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.

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.

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

Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream debuted at #1

Teenage Dream Katy Perry

Released: August 24, 2010 Released: August 27, 2010 (deluxe edition) Released: March 23, 2012 (The Complete Confection) Charted: September 11, 2010 Peak: 11 US, 11 UK, 11 CN, 12 AU Sales (in millions): 9.0 US, 1.5 UK, 13.33 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Teenage Dream (7/23/10, 12 US, 8 AC, 14 A40, 2 UK, 2 CN, 2 AU, worldwide sales: 8.66 million) Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (9/11/10, 12 US, 17 AC, 13 A40, 9 UK, 11 CN, 5 AU, worldwide sales: 7.2 million) California Gurls (with Snoop Dogg, 5/11/10, 16 US, 7 AC, 19 A40, 1 UK, 19 CN, 14 AU, worldwide sales: 9.24 million) Firework (10/17/10, 14 US, 11 AC, 15 A40, 3 UK, 11 CN, 3 AU, worldwide sales: 13.33 million) Peacock (9/11/10, 105 US, 56 CN, US sales: 1 million) Circle the Drain (8/28/10, 58 US, 30 CN) The One That Got Away (10/9/11, 3 US, 5 AC, 11 A40, 18 UK, 2 CN, 27 AU, worldwide sales: 3.63 million) E.T. (Futuristic Lover) (9/4/10, 42 US, 18 AC) Who Am I Living For? Pearl Hummingbird Heartbeat Not Like the Movies (8/21/10, 53 US, 41 CN) Tracks from the Deluxe Edition: If We Ever Meet Again (with Timbaland, 12/19/09, 37 US, 3 UK, 4 CN, 9 AU, worldwide sales: 0.5 million) Starstrukk (with 3oh!3, 7/9/09, 66 US, 3 UK, 31 CN, 4 AU, worldwide sales: 1.74 million) California Girls (Passion Pit Main Mix California Gurls (Armand Van Helden Remix) Teenage Dream (Kaskade Club Remix) Tracks from The Complete Confection: The One That Got Away (acoustic) Part of Me (2/13/12, 11 US, 18 AC, 4 A40, 11 UK, 11 CN, 5 AU, worldwide sales: 4.24 million) * Wide Awake (5/22/12, 2 US, 2 AC, 13 A40, 9 UK, 13 CN, 4 AU, worldwide sales: 4.99 million) Dressin’ Up E.T. (remix with Kayne West, 2/16/11, 15 US, 2 A40, 83 RB, 3 UK, 11 CN, 5 AU, worldwide sales: 9.75 million) Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (featuring Missy Elliott) Tommie Sunshine's Megasix Smash-Up Total Running Time: 46:44

Rating: 3.531 out of 5.00 (average of 38 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Perry presents herself “as a curvy Teenage Dream” AMG for her sophomore outing. The image isn’t hard to cultivate considering that she is “blessed with a cheerleader’s body, the face of a second-chair clarinetist and a drama club queen’s lust for the spotlight.” AMG However, while she “is smart enough to know every rule in pop…she’s not inspired enough to ignore them” AMG so the album finds her “raising eyebrows a’la Alanis, strutting like Gwen Stefani and relying on Britney’s hitmaker Max Martin for her hooks.” AMG Of course, critical acclaim and commercial success are often at odds with each other. Perry’s “not reinventing pop music or trying to change the world, but this album is an accurate barometer of where pop music is today.” CS The album was only the second in history, after Michael Jackson’s Bad, to land five songs at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart – six if you count Part of Me, which was released on the extended Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. The album’s lead single, California Gurls, was written as a response to Jay-Z’s #1 “Empire State of Mind.” The ode “to women and the beach lifestyle of California” WK “exemplifies contemporary pop songs: something you can dance along to with catchy lyrics and a hip-hop feature” CS – in this case, a guest appearance from rapper Snoop Dogg. The song generated controversy when the Beach Boys claimed the song appropriated the line “I wish they all could be California Girls” from their own song of the same name. WK The song “best represents the album’s outlook, which is sunny with a chance of sex,” CS and “sets the tone for Teenage Dream.” RS Throughout, she “piles on the sun-drenched drama” RS with “SoCal ambience and disco beats” RS via “heavy Eighties beats, light on melody, taking a long dip into the Daft Punk filter-disco house sound.” RS The album is filled with “de rigeur lite club beats that easily transition from day to night or the chilly [and] stainless-steel ballads designed to lose none of their luster on repeat plays.” AMG Following that song to #1 was the album’s title cut, a song with “pop friendly beats that showcase strong vocals comparable to Nicole Scherzinger.” CS It is “the perfect blend of what a pop song should sound like: poppy, danceable beats that complement the songstress’ simple, yet provocative message.” CS “If you’re a fan of songs with little depth, then Perry’s got you hooked.” CS Third to the top was the song Firework, which was inspired by Jack Kerouac’s novel On the Road. WK The song “begins with a soft string section and builds into a full-fledged dance anthem” CS worthy of the “Jersey Shore crew fist-pumping all night long at a club near you.” CS Perry has said it is her favorite song on the album. CS A remixed version of E.T. with a rap from Kanye West gave Perry her fourth #1 from the album. The song “replicates Ryan Tedder’s glassy robotic alienation…but tellingly avoids ripping off Lady Gaga, who is just too meta for the blunt Katy – but these are merely accents to her old One of the Boys palette.” AMG She made it to the top a fifth time with ““the kegger romp” RS Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) on which Perry “salutes fellow attention-whore Ke$ha.” AMG The One That Got Away, “one of her best songs,” RS was released as the sixth single from the album. Perry embraces “mall romance” RS as she sings “I was June and you were Johnny Cash,” but “it’s understood that she’s thinking of the scrubbed-up Hollywood version of June and Johnny from Walk the Line. But that’s just part of what makes her such a true California girl.” RS As for the non-singles, Circle the Drain, presumably written about her ex, singer Travie McCoy, is “a kiss-off to a rocker hooked on pills.” RS On Who Am I Living For “Perry riffs on the biblical story of Esther, the Jewish orphan who married the Persian king and uncovered a plot to exterminate the Jews. It’s dark and complelling, especially since she sings it like Rihanna.” RS Not Like the Movies finds Katy “sobbing on the floor over her tragic love life…a proud tradition of suburban girls who like their emotional meltdowns Hollywood-size.” RS At times Perry can rely on “desperate vulgarity” AMG and “none of it actually arousing,” AMG “wooing a suitor with ‘you make me feel like I’m losing my virginity,’ extolling the virtues of blackouts and an accidental ménage a trois, melting popsicles, pleading for a boy to show her his Peacock (chanting ‘cock cock cock’ just in case we at home didn’t get the single entendre).” AMG “It’s tiring because, at her heart, Perry is old-fashioned” AMG she gave “her best post-One of the Boys song, ‘I Do Not Hook Up,’ to Kelly Clarkson; its pro-abstinence rally flies in the face of the masturbatory daydream she’s constructed.” AMG “All this labor produces fetching magazine covers…and grabbing videos but it undoes her records, since we always hear her fighting to be frivolous. And all Perry wants to do is have fun: all she wants is to frolic in the spotlight.” AMG Notes: See the track listings above for bonus tracks added to the deluxe edition and The Complete Confection.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Katy Perry AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine CS Consequence of Sound RS Rolling Stone review by Rob Sheffield WK Wikipedia First posted 4/22/2011; last updated 4/1/2022.

Katy Perry hit #1 with “California Gurls”

California Gurls Katy Perry with Snoop Dogg

Writer(s): Katy Perry/Lukasz Gottwald/Max Martin/Benjamin Levin/Bonnie McKee/Calvin Broadus (see lyrics here) Released: May 11, 2010 First Charted: May 16, 2010 Peak: 16 US, 13 BA, 15 DG, 17 RR, 7 AC, 19 A40, 12 UK, 19 CA, 14 AU, 6 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 1.2 UK, 13.07 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.5 radio, 748.91 video, 659.0 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Katy Perry hit the big time when she reached #1 with “I Kissed a Girl” from her 2008 album One of the Boys. Despite several follow-up hits, including the top-five “Hot N Cold” there were some who considered her just another pop flash-in-the-pan. However, her next album, Teenage Dream, proved she wasn’t a fluke when its lead single, “California Gurls” debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending May 29, 2010 and was #1 within four weeks. The song spent six weeks atop the charts and within two months sold over two million digital downloads. The song was written in response to Jay-Z’s New York tribute song “Empire State of Mind.” Perry told Rolling Stone “it’s been a minute since we’ve had a California song and especially from a girl’s perspective.” WK She was also interested in doing an “homage to the Beach Boys,” SF which apparently succeeded considering MTV News’ James Montgomery assessment of it as “a big, bright, decidedly beach-friendly pop tune.” WK To add to the California vibe, Perry tapped rapper Snoop Dogg as a guest artist, saying “Snoop is as West Coast as it gets.” SF As for the spelling of the title, Perry’s manager was a huge Big Star fan and suggested misspelling the title as an ode to the group’s “September Gurls.” The song was followed to the top by “Teenage Dream”, “Firework”, “E.T.,” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” making her only the second artist overall to top the charts with five songs from one album. The first was Michael Jackson with five #1 songs from his 1987 album Bad. BB She also set a new record for consecutive weeks (66) in the top 10, beating the previous mark of 48 weeks by Ace of Base in 1993-94. BB Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Max Martin DMDB page for parent album Teenage Dream DMDB encyclopedia entry for Snoop Dogg Billboard.com (8/17/2011). “Katy Perry Makes Hot 100 History: Ties Michael Jackson’s Record” Entertainment Weekly (5/6/2011). “Katy Perry spent every week of the last year in the Hot 100 top 10 – what did you do?” SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: Last updated 7/28/2023.

Snoop Dogg “Drop It Like It’s Hot” hit #1

Drop It Like It’s Hot Snoop Dogg with Pharrell Williams

Writer(s): Calvin Broadus, Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, John Guldberg, Tim Stahl (see lyrics here) Released: September 27, 2004 First Charted: September 11, 2004 Peak: 13 BB, 13 BA, 5 RR, 17 RB, 10 UK, 5 CN, 4 AU, 27 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.50 US, 0.60 UK, 3.46 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.30 radio, 421.10 video, 782.70 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Rapper Snoop Dogg (formerly Snoop Doggy Dogg) was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. in 1971 in Long Beach, California. He became “an iconic figure of popular culture,” TB as “American as apple pie.” TB He burst into the limelight in 1992 with his guest appearances on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and then with his own debut album, Doggystyle, the following year. 2004’s R & G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece album, which featured “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” was Snoop’s sixth top-ten album and seventh platinum seller. The “sizzling, snappy, and Snoopendous” TB “Drop It Like It’s Hot” was Snoop’s eighth trip to the top-10 on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead or guest artist but only his first trip to the top of the charts. It was the fourth top-10 hit for Pharrell Williams as a lead or guest artist. The pair previously worked together on “Beautiful,” a top-10 hit from 2003. However, as a producer with Chad Hugo as the Neptunes, the song marked Pharrell’s twelfth top 10 hit and second chart-topper after Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” in 2002. The term “drop it like it’s hot” preceded the song; it “is a metaphorical description of a dance move commonly performed by women.” WK The song “gained some critical attention for its minimal, extremely sparse production, consisting of tongue clicks, keyboards, a drum machine beat and white noise.” WK Rolling Stone’s Tom Moon praised the song for “Snoop’s slyly exuberant delivery” and “serpentine down-tempo.” WK “Drop It Like It’s Hot” received Grammy nominations for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. In 2009, Billboard named it the most popular rap song of the decade. WK Resources: TB Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 310. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 1/26/2026.