Top 100 Hip-Hop Songs

The following was originally intended to be part of a collaborative project between all us hip-hop bloggers, webmasters, etc., where each of us made a list of what we felt were "the top 100 songs in the history of hip hop as it relates to the importance of the culture." Each of us would have our lists published, and then each song would be tallied to create a final Top 100 list out of all of our lists. But unfortunately, for whatever reason (people slack on making their lists, the guy putting it all together? I don't know; but it's a shame, because I saw some interesting names involved, and would've liked to see what they came up with), the project seems to have run aground. So, not to let good work go to waste: here's my list, complete with intro, that was intended for that project. Hope you enjoy it!

Now, you can't avoid highlighting a lot of firsts (first hip-hop record, first female hip-hop song, first west coast hip-hop record, etc); but I tried not to get too carried away with "firsts." And I tried not to just name the biggest sellers. In both cases, everybody participating would just wind up making the same independently verifiable lists that each of you readers could also just as well have put together on your own. So, what was the main deciding factor for what made my list? Influence. I picked the songs that changed the game... that made producers and MCs adapt new styles, or that switched audiences expectations of what a hip-hop song could or should be.

Some of my choices are more regionally specific than others; but in all cases, I tried to pick songs that crossed those boundaries the most... the Miami bass or Boston indie singles that reached out the widest to change how people everywhere made or felt about hip-hop. I've also decided to leave out the song-specific commentary and let each song speak for itself - I think most of them do. But I'm looking forward to participating in the debate that follows our lists... not to mention the "Oh sh-!! I so should've included THAT" moments when I see everybody else's Top 100 Hip-Hop Songs.

So, without further ado... I hope you don't hate my choices too much! ;)

1. Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight
2. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message
3. The Fatback Band featuring King Tim III - King Tim III (Personality Jock)
4. Grandmaster Flash - The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On the Wheels of Steel
5. Treacherous Three & Spoonie Gee - New Rap Language
6. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
7. The Sequence - Funk It Up
8. Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew featuring MC Ricky D - La Di Da Di
9. Eric B & Rakim - Eric B Is President
10. UTFO - Roxanne, Roxanne
11. Run DMC - It's Like That
12. Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg - Nothin' But a G Thang
13. DJ Mark the 45 King - The 900 Number
14. De La Soul - Potholes In My Lawn
15. Audio Two - Top Billin'
16. Souls of Mischief - 93 Til Infinity
17. 2 Live Crew - Me So Horny
18. NWA - Fuck the Police
19. Slick Rick - Children's Story
20. MC Lyte - Paper Thin
21. Boogie Down Productions - The Bridge Is Over
22. Common Sense - Resurrection '95
23. LL Cool J - I Need Love
24. Big Daddy Kane - Smooth Operator
25. Public Enemy - Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos
26. Disco Daddy and Captain Rapp - Gigolo Rapp
27. Deep Puddle Dynamics - Rain Men
28. Jimmy Spicer - The Adventures of Super Rhymes
29. Queen Latifah & Monie Love - Ladies First
30. Mister Voodoo - Lyrical Tactics
31. Stop the Violence Movement - Self Destruction
32. Eric B & Rakim - Follow the Leader
33. X-Clan - Funkin' Lesson
34. Uncle Jamm's Army - Dial-A-Freak
35. PEACE, T-Love, A.C., Nefertiti, Self-Jupiter, BJ, Ganjah K, Medusa, Ko Ko, Myka Nyne & Volume 10 - Heavyweights Round 2
36. Rodney O & Joe Cooley - Everlasting Bass
37. Too $hort - The Freaky Tales
38. Ice-T - 6 In the Mornin'
39. Asher D & Daddy Freddy - Ragamuffin Hip-Hop
40. Schoolly D - (P.S.K. What Does It Mean?)
41. Boogie Down Productions - You Must Learn
42. Ras Kass - Nature Of the Threat
43. LL Cool J - Rock the Bells
44. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand
45. T-La Rock - It's Yours
46. Run DMC - King of Rock
47. Wrecks-N-Effect - New Jack Swing
48. Dr. Octagon - Blue Flowers
49. Wu-Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck
50. Marley Marl featuring Master Ace, Craig G, Big Daddy Kane & Kool G Rap - The Symphony
51. Puff Daddy & Mase - All About the Benjamins
52. Master P featuring Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X & Mysitkal - Make 'Em Say Uhh!
53. Rammelzee vs. K-Rob - Beat Bop
54. A Tribe Called Quest - Check the Rhime
55. Cool C - Glamorous Life
56. 7L & Esoteric - Be Alert
57. E-40 & Keak da Sneak - Tell Me When To Go
58. Special Ed - I Got It Made
59. Invisbl Skratch Picklz - Invasion Of the Octopus People
60. MC ADE - Bass Rock Express
61. Wayne & Charlie - Check It Out
62. Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown - Unity
63. Ultramagnetic MCs - Traveling At the Speed of Thought
64. Too $hort & The Last Poets - The Ghetto
65. Poor Righteous Teachers - Rock Dis Funky Joint
66. Xololanxinco, All Deadly Jizzm, RadioInactive, Awol One & Circus - Farmers Market Uv da Beast
67. Stetsasonic - Talkin' All That Jazz
68. Double Dee & Steinski - Lesson 1: The Payoff Mix
69. Geto Boys - My Minds Playing Tricks On Me
70. Jay-Z & Foxy Brown - Ain't No Nigga
71. Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin'
72. Positive K & MC Lyte - I'm Not Havin' It
73. Top Priority - Let the Homicides Begin
74. Funky Four Plus One - That's the Joint
75. Chill Rob G - The Power
76. EPMD - Strictly Business
77. Public Enemy - Fight the Power
78. Biz Markie - The Vapors
79. Whodini - Freaks Come Out At Night
80. Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - It Takes Two
81. Run DMC & Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Down With the King
82. Outkast & The Goodie Mob - Git Up, Git Out and Git Something
83. Fat Boys - Fat Boys
84. King Tee & Tha Alkaholiks - Got It Bad Y'all
85. Hip-Hop Against Apartheid - Free South Africa
86. Derek B - Good Groove
87. O.C. - Time's Up
88. Brand Nubian - Sunshine
89. Showbiz & AG - Soul Clap
90. Compton's Most Wanted - 1 Time Gaffled 'Em Up
91. Redman - Time 4 Sum Aksion
92. JVC Force - Strong Island
93. Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half Steppin'
94. UMCs - Blue Cheese
95. Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde - Genius Rap
96. Gangstarr - Words I Manifest
97. Main Source w/ Akinyele, Joe Fatal & Nas - Live At the Barbecue
98. Awol One with Circus and Tommy V - Mountains; More Mountains
99. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road To the Riches
100. Spyder-D - I Can't Wait (To Rock the Mic)