Questlove's Top 50 Hip-Hop Songs of All Time (2012)

[Sweepstakes Ron]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists ... e-20121217

ADDITIONAL NOTE: For this top 50 list, I decided to concentrate on 1979-1995, the former being the year I got my first taste of hip-hop, the latter being the year my major-label debut with the Roots made its mark. I wanted to concentrate on the period that I was not professionally involved in the art form. I wanted to celebrate the period that built and led to the influence that got me a record deal.

[EmilienDelRey]

50. Son of Bazerk feat. No Self Control and the Band, "Change the Style" (1990)
49. Ice Cube, "Amerikkka's Most Wanted" (1990)
48. Boogie Down Productions, "The Bridge Is Over" (1987)
47. A Tribe Called Quest, "Bonita Applebum" (1990)
46. Gang Starr and Nice & Smooth, "DWYCK" (1992)
45. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, "Summertime" (1991)
44. Public Enemy, "Shut 'Em Down (Pete Rock Remix)" (1991)
43. A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders of the New School, "Scenario" (1991) / Marley Marl, "The Symphony" (1988)
42. Trouble Funk, "Pump Me Up" (1981)
41. EPMD, "You Gots to Chill" (1988)
40. Ultramagnetic MCs, "Ego Trippin'" (1986)
39. Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" (1992)
38. Tim Dog, "Fuck Compton" (1991)
37. UTFO, "Roxanne, Roxanne" (1984)
36. The Pharcyde, "Passin' Me By" (1993)
35. Audio Two, "Top Billin'" (1988)
34. Mobb Deep, "Shook Ones Part II" (1995)
33. Public Enemy, "Welcome to the Terrordome" (1990)
32. Eric B. and Rakim, "I Know You Got Soul" (1987)
31. Das EFX, "They Want EFX" (1992)
30. Biz Markie, "Just a Friend" (1990)
29. Cypress Hill, "How I Could Just Kill a Man" (1991)
28. Black Sheep, "The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)" (1991)
27. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" (1995)
26. Common, "I Used to Love H.E.R." (1994)
25. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, "White Lines" (1984)
24. DJ Mark the 45 King, "The 900 Number" (1988)
23. Naughty By Nature, "O.P.P." (1991)
22. Big Daddy Kane, "Raw" (1988)
21. Digital Underground, "The Humpty Dance" (1990)
20. Craig Mack, "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)" / The Notorious B.I.G., "Juicy"/"Unbelievable" (1994)
19. Wu-Tang Clan, "Protect Ya Neck" (1993)
18. LL Cool J, "I Need Love" (1987)
17. Geto Boys, "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me" (1990)
16. Schooly D, "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" (1985)
15. Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, "It Takes Two" (1988)
14. Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force, "Planet Rock" (1982)
13. Run-DMC, "Rock Box" (1984)
12. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg, "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" (1993)
11. Eric B. and Rakim, "Eric B is President"/"Check Out My Melody" (1986)
10. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (1981)
9. Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, "The Show"/"La Di Da Di" (1985)
8. Public Enemy, "Fight the Power" (1989)
7. Beastie Boys, "Hold It Now, Hit It" (1986)
6. Run-DMC, "My Adidas"/"Peter Piper" (1986)
5. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, "The Message" (1982)
3. N.W.A., "Fuck Tha Police" (1989)
2. Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight" (1979)
1. Public Enemy, "Rebel Without a Pause" (1987)

[bootsy]

Very good list. My only problem is
30. Biz Markie, "Just a Friend" (1990)

He's got much better songs than this. Just doesn't belong on this list. Kind of surprised he picked that song on his list.

[Henrik]

I don't know... It would be the first time ever I include an artist's genre list. Other than from books, I don't think I have ever included genre lists from single critics either.

[EmilienDelRey]

Very good list. My only problem is
30. Biz Markie, "Just a Friend" (1990)

He's got much better songs than this. Just doesn't belong on this list. Kind of surprised he picked that song on his list.

I'd see Vapors instead, my favorite of him. However, Just a Friend remains a highly appreciated song with Hip Hop fans, so I wasn't astonished to see it. I prefer the song which is sampled on the track, though.

[bootsy]

Very good list. My only problem is
30. Biz Markie, "Just a Friend" (1990)

He's got much better songs than this. Just doesn't belong on this list. Kind of surprised he picked that song on his list.

I'd see Vapors instead, my favorite of him. However, Just a Friend remains a highly appreciated song with Hip Hop fans, so I wasn't astonished to see it. I prefer the song which is sampled on the track, though.

Yeah Vapors, Make The Music WIth Your Mouth BIz or Nobody Beats The Biz all much better songs.

[StevieFan13]

Aw, I like Just a Friend. Then again, I need to listen to more of Biz.
While we're talking non-critic's genre lists, has this been brought up yet?
http://www.chrisrock.com/chris/top-25-albums

[Henrik]

Missing above:

4. De La Soul feat. A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah and Monie Love, "Buddy" (1989)

[StevieFan13]

I don't know... It would be the first time ever I include an artist's genre list. Other than from books, I don't think I have ever included genre lists from single critics either.

Besides that, the Carrie Brownstein punk releases list has been added to the album spreadsheet (though she also lists singles) and I posted a list Giorgio Moroder made of the best disco songs in the artist list thread.