The Top 50 Rap/Hip-Hop Acts of All Time

Rap/Hip-Hop: Top 50 Acts

This list was created by aggregating more than 50 best-of-all-time lists focused on rap singers and groups. All those acts featured on 3 or more lists were then re-ordered based on their overall status in Dave’s Music Database. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre. 1. Drake 2. Eminem 3. Kanye West 4. Jay-Z 5. Dr. Dre 6. Kendrick Lamar 7. Beastie Boys 8. OutKast/André 3000 9. Sean (“Puff Daddy” aka “P.Diddy” and “Diddy”) Combs 10. Tupac Shakur (2pac) 11. Post Malone 12. Lil Wayne 13. Public Enemy 14. LL Cool J 15. 50 Cent 16. Run-D.M.C. 17. The Notorious B.I.G. 18. Ludacris 19. Nicki Minaj 20. Black Eyed Peas 21. T.I. 22. Snoop Dogg 23. Nelly 24. Lauryn Hill 25. Missy Elliott 26. Flo Rida 27. will.i.am 28. Timbaland 29. Nas 30. Ice Cube 31. N.W.A. 32. Busta Rhymes 33. A Tribe Called Quest 34. Cardi B 35. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five 36. Tyler, the Creator 37. MC Hammer 38. J. Cole 39. Will Smith/DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince 40. Wu-Tang Clan 41. Eric B. & Rakim 42. DMX 43. Fugees 44. Future 45. Arrested Development 46. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 47. Eazy-E 48. Chance the Rapper 49. Salt-N-Pepa 50. Ja Rule Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre Dave’s Music Database: The Top 100 Rap Albums of All Time Dave’s Music Database: The Top 100 Rap/Hip-Hop Songs of All Time First posted 5/3/2017; last updated 3/7/2026.

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

The Top 10 Classic (‘80s and ‘90s) Rap Albums Originally posted 11/22/2023. 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 twentieth group of album inductees. These are taken from are taken from the DMDB’s top rap albums of all time list. The focus of this set inductees is only on those albums from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Previous inductees to fit this category are MC Hammer’s Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em and Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. See the full list of album inductees here.

Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill (1986) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

The Beastie Boys were a white group from New York City who found success through Rick Rubin and his label, Def Jam. Licensed to Ill, with its samples from rock stalwarts like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, was the first rap album to top the Billboard charts, largely on the strength of the party vibe of the top 10 hit “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party.” The Grammy Hall of Fame album has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. Read more.

De La Soul 3 Feet High and Rising (1989) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

De La Soul offered a stark contrast to the violence and misogyny of gangsta rap with its art-meets-jazz approach to hip-hop. In his column “The Great Albums,” Jim DeRogatis called 3 Feet High and Rising “one of the most optimistic, life-affirming and wildly creative albums that hip-hop has ever produced.” NME named it the album of the year and it has been inducted into the National Recording Registry. Read more.

Dr. Dre The Chronic (1992) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

AllMusic.com’s Steve Huey called this “one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop albums of all time.” Dr. Dre helped write the book on West Coast hip-hop and gangsta rap as a member of N.W.A. and then as a solo artist. The Chronic not only introduced Dre as a solo act but launched him into fame as a producer and introduced the world to his protégé Snoop Dogg. The album has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry. Read more.

Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

Lauryn Hill first gained attention with the rap group the Fugees before launching a solo career that resulted in what Consequence.com called “one of the best solo female albums ever recorded.” The album went beyond hip-hop; Entertainment Weekly said it features “Aretha Franklin–caliber vocal,” “the funky grunt of vintage Stevie Wonder,” the “uptown soul of Roberta Flack,” and “the moral fervency of Bob Marley.” It sold over 15 million copies worldwide, won the Grammy for Album of the Year, and has been inducted into the National Recording Registry. Read more.

The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die (1994) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

AllMusic.com’s Steve Huey called this “the album that reinvented East Coast rap for the gangsta age.” Author Robert Dimery said the album combined “in-you-faceness [that] is pure New York” with production “as sumptuous as anything Dr. Dre was cooking up in California.” Sadly, it was the only album released during Biggie’s lifetime as he was shot and killed in March 1997, a victim of the East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop rivalry. Read more.

N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1989) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

In Time magazine, Josh Tyrangiel and Alan Light assert that “virtually all gangsta rap remains a response to or an elaboration of this one album.” The album was criticized for glamorizing Black-on-Black crime, but the rap collective insisted they were just presenting an audio documentary of the life they knew in Compton. It has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry. Read more.

Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell (1986) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

Time magazine’s Josh Tyrangiel and Alan Light called this “rap’s first masterpiece.” Like the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill, also released in 1986, the album owed much of its success to a fusion of rap and rock with Rick Rubin as producer. Run-D.M.C.’s collaboration with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry for a cover of that group’s “Walk This Way” made for a groundbreaking commercial breakthrough for the fledgling genre. Raising Hell has been inducted into the National Recording Registry. Read more.

Tupac Shakur All Eyez on Me (1996) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

All Eyez on Me, rap’s first double-disc album of all new material, was 2pac’s first release after signing with Death Row, a gangsta rap label helmed by Suge Knight. Unlike some of his peers, 2pac “really did come from the background of bleak, inner-city violence he rapped about.” TB “Nobody was going to rep the West Coast harder.” CQ Sadly, it was the last album released in his lifetime. He was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in September 1996, a victim of the East Coast vs. West Coast feud. Read more.

Snoop Dogg Doggystyle (1993) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

Snoop was introduced to the world on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic but burst out on his own with Doggystyle, the fastest-selling debut album. AllMusic.com said it was a “de facto sequel to The Chronic…another round of P-Funk-inspired grooves and languid gangsta and ganja tales.” Wikipedia.org said the two albums transformed “the entire sound of West Coast rap by its development of what later became known as the ‘G-funk’ sound.” About.com said, “gangsta rap never sounded so sweet.” Read more.

Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993) Inducted November 2023 as “Top Classic Rap (‘80s and ‘90s) Albums.”

AllMusic.com’s Steve Huey called this “one of the most influential rap albums of the ‘90s… It laid the groundwork for the rebirth of New York hip-hop in the hardcore age, paving the way for everybody from Biggie and Jay-Z to Nas and Mobb Deep. Moreover, it introduced a colorful cast of hugely talented MCs, some of whom ranked among the best and most unique individual rappers of the decade.” Read more.

VH1 Top 100 Songs

Last updated 10/23/2020.

VH1: Top 100 Songs

The music television channel VH1 has done a variety of “100 Greatest” shows over the years. The song lists at the bottom of this page have been consolidated into an aggregate list by Dave’s Music Database. Click here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations. 1. Salt-N-Pepa “Push It” (1987) 2. Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (1992) 3. Run-D.M.C. with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler & Joe Perry “Walk This Way” (1986) 4. Michael Jackson “Billie Jean” (1983) 5. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990) 6. Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (1991) 7. Dr. Dre with Snoop Doggy Dogg “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” (1993) 8. Celine Dion “My Heart Will Go On” (1997) 9. Public Enemy “Fight the Power” (1989) 10. Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1988) 11. The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983) 12. Prince Prince “When Doves Cry” (1984) 13. Michael Jackson “Beat It” (1983) 14. AC/DC “You Shook Me All Night Long” (1980) 15. Van Halen “Jump” (1984) 16. Naughty by Nature “O.P.P.” (1991) 17. Cyndi Lauper “Time after Time” (1983) 18. M.C. Hammer “U Can’t Touch This” (1990) 19. Shania Twain “You’re Still the One” (1988) 20. The Clash “London Calling” (1979) 21. Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” (1998) 22. The Rolling Stones “Start Me Up” (1981) 23. U2 “One” (1992) 24. Madonna “Vogue” (1990) 25. Aretha Franklin “Respect” (1967) 26. Madonna “Like a Virgin” (1984) 27. TLC “Waterfalls” (1994) 28. Sir Mix-A-Lot “Baby Got Back” (1992) 29. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” (1995) 30. R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” (1991) 31. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” (1986) 32. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five “The Message” (1982) 33. U2 “With or Without You” (1987) 34. Britney Spears “Baby One More Time” (1998) 35. The Sugarhill Gang “Rapper’s Delight” (1979) 36. The Kingsmen “Louie Louie” (1963) 37. Pearl Jam “Jeremy” (1991) 38. Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (1978) 39. C + C Music Factory “Gonna Make You Sweat” (1990) 40. Peter Gabriel “In Your Eyes” (1986) 41. Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock “It Takes Two” (1988) 42. No Doubt “Don’t Speak” (1996) 43. Aerosmith “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (1998) 44. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under the Bridge” (1992) 45. Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981) 46. Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” (1977) 47. Backstreet Boys “I Want It That Way” (1999) 48. The Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed” (1981) 49. Fugees “Killing Me Softly” (1996) 50. Janet Jackson “Nasty” (1986) 51. Bruce Springsteen “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984) 52. Queen with David Bowie “Under Pressure” (1981) 53. Elton John “Your Song” (1970) 54. Daryl Hall & John Oates “I Can’t Go for That” (No Can Do)” (1981) 55. Chubby Checker “The Twist” (1960) 56. Duran Duran “Hungry Like the Wolf” (1982) 57. Beck “Loser” (1993) 58. The Emotions “Best of My Love” (1977) 59. House of Pain “Jump Around” (1992) 60. Alicia Keys “Fallin’” (2001) 61. Digital Underground “The Humpty Dance” (1990) 62. James Brown “I Got You” (I Feel Good)” (1965) 63. Rick James “Super Freak” (1981) 64. Destiny’s Child “Say My Name” (1999) 65. Prince “Little Red Corvette” (1983) 66. Nelly “Hot in Herre” (2002) 67. REO Speedwagon “Keep on Loving You” (1980) 68. Modern English “I Melt with You” (1983) 69. Ice Cube “It Was a Good Day” (1993) 70. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts “I Love Rock and Roll” (1981) 71. Metallica “Enter Sandman” (1991) 72. Young MC “Bust a Move” (1989) 73. Eminem “My Name Is”“ (1999) 74. Chic “Good Times” (1979) 75. Al Green “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) 76. Green Day “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” (1997) 77. Soft Cell “Tainted Love” (1981) 78. Radiohead “Creep” (1993) 79. Barry White “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” (1974) 80. Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love” (1969) 81. Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do” (1994) 82. Hanson “Mmmbop” (1997) 83. Cypress Hill “Insane in the Brain” (1993) 84. Blondie “Heart of Glass” (1979) 85. The Notorious B.I.G. with Puff Daddy & Mase “Mo Money, Mo Problems” (1997) 86. Foreigner “I Want to Know What Love Is” (1984) 87. George Michael “Faith” (1987) 88. John Cougar Mellencamp “Jack and Diane” (1982) 89. Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This” (1983) 90. Geto Boys “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” (1991) 91. Lenny Kravitz “Are You Gonna Go My Way” (1993) 92. Culture Club “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” (1982) 93. LL Cool J “Mama Said Knock You Out” (1991) 94. Tone Loc “Wild Thing” (1988) 95. Oasis “Wonderwall” (1995) 96. Poison “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (1988) 97. Cher “Believe” (1998) 98. Marvin Gaye “Sexual Healing” (1982) 99. Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983) 100. Ray Charles “What’d I Say” (1959) Resources/Related Links: 100 Greatest Dance Songs (2000) 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs 100 Greatest Love Songs 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll (2000) 100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years (2003) 100 Greatest Songs of the ‘80s 100 Greatest Songs of the ‘90s

Producer Rick Rubin was born: March 10, 1963

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The Beastie Boys charted with “Fight for Your Right”

You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party Beastie Boys

Writer(s): Adam Yauch, Rick Rubin, Adam Horovitz (see lyrics here) First Charted: December 20, 1986 Peak: 7 US, 3 CB, 12 RR, 1 CO, 11 UK, 7 CN, 37 AU, 7 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.2 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 81.7 video, 192.70 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The fourth single from the Beastie Boys’ debut album made them a household name. Their goofy wit and party atmosphere endured them to millions – millions who flocked to buy the parent album, Licensed to Ill and give the Beasties the distinction of being the first rap group in U.S. history to hit #1 on the Billboard album chart. The song – and the success of the album – owed much to the Beasties’ combination of metal and rap. The Beastie Boys were “just three kids from rich New York families who liked black culture.” TC With the help of producer Rick Rubin, they merged the sounds of Led Zeppelin with the style of old school rap. It wasn’t the first time rock and rap had found chart success – just months earlier, Rubin helped Run-D.M.C. get a top 5 U.S. pop hit with their remake of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” – aided by Aerosmith’s own Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. “Fight for Your Right” was intended as a parody of the kind of “beer-soaked, panty-raiding rock jam that ruled fraternity houses and dingy bars alike.” TB The video, which depicted “the party that is every suburban parent’s worst nightmare” TB played up the parody and garnered it plenty of spins on MTV. Unfortunately, as member Mike D said, “There were tons of guys singing along to ‘Fight for Your Right’ who were oblivious to the fact it was a total goof on them.” WK In fact, the song was reportedly cut just as a joke. Once the group became superstars thanks to their new frat-boy fanbase, they played up the roles until, according to Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch, they had become their own joke. SF In time, the group would come to be very respected for their experimental music and ability to merge different genres. Rap group Public Enemy was on board early, even sampling the song for their own 1988 “Party for Your Right to Fight.” Resources: TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, NY. Page 14. SF Songfacts.com TB Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 228. WK Wikipedia.org Related Links: First posted 12/20/2011; last updated 6/18/2023.

Run-D.M.C. charted with its remake of “Walk This Way”

Walk This Way Aerosmith

Writer(s): Steven Tyler, Joe Perry (see lyrics here) Released: August 28, 1975 First Charted: November 20, 1976 Peak: 10 US, 7 CB, 5 HR, 5 RR, 1 CL, 7 CN, 85 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.2 UK, 0.2 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 29.52 video, -- streaming

Awards for Aerosmith version: Click on award for more details.

Walk This Way Run-D.M.C. with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler & Joe Perry

Released: July 4, 1986 First Charted: July 26, 1986 Peak: 4 US, 9 CB, 10 RR, 8 RB, 8 UK, 7 CN, 9 AU, 4 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.4 UK, 1.45 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 94.8 video, 651.47 streaming

Awards for Run-DMC version: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Walk This Way,” about a high schooler losing his virginity, was sung at a fast speed with emphasis on rhyming. The title was inspired by a line in the Mel Brooks’ movie Young Frankenstein. WK While initially released as the second single for Aeromsith’s 1975 album Toys in the Attic, the song didn’t become a hit until after two singles from fourth album, 1976’s Rocks, charted. Then the late-1976 reissue climbed to #10 in the U.S. and established “Walk This Way” as one of Aerosmith’s signature songs and a staple of classic rock radio. A decade later, Aerosmith had fallen on hard times, unraveled by drug and alcohol problems. An attempted comeback with 1985’s Done with Mirrors did little to regenerate interest. However, a New York-based rap group would revive the song – and Aerosmith’s career. DJ Jam Master Jay of Run-D.M.C. frequently cut back and forth between two copies of “Walk This Way” to allow MC’s Run and DMC to add rhymes to the instrumental. When the trio started work on their Raising Hell album, producer Rick Rubin – a fan of metal and rock – suggested they remake the song. The resulting cover is often credited as breaking rap into the mainstream, as it was the first rap song to hit the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. WK The song was instrumental not only in introducing rock into rap music, but opened the possibilities for non-rap acts to include the genre in their music. The song also put Aerosmith back in the spotlight, not just because the band had been covered, but because singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry participated in the remake. “Perry acquitted himself quite well, as usual, and Tyler’s snotty snarl prospered in the hip-hop context.” DM The pair also appeared in the classic video which pitted them against Run-D.M.C. as neighbors trying to out-blast each other. By the video’s end, they all perform together on stage. Resources: DM Dave Marsh (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. New American Library: New York, NY. Page 566. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 7/6/2012; last updated 6/18/2023.