VH1's Greatest Hip-Hop Songs

[pure_mercury]

OK, I am a big hip-hop fan, and I am watching this countdown as we speak. I found the full list, but I wanted to get some opinions here. Here is the Top 10:

10 Kurtis Blow - "The Breaks"
09 Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
08 Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Gin and Juice"
07 Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"
06 N.W.A. - "Straight Outta Compton"
05 Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - "The Message"
04 Run-DMC ft/ Aerosmith - "Walk This Way"
03 Dr. Dre - "Nuthin But A 'G' Thang"
02 Sugarhill Gang - "Rapper's Delight"
01 Public Enemy - "Fight The Power"


Not atrocious, but there are much better songs by many of those artists. "Walk This Way" is not even CLOSE to the best Run-DMC song, for instance. What do you think?


VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs - Stereogum

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I'm not a big hip hop fan at all, but there are definitely some songs I think are genius. I don't know how this list can be compiled without "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J and "California Love" by Tupac in the Top 10. The LL song would be #1 on my list.

 

[jenocyde]

I dunno, it's hard to find the top 10, but these could be in addition to the ones you have:

The bridge is over - BDP
White lines - Melle mel
Rosa parks?? - Outkast. or some other Outkast track.
I feel like there should be a Tribe called quest track on the list also.

 

[jenocyde]

Hip hop - Dead prez?? maybe not top 10, but still up there...

Wait - Jay Z or Nas should be on the list with something also. Especially Nas.

 

[pure_mercury]

I'm not a big hip hop fan at all, but there are definitely some songs I think are genius. I don't know how this list can be compiled without "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J and "California Love" by Tupac in the Top 10. The LL song would be #1 on my list.

Those two are definitely Top 20-25 in my personal list. I think I'd put "Welcome to the Terrordome" ahead of "Fight the Power" for PE, but they'd both be Top 25, too.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

"Welcome to the Terrordome" might be a better song, but "Fight the Power" is more iconic. I think that's probably a big consideration in lists like this.

 

[simulatedworld]

^ How about COLD LAMPIN' WITH FLAVOR??

 

[INA]

Not atrocious, but there are much better songs by many of those artists. "Walk This Way" is not even CLOSE to the best Run-DMC song, for instance. What do you think?

No. It's not. I'm partial to "It's Tricky."

 

[pure_mercury]

Here's the complete list:


100 Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"
99 Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz ft/ Ying Yang Twins - "Get Low"
98 Warren G ft. Nate Dogg - "Regulate"
97 Eve - "Who's that Girl"
96 DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - "Parents Just Don't Understand"
95 L'Trimm - "Cars With The Boom"
94 Master P ft. Sikk, Fiend, Mia-x and Mystical - "Make 'Em Say Ugh"
93 N.E.R.D. ft. Lee Harvey and Vida - "Lapdance"
92 Yo-Yo - "Can't Play with my Yo-Yo"
91 Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone - "Ridin'"
90 Pete Rock & CL Smooth - "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)"
89 Cam'ron - "Oh Boy"
88 Jungle Brothers - "What U Waitin' 4"
87 Wyclef Jean ft. Refugee All Stars - "We Tryin' to Stay Alive"
86 Heavy D. and the Boyz - "Now That We Found Love"
85 Black Star - "Definition"
84 UTFO - "Roxanne Roxanne"
83 2 Live Crew - "Me So Horny"
82 Chubb Rock - "Treat 'Em Right"
81 PM Dawn - "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss"
80 Three 6 Mafia ft. Paula Campbell- "Hard Out Here For A Pimp"
79 DMX - "Ruff Ryders' Anthem (Stop Drop)"
78 Arrested Development - "Tennessee"
77 Cold Crush Brothers - "Cold Crush Bros. at the Dixie"
76 Big Punisher ft. Joe- "Still Not A Player"
75 Lil' Kim ft. Lil' Cease- "Crush on You"
74 EPMD - "You Gots To Chill"
73 Black Sheep - "The Choice Is Yours"
72 J.J. Fad - "Supersonic"
71 Whodini - "Freaks Come Out at Night"
70 3(rd) Bass - "Pop Goes the Weasel"
69 Common - "I Used to Love H.E.R."
68 T.I. - "What You Know"
67 Mase - "Feel So Good"
66 House Of Pain - "Jump Around"
65 Spoonie Gee and The Treacherous Three - "Love Rap"
64 The Roots - "What they Do"
63 Kid 'n Play - "Rollin' With Kid N Play"
62 Digable Planets - "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"
61 Slick Rick - "Children's Story"
60 L.L. Cool J - "I Need Love"
59 Ol' Dirty Bastard - "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"
58 Ludacris ft. Shawna- "What's Your Fantasy"
57 Big Daddy Kane - "I Get the Job Done"
56 Busta Rhymes - "Woo-Ha! Got You All In Check"
55 Terror Squad ft/ Fat Joe and Remy - "Lean Back"
54 MC Lyte - "Cha Cha Cha"
53 Lox ft. DMX and Lil' Kim - "Money, Power, Respect"
52 Foxy Brown ft. Jay-Z - "I'll Be"
51 Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew - "The Show"
50 Lil' Wayne - "Tha Block Is Hot"
49 Boogie Down Productions - "My Philosophy"
48 Nas - "One Love"
47 Young MC - "Bust A Move"
46 De La Soul - "Me, Myself, And I"
45 Geto Boys - "Mind Playing Tricks On Me"
44 Method Man ft/ Mary J. Blige - "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need to Get By"
43 Game, The ft. 50 Cent - "Hate It or Love It"
42 Roxanne Shante - "Roxanne's Revenge"
41 Funky 4 + 1 - "That's the Joint"
40 Run-DMC - "It's Like That"
39 Tone-Loc - "Wild Thing"
38 Coolio - "Gangsta's Paradise"
37 Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock - "It Takes Two"
36 Nelly - "Hot In Herre"
35 Queen Latifah ft. Monie Love - "Ladies First"
34 Cypress Hill - "Insane In The Brain"
33 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - "Tha Crossroads"
32 Puff Daddy & The Family ft/ Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim and The Lox - "It's All About The Benjamins"
31 Kool Moe Dee - "How Ya Like Me Now"
30 Tribe Called Quest - "Check the Rhime"
29 Digital Underground - "The Humpty Dance"
28 Ice Cube - "It Was A Good Day"
27 Beastie Boys - "Hold it Now, Hit it"
26 MC Hammer - "U Can't Touch This"
25 Fugees - "Killing Me Softly"
24 Eric B and Rakim - "Paid in Full"
23 Outkast - "B.O.B."
22 Naughty By Nature - "OPP"
21 Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force- "Planet Rock"
20 Kanye West ft/ Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
19 Ice T - "Colors"
18 50 Cent - "In Da Club"
17 Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back"
16 Missy Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"
15 Eminem - "Stan"
14 Tupac - "I Get Around"
13 Wu-Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."
12 L.L. Cool J - "I Can't Live Without My Radio"
11 Jay-Z - "Hard Knock Life"
10 Kurtis Blow - "The Breaks"
09 Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
08 Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Gin and Juice"
07 Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"
06 N.W.A. - "Straight Outta Compton"
05 Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - "The Message"
04 Run-DMC ft/ Aerosmith - "Walk This Way"
03 Dr. Dre - "Nuthin But A 'G' Thang"
02 Sugarhill Gang - "Rapper's Delight"
01 Public Enemy - "Fight The Power"

 

[Negative_]

i'm surprised that 50 Cent and Kanye West both cracked the top 20 while the first mention of Nas isn't even until the middle of the list. no Kool G Rap, either....

 

[jenocyde]

i'm surprised that 50 Cent and Kanye West both cracked the top 20 while the first mention of Nas isn't even until the middle of the list.

Agreed. that list is bullshit. Heavy D. and PM Dawn? really????

 

[Rajah]

B.O.B. is a great song, don't get me wrong, but I'm surprised it's so high on the list. I'm also surprised Tennessee is so low...

 

[simulatedworld]

FLAVA FLAV IS THE FIRST TASTE YOU GET IN THE MORNIN

YO BREAKFAST IS THE FLAVAAAAAAA

 

[INA]

B.O.B. is a great song, don't get me wrong, but I'm surprised it's so high on the list. I'm also surprised Tennessee is so low...

Well, considering that "In da Club" is higher than even B.O.B., I can't hold too much hope for the sensibleness of the list.

 

[pure_mercury]

Agreed. that list is bullshit. Heavy D. and PM Dawn? really????

That PM Dawn joint is hot.

 

[Rajah]

And 99 Problems is a WAY better song than Hard Knock Life...

 

[jenocyde]

That PM Dawn joint is hot.

Nice song but for hip hop? In the top 100? Don't think so...

 

[pure_mercury]

Nice song but for hip hop? In the top 100? Don't think so...

It's definitely hip-hop, but Top 100 is iffy. I think you're underrating it a bit. Do you remember how big that song was?

 

[jenocyde]

It's definitely hip-hop, but Top 100 is iffy. I think you're underrating it a bit. Do you remember how big that song was?

Yes I remember how big it was. As far as me "underrating" it - I like it, just not for top 100 by a long stretch. Not when you think of the +/- 30 year span of hip hop.

 

[pure_mercury]

And 99 Problems is a WAY better song than Hard Knock Life...

That was a stupid call. "I'll Be" was a pretty bad one, too. I'd have "Izzo," "99 Problems," and "Brooklyn's Finest." They picked a so-so Beastie Boys choice, too. I know "Hold It, Now Hit It" is one of their purer hip-hop joints, but "Shadrach" or "Shake Your Rump" or "Sure Shot" were way better.

Also, where is "Hypnotize?"