Oh boy. I hope you’ve got your arguing (parachute) pants on today because you’re gonna need ‘em: Rolling Stone has released their list of the “50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All-Time” (shouldn’t it be “Rap Songs,” or would that scare middle-of-America RS readers?). Here’s the top-10:
10 Eric B. & Rakim – “Paid In Full”
09 N.W.A – “Straight Outta Compton”
08 Notorious B.I.G. – “Juicy”
07 Public Enemy – “Fight The Power”
06 Dr. Dre – “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang” (Feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg)
05 Geto Boys – “Mind Playing Tricks On Me”
04 Run-DMC – “Sucker M.C.’s”
03 Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force – “Planet Rock”
02 Sugar Hill Gang – “Rapper’s Delight”
01 Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five – “The Message” (Via)
Where to even begin?
Only one song from the past two decades ranks in the top-20 (50 Cent’s “In Da Club,” which, no), there’s no Gang Starr or the Pharcyde, “The Message” is important but not the best song of a great genre, they didn’t chose the right Biggie track, Nas isn’t in the top-10, there aren’t NEARLY enough references to the Rolling Stones — those are all perfectly valid complaints to make about the list. Plus, the whole no Fat Boys thing. On the plus side, at least “C.R.E.A.M.” is in the top-15. What do you think RS got right and wrong?
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I wouldn’t put anything in there from the last two decades either. Especially that shitty Kanye tune that made the list.
Yup. Hip-hop died sometime in the late 90′s.
I wouldn’t go that far, but they did pick the wrong Kanye. Should have been “Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix).” I GOT IT FROM HERE ‘YE DAMN.
‘Hip-hop died in the late 90s?’
Take a look at yourself in the mirror, and realize this is officially the day when you became irrelevant. Take a picture, and show it to your grandkids while you wear out your copies of Reasonable Doubt on cassette.
Also, two decades ago was 1992. So both you and the author of this article are mistaken, because “Big Pimpin’” is higher ranked than “In The Club” and it was from within the last two decades. (Not that I’m justifying “In The Club” being anywhere on this god-awful list)
I’ve been irrelevant my whole life, it didn’t just start on Friday. That said, hip-hop lost it’s relevance when it became completely subsumed into the mainstream and became everything that it was supposed to be raging against. Hip-hop was supposed to be the genre that totally revitalized music, and instead it sold out for guns bitches and bling.
Christ, Hip-hop didn’t lose it’s relevance, you stopped trying to find relevant music. Go find it. You have the internet. Just google MF DOOM and quit being such a sad sack.
You’re kidding me with “It Takes Two” ranked above “NY State of Mind” right? Or even being on the list period…Salt and Pepa shouldn’t sniff the top 50 hip hop songs.
I’m with you, buddy. Even Nas’s worst song is better than SnP’s best.
the top 10 really should have just been 5 songs each from Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt
Umm you guys do know “It Takes Two” was by Rob Base not Salt N’ Pepa right?
There’s a Salt n Pepa song at the end of the list. I’m talking about 2 different songs, smart guy.
I’ll be back once I put my arguing pants on.
50 “Greatest” or 50 “Greatest that we have heard about and will not offend our readers”? No Big L, no Gangstarr, the wrong Biggie song (Sky’s The Limit is the greatest song he ever made). This list is garbage.
I’m partial to “Everyday Struggle,” but “Sky’s the Limit” is up there.
There’s no Ice-T on this list either. Having Kanye, Rob Base, Salt n Pepa, and Schooly D on here without ANY Ice-T songs is a crime.
I guess they were trying not to put the same artist on there more than a couple of times, but if you’re giving Outcast, Biggie, and Jay-Z two songs and Nas only gets one, you’re doing something wrong.
Eminem got two songs and they are not even two of his best.
What is Eminem’s best song? Serious question. I’d go with “Lose Yourself.”
Gotta be “Role Model”
“Criminal”, “Stan”…
I think ‘Gin and Juice’ should have been on that list somewhere, am I alone in that?
Not alone. “Gin and Juice” is at least better than “In The Club”.
Absent from the list include: Del, Heiroglyphics, Souls of Mischief, Pharcyde, Mos Def, Talib Kweli
Exactly. This was the 50 greatest mainstream hip-hop songs list.
If Ice Cube isn’t in the top 10, it’s not correct in any way
“Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It” is easily top 5, maybe even number 1 in my opinion
“It Was A Good Day” is ranked thirty-muthafucking-seventh, so that means this list is total bullshit. It’s like this list was made up by people who don’t actually like to listen to rap music.
Only one UGK track and it’s as a feature? Your list is bad and you should feel bad, Rolling Stone.
Rolling Stone has no shame nor credibility.
for at least the last 20 years or so
In Da Club was never good, and it should definitely not be ranked higher than anything off of Illmatic. COME ON, ROLLING STONE. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.
Josh, you should make your own list and then we’ll all yell at you for it. I would enjoy that.
At least Lil Wayne isn’t on there
This is total crap. There are flies buzzing on the list. No love for Bone? Your sister loves the bone…
No “Rappin’ Rodney”, no dice.
How the hell is Pac only on there twice? and California Love is one of the two. Cali Love isn’t bad but isn’t the best. Where is changes, life goes on ,or Hit Em Up?
As a half-German, half-Norwegian, blonde-haired, blue-eyed pale pale fat-guy-with-a-red-beard-in-a-western-shirt-currently-listening-to-folk-music, this is the whitest list of rap songs I’ve ever seen, and it’s not okay.
I’m listening to Chino XL’s “Buried in Vocabulary” from his newest album, and his verse alone should be on this list.