Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Sun Records: Top 50 Songs

Sun Records

Top 50 Songs

Sun Records has been called the birthplace of rock and roll. In January 1950, Sam Phillips opened Memphis Recording Service, which evolved into Sun Records in 1952. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the studio focused on southern-rooted music like blues and country. It was the merger of these two genres which has largely been defined as the beginning of rock and roll. To that end, the studio birthed songs such as “Rocket 88” by Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats and “That’s All Right” by Elvis Presley, which have both staked claims as the first rock and roll song.

Of course, the studio is best known as the launching pad for Elvis Presley, but it also served that purpose for B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Junior Parker, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Charlie Rich.

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

Top 50 Songs

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Jerry Lee Lewis “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)
2. Jerry Lee Lewis “Great Balls of Fire” (1957)
3. Johnny Cash “I Walk the Line” (1956)
4. Carl Perkins “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956)
5. Elvis Presley “That’s All Right, Mama” (1954)
6. Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats “Rocket 88” (1951)
7. Johnny Cash “Folsom Prison Blues” (1955)

DMDB Top 2%:

8. Elvis Presley “Mystery Train” (1955)

DMDB Top 5%:

9. Bill Justis “Raunchy” (1957)
10. Jerry Lee Lewis “Breathless” (1958)

DMDB Top 10%:

11. Jerry Lee Lewis “Crazy Arms” (1956)
12. Roy Orbison “Ooby Dooby” (1956)
13. Jerry Lee Lewis “High School Confidential” (1958)
14. Elvis Presley “Blue Moon” (1954)
15. Johnny Cash “Ballad of a Teenage Queen” (1957)
16. Elvis Presley “Blue Moon of Kentucky” (1954)
17. Howlin’ Wolf “How Many More Years” (1951)

DMDB Top 20%:

18. Elvis Presley “Baby Let’s Play House” (1955)
19. Johnny Cash “Guess Things Happen That Way” (1958)
20. Johnny Cash “Get Rhythm” (1956)

21. Carl Perkins “Honey Don’t” (1956)
22. Jerry Lee Lewis “What’d I Say” (1961)
23. Carl Mann “Mona Lisa” (1959)
24. Carl Perkins “Matchbox” (1957)
25. Elvis Presley “Good Rockin’ Tonight” (1954)
26. Rufus Thomas “Bear Cat” (1953)
27. Billy Riley & His Little Green Men “Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll” (1957)
28. Elvis Presley “I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone” (1955)
29. Charlie Rich “Lonely Weekends” (1960)
30. Johnny Cash “Cry! Cry! Cry!” (1955)

31. Carl Perkins “Dixie Fried” (1956)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

32. Johnny Cash “The Ways of a Woman in Love” (1958)
33. Little Junior Parker’s Blue Flames “Mystery Train” (1953)
34. Johnny Cash “There You Go” (1956)
35. Billy Riley & His Little Green Men “Red Hot” (1957)
36. Elvis Presley “I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine” (1954)
37. Little Junior Parker’s Blue Flames “Feelin’ Good” (1953)
38. Howlin’ Wolf “Moanin’ at Midnight” (1951)
39. Elvis Presley “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” (1955)
40. Johnny Cash “Give My Love to Rose” (1957)

41. Jerry Lee Lewis “You Win Again” (1957)
42. Carl Perkins “Boppin’ the Blues” (1956)
43. Elvis Presley “You’re a Heartbreaker” (1954)
44. Johnny Cash & the Tennessee Two “Big River” (1957)
45. Elvis Presley “Milkcow Blues Boogie” (1954)
46. Johnny Cash “Hey Porter” (1955)
47. Charlie Rich “Who Will the Next Fool Be” (1961)
48. Warren Smith “Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache” (1957)
49. Johnny Cash “Home of the Blues” (1957)
50. Little Junior Parker’s Blue Flames “Love My Baby” (1953)

Resources and Related Links:

DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Sam Phillips
Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists
Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists”
Peter Guralnick and Colin Escott (2022). The Birth of Rock ‘N’ Roll: The Illustrated Story of Sun Records. Welden Owen: San Rafael, CA.
Colin Escott and Martin Hawkins (1991). Good Rockin’ Tonight: Sun Records and the Birth of Rock ‘N’ Roll. St. Martin’s Press: New York, NY.
Boija.com: “Sun Record Company: A Discography”

First posted 8/21/2023; last updated 8/23/2023.

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

The Top 100 Rap/Hip-Hop Songs of All Time

Rap/Hip-Hop:

Top 100 Songs

This list was created by aggregating more than 60 best-of lists focused on rap and hip-hop songs. Also factored in were awards received by the songs and the number of weeks the songs spent at #1 on the Billboard rap chart, R&B chart, and Hot 100.

Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

Spotify Podcast:

Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast episode The Birth of Hip-Hop: The 50th Anniversary which references songs on this list. It debuted August 11, 2023.

1. Eminem “Lose Yourself” (2002)
2. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five “The Message” (1982)
3. The Sugarhill Gang “Rapper’s Delight” (1979)
4. Dr. Dre with Snoop Doggy Dogg “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” (1992)
5. Public Enemy “Fight the Power” (1989)
6. 50 Cent “In Da Club” (2002)
7. Coolio with L.V. “Gangsta’s Paradise” (1995)
8. The Notorious B.I.G. “Juicy” (1994)
9. Wu-Tang Clan “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)” (1994)
10. N.W.A. “Straight Outta Compton” (1989)

11. Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force “Planet Rock” (1982)
12. Eminem with Dido “Stan” (2000)
13. Ice Cube “It Was a Good Day” (1993)
14. Puff Daddy with Faith Evans & 112 “I’ll Be Missing You” (1997)
15. Tupac Shakur (2pac) with Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman “California Love” (1996)
16. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony “Tha Crossroads” (1996)
17. Geto Boys “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” (1991)
18. OutKast “Ms. Jackson” (2000)
19. Salt-N-Pepa “Push It” (1987)
20. 2pac “Dear Mama” (1993)

21. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott “Get Ur Freak On” (2001)
22. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” (1992)
23. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with Wanz “Thrift Shop” (2012)
24. Mobb Deep “Shook Ones Part II” (1995)
25. Run-D.M.C. with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler & Joe Perry “Walk This Way” (1986)
26. Young M.C. “Bust a Move” (1989)
27. Lil Nas X with Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road” (2018)
28. Eminem with Rihanna “Love the Way You Lie” (2010)
29. M.C. Hammer “U Can’t Touch This” (1990)
30. N.W.A. “Fuck tha Police” (1989)

31. Nelly “Hot in Herre” (2002)
32. Jay-Z “99 Problems” (2004)
33. Kanye West with Jamie Foxx “Gold Digger” (2005)
34. Jay-Z with Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind” (2009)
35. Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock “It Takes Two” (1988)
36. De La Soul “Me, Myself and I” (1989)
37. Jay-Z & Kanye West “Niggas in Paris” (2011)
38. Sir Mix-a-Lot “Baby Got Back” (1992)
39. Slick Rick “Children’s Story” (1989)
40. LL Cool J “Mama Said Knock You Out” (1991)

41. The Notorious B.I.G. “Hypnotize” (1997)
42. Flo Rida with T-Pain “Low” (2007)
43. Kendrick Lamar “Alright” (2015)
44. Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” (2017)
45. Lil Wayne with Static Major “Lollipop” (2008)
46. Kanye West “Jesus Walks” (2004)
47. Kurtis Blow “The Breaks” (1980)
48. Snoop Dogg with Pharrell Williams “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (2004)
49. Naughty by Nature “O.P.P.” (1991)
50. Snoop Doggy Dogg “Gin & Juice” (1994)

51. Eric B. & Rakim “Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness)” (1987)
52. Nas “NY State of Mind” (1994)
53. Kendrick Lamar “Humble” (2017)
54. Eminem “The Real Slim Shady” (2000)
55. Common “I Used to Love H.E.R.” (1994)
56. Tone Loc “Wild Thing” (1988)
57. Eminem “My Name Is” (1999)
58. Lil Wayne “A Milli” (2008)
59. Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth “See You Again” (2015)
60. LL Cool J “Rock the Bells” (1986)

61. OutKast “Hey Ya!” (2003)
62. Marley Marl “The Symphony” (1988)
63. House of Pain “Jump Around” (1992)
64. LL Cool J “I Need Love” (1987)
65. Vanilla Ice “Ice Ice Baby” (1990)
66. Method Man & Mary J. Blige “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” (1995)
67. Nate Dogg & Warren G “Regulate” (1994)
68. Arrested Development “Tennessee” (1992)
69. Digital Underground “The Humpty Dance” (1990)
70. Drake “Hotline Bling” (2015)

71. Run-D.M.C. “Sucker MC’s” (1984)
72. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with Ray Dalton “Can’t Hold Us” (2011)
73. Drake “God’s Plan” (2018)
74. Roddy Ricch “The Box” (2019)
75. Cardi B with Megan Thee Stallion “WAP” (2020)
76. Tag Team “Whoomp! There It Is” (1993)
77. Boogie Down Productions “The Bridge Is Over” (1987)
78. Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel “White Lines (Don’t Do It)” (1983)
79. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince “Parents Just Don’t Understand” (1988)
80. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott “Work It” (2002)

81. Lauryn Hill “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (1998)
82. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince “Summertime” (1991)
83. Iggy Azalea with Charli XCX “Fancy” (2014)
84. Post Malone with 21 Savage “Rockstar” (2017)
85. Doug E. Fresh with Slick Rick “La Di Da Di” (1985)
86. Nas “The World Is Yours” (1994)
87. 2pac “Keep Ya Head Up” (1993)
88. Beastie Boys “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party” (1986)
89. Kris Kross “Jump” (1992)
90. Kanye West with Daft Punk “Stronger” (2007)

91. Audio Two “Top Billin’” (1988)
92. Blackstreet with Dr. Dre & Queen Pen “No Diggity” (1996)
93. Chamillionaire with Krayzie Bone “Ridin’” (2006)
94. T.I. “What You Know” (2006)
95. Soulja Boy Tell’em “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” (2007)
96. Cypress Hill “How I Could Just Kill a Man” (1991)
97. Jay-Z with UGK “Big Pimpin’” (2000)
98. Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling” (2009)
99. Drake with Wizkid & Kyla “One Dance” (2016)
100. Nelly with Kelly Rowland “Dilemma” (2002)

Resources and Related Links:

Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists”
Associated Content “The Top 10 Best Hip-Hop Beats of All Time”
AXS (7/23/18). “9 Best Rap & Hip-Hop Music Videos of All Time” by Kareem Gantt
BBC News (10/8/2019). “The Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time” by Tim Brown
Billboard (2014). “Top Rap Hits on Hot 100: 25th Anniversary”
Billboard (2019). “List of Billboard Hot Rap Songs Number-One Songs of the 2010s”
Bukisa.com (10/30/2009). “Best Rap Songs of All Time – Top 20 Greatest Hip Hop Tracks Ever Recorded”
CapitalXtra.com: “The Ultimate Old-School Hip Hop Songs Playlist”
Catsandbeer.com (10/10/2007). “The Top 10 Rap Songs White People Love” by Brian
Cleveland.com (2017). “100 Greatest Rap Songs Since 2000” by Troy L. Smith
D360 Magazine (3/13/2019). “Best Rap Songs of All Time”
DigitalDreamDoor.com (11/16/2010). “100 Greatest Rap/Hip-Hop Songs” edited by Stereo Williams
Epinions.com (9/3/2000). “The Top 25 Hip-Hop Songs of All-Time: Write-Off” by Donlee Brussel
Epinions.com (10/12/2009). “The 100 Greatest Hip-Hop/Rap Songs of All Time”
Examiner.com (4/10/2011). “The Top 25 Greatest Songs in Hip-Hop History” by Demetris Prewitt
Filenest.com “100 Greatest Songs of Rap & Hip Hop”
The Guardian (June 2011). “A History of Modern Music”
HipHopSpy.com “100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of All Time”
Howigit.com (10/13/2010). “The 20 Best Rap Songs of All-Time”
Hubpages.com (9/26/2011). “The Best Hip-Hop Songs of All Time” by DJ Funktual
Komplicated.com (May 2011). “The Top 10 Greatest Songs in Hip Hop History”
LA Weekly (8/11/2014). “The 20 Best Hip-Hop Songs in History” by Ben Westhoff
LiveAbout.com (5/24/2019). “100 Greatest Rap Songs” by Henry Adaso
Nutsie.com “Top 100 Rap/Hip Hop Songs”
Official UK Charts (4/17/2017). “The Official Top 100 Biggest Hip-Hop Songs of All-Time”
Pandora (8/10/2018). “Hip-Hop Turns 45: The Biggest Hits from Every Year” by Tracey Ford
Philaflava.com “Top 100 Hip Hop Songs of All Time”
Ranker.com “The Best Rap Songs of All Time”
Rolling Stone (12/5/2012). “The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time”
Share Ranks “Greatest Rap/Hip Hop Songs of All Times”
The Source (2003). “Top 151 Songs of All TIme”
The-Top-Tens.com “Best Rap Songs of All Time” by Bob Smith
Top40-charts.com “25 Years of Hip-hop: Top 100 Greatest Hip-hop/Rap Singles of All Time”
Topix.com (11/1/2006). “My Top 25” by Crew
Ugo.com “The Top 11 Old-School Hip-Hop Songs”
VH1 (Sept. 2008). “100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs”
WeddingDetails.com “Top 25 Hip-Hop/R&B Songs”

First posted 6/8/2011; last updated 8/22/2023.

Dave's Music Database Hall of Fame: Albums

Dave’s Music Database

Hall of Fame

ALBUMS

Originally posted 1/22/2019; last updated 8/22/2023.

Dave’s Music Database Hall of Fame was established January 22, 2019 in honor of the 10th anniversary of the DMDB blog. Every month, a class of acts, albums, or songs are inducted. Here are the album inductee classes so far:

And here are all of the individual albums which have been inducted. Click on the album title to go to a detailed DMDB entry about the album. Click on the highlighted month/year to see the album’s induction entry.

5/20: AC/DC Back in Black (1980)
2/19: Adele 21 (2011)
11/22: Aerosmith Toys in the Attic (1975)
11/21: Alabama Greatest Hits (compilation: 1980-86, released 1986)
11/20: Louis Armstrong The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings (box set: 1925-28)

5/19: Johann Sebastian Bach Goldberg Variations (1741)
2/22: The Band Music from Big Pink (1968)
2/22: The Band The Band (1969)
8/19: Beach Boys Pet Sounds (1966)
5/23: The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
5/23: The Beatles Help! (1965)
2/19: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
11/22: The Beatles The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (1968)
2/20: The Beatles Abbey Road (1969)
2/20: The Beatles 1 (compilation: 1962-70, released 2001)
2/21: Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor (Fate) (1808)
2/21: Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major (Emperor) (1811)
2/21: Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major (1812)
2/21: Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor (Choral) (1824)
8/20: Harry Belafonte Calypso (1956)
8/21: Bobby “Blue” Bland Two Steps from the Blues (recorded 1956-60, released 1961)
2/23: Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (1986)
11/22: Boston Boston (1976)
5/19: James Brown Live at the Apollo, Vol. 1 (1962)
5/21: Dave Brubeck Time Out (1959)
11/20: Henry Burr Anthology: The Original King of Pop (compilation: 1903-28)
11/21: The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)

5/19: Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison (1968)
11/21: Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music (1962)
11/21: Patsy Cline 12 Greatest Hits (compilation: 1957-63, released 1973)
8/21: Eric Clapton From the Cradle (1994)
5/21: Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959)
5/23: Phil Collins No Jacket Required (1985)
5/21: John Coltrane A Love Supreme (1965)
8/21: Robert Cray Strong Persuader (1986)
8/20: Bing Crosby Merry Christmas (aka ‘White Christmas’) (1945)
2/22: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Déjà Vu (1970)

2/19: Miles Davis Kind of Blue (1959)
5/21: Miles Davis Bitches Brew (1970)
2/23: Def Leppard Pyromania (1983)
2/23: Def Leppard Hysteria (1987)
8/19: Derek & the Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
5/20: Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (1985)
8/21: Willie Dixon The Chess Box (compilation: 1951-69, released 1988)
11/22: The Doors The Doors (1967)
2/22: Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
8/19: Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
5/19: Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde (1966)
2/22: Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks (1975)

2/20: Eagles Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (compilation: 1971-75, released 1976)
5/20: Eagles Hotel California (1976)
11/20: Duke Ellington The Blanton-Webster Band (box set: 1939-42)
5/21: Duke Ellington At Newport (1956)
2/19: Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
2/20: Eminem The Eminem Show (2002)
2/20: Eminem Recovery (2010)

11/19: Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977)
11/21: The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)
8/23: Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)
8/23: Aretha Franklin Lady Soul (1968)
8/20: Jane Froman With a Song in My Heart (soundtrack, 1952)

2/23: Peter Gabriel So (1986)
11/19: Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall (live, 1961)
5/19: Marvin Gaye What’s Going On (1971)
5/21: Stan Getz with João Gilberto Getz/Gilberto (1963)
8/20: Jackie Gleason Music for Lovers Only (1953)
11/20: Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert (live: 1938)
5/19: Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987)

H-I

5/21: Herbie Hancock Head Hunters (1973)
8/19: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? (1967)
8/23: Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (1985)
5/23: Whitney Houston Whitney (1987)
8/21: Howlin’ Wolf Moanin’ in the Moonlight/Howlin’ Wolf (aka “The Rockin’ Chair Album”) (1959/1962)

8/23: Janet Jackson Control (1986)
5/23: Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
8/23: Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979)
2/19: Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)
5/23: Michael Jackson Bad (1987)
5/23: Billy Joel The Stranger (1977)
5/20: Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
2/19: Robert Johnson The Complete Recordings (recorded 1936-37, released 1990)
8/20: Al Jolson Songs He Made Famous (soundtrack, 1946)
5/21: Norah Jones Come Away with Me (2002)
2/23: Journey Escape (1981)

8/21: Albert King Born Under a Bad Sign (1967)
8/21: B.B. King Live at the Regal (recorded live 1964, released 1965)
11/19: Carole King Tapestry (1971)

8/20: Mario Lanza The Student Prince (soundtrack, 1954)
5/23: Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual (1983)
5/19: Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
11/22: Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti (1975)

5/23: Madonna Like a Virgin (1984)
11/19: Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (soundtrack, 1959)
5/20: Bob Marley & the Wailers Legend (compilation: 1973-83, released 1984)
2/20: Johnny Mathis Heavenly (1959)
8/21: John Mayall’s Blue Breakers Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966)
8/20: M.C. Hammer Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em (1990)
5/20: Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell (1977)
2/20: Metallica Metallica (aka ‘The Black Album’) (1991)
5/23: George Michael Faith (1987)
11/20: Glenn Miller Glenn Miller (aka “Glenn Miller & His Orchestra”) (compilation: 1939-42)
5/21: Charles Mingus Ah Um (1959)
2/22: Joni Mitchell Blue (1971)
5/19: Claudio Monteverdi L’Orfeo (Orpheus) (1607)
5/20: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995)
2/22: Van Morrison Astral Weeks (1968)
2/22: Van Morrison Moondance (1970)
2/21: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) (1786)
2/21: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Don Giovanni (1787)
11/20: Billy Murray Anthology: The Denver Nightingale (compilation: 1903-40)

N-P

11/21: Willie Nelson Red-Headed Stranger (1975)
2/19: Nirvana Nevermind (1991)
11/21: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972)
2/21: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Pope Marcellus Mass (Missa Papae Marcelli) (1565)
11/21: Gram Parsons Grievous Angel (1974)
11/20: Charley Patton Founder of the Delta Blues (compilation: 1929-34)
2/19: Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
11/22: Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (1975)
5/20: Pink Floyd The Wall (1979)
2/23: The Police Synchronicity (1983)
8/20: Elvis Presley Blue Hawaii (soundtrack, 1961)
8/20: Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (soundtrack, 1984)
8/23: Prince Sign ‘O’ the Times (1987)
5/19: Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

Q-R

8/23: Otis Redding Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)
2/23: REO Speedwagon Hi Infidelity (1981)
8/23: Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down (1983)
11/21: Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits (compilation: 1969-80, released 1980)
11/22: The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street (1972)
2/23: Rush Moving Pictures (1980)

5/19: Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
2/22: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
11/19: Paul Simon Graceland (1986)
5/21: Frank Sinatra Songs for Swingin’ Lovers (1956)
8/23: Sly & the Family Stone There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971)
11/20: Bessie Smith The Essential (compilation: 1923-33)
11/22: Bruce Springsteen Born to Run (1975)
5/20: Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
2/20: Taylor Swift 1989 (2014)

T-V

2/21: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor (1875)
11/19: U2 The Joshua Tree (1987)
11/22: Van Halen Van Halen I (1978)
2/23: Van Halen 1984 (1984)
8/21: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble Texas Flood (1983)
8/19: Velvet Underground & Nico Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
2/21: Antonio Vivaldi The Four Seasons (Le Quattro Stagioni) (1725)

W-Z

2/21: Richard Wagner The Ring Cycle (Der Ring Des Nibelungen) (1874)
8/21: Muddy Waters At Newport (live, 1960)
11/22: The Who Tommy (1969)
8/19: The Who Who’s Next (1971)
11/21: Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits (compilation: 1947-53, released 1978)
8/23: Stevie Wonder Talking Book (1972)
8/19: Stevie Wonder Innervisions (1973)
11/19: Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
8/19: Neil Young After the Gold Rush (1970)
2/22: Neil Young Harvest (1972)
2/23: ZZ Top Eliminator (1983)

Various Artists

11/20: Various Artists (edited by Harry Smith) Anthology of American Folk Music (box set: 1923-32)
8/20: Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack, 1992)
2/20: Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) & Frederick Loewe (music) Camelot (musical/cast album, 1960)
5/22: Jerry Bock (music), Sheldon Harnick (lyrics) Fiddler on the Roof (musical/cast album, 1964)
5/20: Various Artists (including Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta) Grease (soundtrack, 1978)
5/22: Galt MacDermot (music) with Gerome Ragni & James Rado (lyrics) Hair (musical/cast album, 1967)
5/22: Lin-Manuel Miranda (music & lyrics) Hamilton (musical/cast album, 2015)
5/22: Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) & Tim Rice (lyrics) Jesus Christ Superstar (musical/cast album, 1971)
5/22: Cole Porter (music & lyrics) Kiss Me, Kate (musical/cast album, 1949)
5/22: Meredith Willson (music & lyrics) The Music Man (musical/cast album, 1957)
2/20: Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) & Frederick Loewe (music) My Fair Lady (musical/cast album, 1956)
5/22: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Oklahoma! (musical/cast album, 1944)
2/20: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Oklahoma! (soundtrack, 1955)
5/22: Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) with Charles Hart & Richard Stilgoe (lyrics) Phantom of the Opera (musical/cast album, 1986)
11/20: George Gershwin (music) with Ira Gershwin & Dubose Heyward (lyrics) Porgy and Bess (musical/cast album: 1935)
11/19: Various Artists (including the Bee Gees) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack, 1977)
5/22: Jerome Kern (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Show Boat (musical/cast album, 1927)
2/20: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The Sound of Music (musical/cast album, 1959)
2/19: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) South Pacific (musical/cast album, 1949)
2/20: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) South Pacific (soundtrack, 1958)
5/22: Leonard Bernstein (music) & Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) West Side Story (musical/cast album, 1957)
8/20: Leonard Bernstein (music) & Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) West Side Story (soundtrack, 1961)

Resources and Related Links:

Dave's Music Hall of Fame: Album Inductees (August 2023)

The Top Classic R&B (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums

Originally posted 8/22/2023.

January 22, 2019 marked the 10-year anniversary of the DMDB blog. To honor that, Dave’s Music Database announced its own Hall of Fame. This month marks the nineteenth group of album inductees. These are taken from are taken from the DMDB’s top R&B albums of all time list. The focus of this set inductees is only on those R&B albums from the ‘60s through ‘80s. Previous inductees to fit this category are James Brown’s Live at the Apollo Volume 1, Ray Charles’ Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Bad, Prince’s Purple Rain, Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life, and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

See the full list of album inductees here.

Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)