonzun Crew – Space is the Place
4. The Fearless Four – Problems of the World
5. West Street MOB – Break Dance(Electric Boogie)

1984

1. Run DMC – It’s Like That
2. Fat Boys – Fat Boys
3. Whodini – Freaks Come Out at Night
4. Newcleus – Jam On It
5. Kurtis Blow – 8 Million Stories

1985

1. LL Cool J – Rock the Bells
2. Run DMC – King of Rock
3. Schoolly D – P.S.K. “What Does it Mean?”
4. LL Cool J – Rock the Bells
5. U.T.F.O – Roxanne, Roxanne

1986

1. Run DMC – Walk This Way
2. Doug E Fresh Ft Slick Rick – The Show
3. Afrika Bambaataa – Planet Rock
4. RUN DMC – My Adidas
5. Salt N Pepa – Push it

1987

1. LL Cool J – I’m Bad
2. Eric B & Rakim – Paid in Full
3. Ice T – 6 N in the Morning
4. BDP – South Bronx
5. MC Shan – The Bridge

1988

1. NWA – Straight Outta Compton
2. Slick Rick – Children’s Story
3. J.J. Fad – Supersonic
4. Juice Crew – The Symphony
5. MC Lyte – Lyte as A Rock

1989

1. Public Enemy – Fight the Power
2. Special ED – I Got it Made
3. The D.O.C. – It’s Funky Enough
4. MC Lyte – Cha Cha Cha
5. De la Soul – Me Myself and I

1990

1. Chubb Rock – Treat’Em Right
2. Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance
3. MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
4. LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out
5. Biz Markie – Just a Friend

1991

1. MC Lyte – Poor Georgie
2. Naughty by Nature – OPP
3. Geto Boys – Mind Playing Tricks on Me
4. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Summertime
5. A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario

1992

1. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – T.R.O.Y.
2. Wreckx-N-Effect – Rump Shaker
3. Digable Planets – Rebirth of Slick(Cool Like That)
4. Ice Cube – Today Was a Good Day
5. The Pharcyde – Passin Me By

1993

1. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg – Ain’t Nuthin But A G-Thang
2. Onyx – SLAM
3. 2Pac – I Get Around
4. Salt N Pepa – Shoop
5. Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray

1994

1. Warren G ft. Nate Dogg – Regulate
2. Snoop Dogg – Gin & Juice
3. Bone Thugs – Thuggish Ruggish
4. Craig Mack – Flava in Ya Ear – Remix
5. OutKast – Player’s Ball

1995

1. Luniz – I Got 5 On It
2. Notorious B.I.G. – One More Chance -remix
3. Method Man & Mary J Blige – I’ll Be There for You
4. Scarface – I Seen a Man Die
5. Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise

1996

1. Nas – If I Ruled the World
2. Outkast – ATLiens
3. LL Cool J – Doin It
4. The Fugees – Ready or Not
5. 2Pac – California Love

1997

1. Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize
2. Busta Rhymes – Put Your Hands
3. Missy Elliot – The Rain
4. Puff Daddy – It’s All About the Benjamins
5. Lil Kim – Not Tonight(Ladies Night)

1998

1. Jay-Z – Hard Knock Life
2. Outkast – Rosa Parks
3. Juvenile – Ha
4. Big Pun – Still Not a Player
5. DMX – Ruff Ryders

1999

1. Mobb Deep – Quiet Storm -remix
2. Lauryn Hill – Everything is Everything
3. B.G. – Bling Bling
4. Juvenile – Back That Azz Up
5. Busta Rhymes – What’s It Gonna Be

2000

1. Trick Daddy – Shut Up
2. Nelly – Country Grammar
3. Black Rob – Whoa
4. Dr. Dre – Forgot About Dre
5. Jay Z & UGK – Big Pimpin

2001

1. Eve – Let Me Blow Ya Mind
2. Jay – Z – Izzo (H.O.V.A)
3. Diddy – Bad Boy for Life
4. Ludacris – Area Codes
5. Outkast – Ms. Jackson

2002

1. Nelly – Hot in Herre
2. Lil Jon – Get Low
3. Snoop Dogg – Beautiful
4. Busta Rhymes – Pass the Courvoisier
5. Cam’Ron – Oh Boy

2003

1. Outkast – Hey Ya
2. Lil Kim – Jump Off
3. 50 Cent – In Da Club
4. Joe Budden – Pump It Up
5. Bonecrusher – Never Scared

2004

1. T.I. – Bring’em Out
2. Fat Joe – Lean Back
3. Kanye West – Jesus Walks
4. Jadakiss – Why
5. Snoop Dogg – Drop It Like It’s Hot

2005

1. Kanye West – Gold Digger
2. Lil Kim – Lighters Up
3. Three 6 Mafia – Stay Fly
4. Missy Elliot – Lose Control
5. Jeezy – And Then What

2006

1. Jim Jones – We Fly High
2. Jeezy – I Luv It
3. Chamillionaire – Ridin
4. T.I. – What You Know
5. Too $hort – Blow the Whistle

2007

1. Rich Boy – Throw Some D’s
2. UGK – Int’l Players Anthem
3. Kanye West – Can’t Tell Me Nothing
4. DJ Khalid – We Takin Over
5. 50 Cent – I Get Money

2008

1. Lil Wayne – Lollipop
2. Shawty Lo – Dey Know
3. T.I. – Swagga Like Us
4. Snoop Dogg – Sensual Seduction
5. Jeezy – My President

2009

1. Kid Cudi – Day N’ Nite
2. Gucci Mane – Lemonade
3. Drake – Forever
4. Jay Z – Empire State of Mind
5. Rick Ross – Magnificent

2010

1. Rick Ross – B.M.F,
2. Kanye West – Power
3. Wacka Flacka – No Hands
4. DJ Khaled – All I Do is Win
5. Snoop Dogg – I Wanna Rock

2011

1. Jay- Z & Kanye West – N****z in Paris
2. Wiz Khalifa – Black and Yellow
3. Tyler the Creator – She
4. Kanye West – All the Lights
5. DJ Khaled – I’m On One

2012

1. Meek Mill – Dreams and Nightmares
2. Nicki Minaj – Beez in the Trap
3. Trinidad James – All Gold Everything
4. Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools
5. Waka Flocka Flame – Round of Applause

2013

1. ASAP Rocky – Fuckin Problems
2. Lil Wayne – No Worries
3. French Montana – Pop That
4. J.Cole – Power Trip
5. Drake – Started from the Bottom

2014

1. Bobby Shmurda – Hot N***a
2. Rich Gang – Lifestyle
3. Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
4. T.I. ft. Young Thug – About the Money
5. TG ft Drake – Who Do You Love

2015

1. Future – March Madness
2. Nicki Minaj – Truffle Butter
3. Kendrick Lamar – Alright
4. Wiz Khalifa – See You Again
5. Fetty Wap – Trap Queen

2016

1. Rae Sremmurd – Black Beetles
2. YoGotti – Down in the DM
3. Drake – Controlla
4. Migos – Bad and Boujee
5. Fat Joe & Remy Ma – All the Way Up

2017

1. Goldlink – Crew
2. Kendrick Lamar – Loyalty
3. Future – Mask Off
4. Cardi B – Bodak Yellow
5. Jay-Z – Family Feud

2018

1. Migos – Stir Fry
2. Kendrick Lamar – All the Stars
3. Nipsey Hussle – Grinding All My Life
4. Cardi B – Bartier Cardi
5. Lil Baby & Gunna – Drip Too Hard

2019

1. Tyler the Creator – Earfquake
2. DaBaby – Bop
3. Dojo Cat – Juicy
4. J.Cole – Middle Child
5. City Girls – Act Up

For these classics and more, click HERE for Hip Hop Songs for the Summer playlist.

The post Hip-Hop 50: The Soundtrack of a Culture appeared first on American Urban Radio Networks.

Please leave this field empty

DON’T MISS OUT

Be the first to know about the latest news, giveaways, events, and updates from The Black Chronicle!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.