 | Rap/Hip-Hop:Top 50 Acts |
DavesMusicDatabase.com is devoted to ranking, rating, and reviewing music of all genres and eras. The DMDB blog serves up album and song reviews, best-of lists, music history snapshots, and music-related essays.
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Showing posts with label rap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rap. Show all posts
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Thursday, February 6, 2025
Rap/Hip-Hop: Annual Song Awards (1979-2024)
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| Rap/Hip-Hop:Annual Song Awards, 1979-2024 |
This page offers a consolidated list of the rap songs of each year as determined by various organizations and entities. They include:
See links at bottom of page for more details on above. |
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Resources/Related Links:
First posted 2/6/2025. |
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
The Top 100 Rap/Hip-Hop Songs of All Time
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| 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)
21. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott “Get Ur Freak On” (2001)
31. Nelly “Hot in Herre” (2002)
41. The Notorious B.I.G. “Hypnotize” (1997)
51. Eric B. & Rakim “Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness)” (1987)
61. OutKast “Hey Ya!” (2003)
71. Run-D.M.C. “Sucker MC’s” (1984)
81. Lauryn Hill “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (1998)
91. Audio Two “Top Billin’” (1988) Resources and Related Links:
First posted 6/8/2011; last updated 8/22/2023. |
Friday, February 10, 2023
Aural Fixation: Why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn't a Joke
 | Aural Fixation:Why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Isn’t a Joke |
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“Aural Fixation” is a music-themed column I wrote for PopMatters.com from 2011-2013. They are no longer online there, but I have reformatted them here at the DMDB blog with additional videos, photos, and links, such as where to buy referenced albums. I have also used the title “Aural Fixation” for any essays I have written outside of PopMatters.com as well. To see the essays, check out the Dave’s Music Database Aural Fixation page. You can also purchase the essays in book format here. |
This post is a response to a question posted on Quora: “What is your opinion on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Do you think it is a joke, or does it really matter who is inducted into it?” To address this question, I’m posing the common arguments made that the Hall is a joke. Then I offer a rebuttal. |
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The Argument: They induct non-rock and roll acts.
The Rebuttal:Rock and roll is not a pure genre without the influence of other genres. It is generally considered an amalgamation of R&B, country, jazz, folk, blues, and more. As such, the Hall has - since its beginning - acknowledged artists which some might not consider rock and roll because of the influence they’ve had in shaping rock and roll. The very first class saw inductees which people would call blues (Robert Johnson), country (Jimmie Rodgers), and R&B (James Brown, Ray Charles). |
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The Argument: Rap isn’t rock and doesn’t belong in the Hall.
The Rebuttal:This is a variation on the first argument but I separate it here because rap is a genre which has emerged since rock and roll. The Hall has acknowledged its wide definition of rock in that it sees it more as the music that is an expression of youth culture. The development and growth of rap has followed a similar trajectory as rock. It is also a genre which has shaped the continued development of rock and roll. Inductees like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, nominees like Rage Against the Machine, and potential future inductees like Linkin Park all are generally defined as rock bands but show the influence of rap. Side note: for all those complaining about rap like it has taken over the Hall, there are - as of the 2022 class - less than 10 inductees which can probably be strictly defined as rap out of 365 inductees. |
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The Argument: Why not just call it the Music Hall of Fame?
The Rebuttal:As much as some detractors would have you believe that any and all music can get in the Hall, that isn’t the case. The focus is on music which tends to be an expression of youth culture, specifically popular music which has emerged in generally English-speaking countries, primarily the United States, since the 1950s (as well as some early influencers). As such, as huge as names like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby are, they aren’t likely to get in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they’d be shoo-ins for a Music Hall of Fame (not to mention classical giants like Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, etc.) |
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The Argument: Jann Wenner calls the shots. If he likes the act, they’re in. If he doesn’t, they’re doomed.
The Rebuttal:As the founder of the Hall, Wenner certainly has held significant influence and there are plenty of rumors about who couldn’t get in because of him. However, he hasn’t been on the nominating committee since 2006 and stepped down as the chair in 2019. I’m sure his voice still holds sway, but there have been acts like Kiss who got in despite Wenner’s stance against them. It’s also important to understand the process. The nominating committee selects the list of possible inductees each year, but they don’t vote on them. That decision is made by the 1000+ past inductees and other members of the music industry. |
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The Argument: The Hall sucks because (insert name of favorite band here) isn’t in.
The Rebuttal:We all have our favorites. We may even have good arguments for why they belong in the Hall. However, people often fail to recognize that their individual opinions do not necessarily reflect a larger opinion shared by the masses. Also, with 365 inductees already, it’s hard to argue that any first-tier acts haven’t been inducted. Check out any social media post complaining about who isn’t in and it is a slew of possible names, many of which might get the reader thinking, “yeah, they oughta be in.” However, there isn’t one name that comes up over and over universally from every person who comments. |
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The Argument: The Hall just inducts high-profile names that will draw audiences (i.e. money) to the annual induction ceremony.
The Rebuttal:Let’s be clear. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is technically a non-profit organization. Still, they do need to make money to stay afloat. Here's the thing about attacking the Hall for trying to be financially viable - it's hypocritical. The people lobbying these accusations then turn around and whine that their favorite act isn't in - an act which has been a part of the music industry and, more likely than not, isn't some obscure act that has never made any money. They're likely to be high-profile acts who've been around for decades and made plenty of money BECAUSE of the music industry. |
Conclusion:I realize this was an incredibly long answer. I absolutely think the Hall has its flaws, but ultimately it remains a relevant way of recognizing some of music’s greatest contributors. It most assuredly is not a joke.
For more essays, check out the Dave’s Music Database Aural Fixation page. Resources and Related Links:
First posted 2/10/2023; last updated 10/27/2023. |
Friday, September 13, 1996
The Death of Tupac Shakur: September 13, 1996
Originally posted September 13, 2012.
Awards:
Resources and Related Links:
image from vigilantcitizen.com
On September 7, 1996, rapper/actor Tupac Shakur (generally referred to as 2Pac) attended the Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon boxing match in Las Vegas, Nevada. When Shakur and his Death Row Records entourage left the MGM Grand Hotel, a fight broke out. Later that night, Shakur was in the riding to an event with Death Row’s Suge Knight when a car pulled up beside them and fired roughly 13 shots at the car. Shakur was hit four times. He died a week later on September 13, 1996. He was 25.
He is estimated to have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. His songs often depicted the harsh realities of ghetto life, largely inspired by his own upbringing in East Harlem. His parents’ background as members of the Black Panthers also shaped the social commentary in 2Pac’s music. Shakur faced trouble with the law and was caught up in the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry commonly assumed to be the reason for his gang-style killing.
His music career started with Digital Underground in 1990. He worked as a roadie and backup dancer and contributed a rap on their “Same Song” for the 1991 film Nothing But Trouble. He launched his solo career that same year with 2Pacalypse Now. Me Against the World (1995) and All Eyez on Me (1996) are both DMDB top 1000 albums and went to #1, a position he attained three more times posthumously. He’s charted more than 20 albums; only four were released in his lifetime. Eleven of his albums have been top tens.
Awards:
- one of the top 1000 music makers of all time
- top 100 rap songs of all time (“Keep Ya Head Up”, “Dear Mama”, “California Love”, “Changes”)
- in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress"> (“Dear Mama”)
- top 100 videos of all time according to the DMDB (“California Love”)
- top 1000 albums of all time (1995’s Me Against the World, 1996’s All Eyez on Me)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (World, Eyez)
- top 50 rap albums of all time (World, Eyez)
Resources and Related Links:
- Tupac Shakur’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry
- DMDB album page for Me Against the World
- DMDB album page for All Eyez on Me
- Rolling Stone Tupac Shakur: 1971-1996 by Kevin Powell (10/31/96)
- WK Wikipedia Tupac Shakur entry
Saturday, August 11, 1973
On This Day in Music: The Birth of Hip-Hop
 | August 11, 1973The Birth of Hip-Hop |
Clive Campbell (aka DJ Kool Herc) and his sister Cindy threw a back-to-school school party in the rec room of an apartment building in the Bronx. DJ Kool Herc played copies of the same record on two turntables, going back and forth between the records to loop the percussion and keep the beat going. Rap, or hip-hop, was born. In 2023 – the 50th anniversary of hip-hop – DJ Kool Herc was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a musical influence. That same year, the Grammys presented a tribute to the 50th anniversary with an all-star, thirteen-minute celebration of the genre.
Spotify Podcast:Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast episode The Birth of Hip-Hop: The 50th Anniversary which highlights 20 of the genre’s most important songs. It debuted August 11, 2023.
For more important days in music history, check out the Dave’s Music Database history page. Resources and Related Links:
First posted 8/24/2023. |
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