If you look at the last 25 years of music, it's tough to argue against hip-hop as the top cultural movement. Sure, the genre's much older than 25 years, but the rate at which it's risen from an underground form to producing some of the most influential individuals in music has been rapid.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, and the publication has compiled a list of the Top 100 songs ever to grace it. This isn't a ranking system based on the opinions of critics. It actually takes every rap track that's appeared on the Hot Rap Songs chart and assigns scores based on number of weeks on the chart at at which position the song placed.
Hip-hop purists will probably be disappointed. If the Top 10 were compiled as a so-called "greatest hip-hop since 1989" compilation, it wouldn't feature Tupac or Eminem. This list is based on 25 years worth of listener preference, and music snobs are going to have to deal with it.
Lord Jamar will probably be the first blanch, based on his constant complaining about Macklemore. "Thrift Shop" by the rapper & Ryan Lewis was the highest charting song in Hot Rap Songs history. The pair also came in at no. 4 with "Can't Hold Us." Although that might indicate newer songs have an advantage, only three of the Top 10 (including those two) were from post-2000. The other new millennial track was Waka Flocka Flame's "No Hands" from 2010.
The Notorious B.I.G. makes an appearance to soothe the snobbish listeners, but it's the more pop-friendly "Big Poppa/Warning" combo single from 1994. Other '90s entries are a tad more pop "Jock Jams," to quote Music Times staffer Caitlin Carter. "Tootsee Roll" by 69 Boyz takes the no. 2 spot, and "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground rounds off the list at no. 10.
Check out the full 100 here.
