• To celebrate the golden anniversary of hip-hop, we rounded up 35 essential hits.
• These songs were hugely significant for the genre’s growth and made an impact on the music industry.
• Our picks are listed below in chronological order. Listen to the complete playlist on Insider’s Spotify.

Hip-hop is a nebulous label — always evolving, and difficult to define.

Since its birth in 1973, at a summertime bash in the Bronx, the art form has gone through too many transformations to track. But what’s undeniable is the effect on every corner of music and pop culture, despite an uphill battle for recognition in an industry full of white gatekeepers.

Today, hip-hop is the most popular style of music in the US. In honor of the golden anniversary, take a look back at some of the songs that had a major impact on its legacy — whether it was breaking down a boundary, creating a subgenre, or inspiring future artists to follow suit.

1. ‘Rapper’s Delight’ by Sugarhill Gang (1979)

Though not the first hip-hop song ever — that title instead belongs to The Fatback Band’s “King Tim III (Personality Jock)” — “Rapper’s Delight” introduced the genre to a global audience.

Arguably the first hip-hop song to ever reach the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, the song opened the floodgates by proving to record labels that rap was commercially viable.

“When it came out, nothing was the same afterwards,” hip-hop activist and journalist Harry Allen told NPR in 2000. “It made everything else possible.”

2. ‘The Breaks’ by Kurtis Blow (1980)

In early hip-hop nomenclature, the “break,” or “breakdown,” was the part of the song where most elements other than the percussion dropped out, allowing time for breakdancers to showcase their moves.

With that in mind, Kurtis Blow, a breakdancer himself, said “The Breaks” was made as a “tribute to all the breakers.”

“I wanted to do a tribute song with many breaks so that the breakers could get down and do their thing,” Blow told Songfacts. “We danced during the breaks of a song. That was our time to go off or to do our best moves.”

3. ‘Planet Rock’ by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force (1982)

Legendary record producer and cofounder of Def Jam Recordings, Rick Rubin, called this “One of the most influential songs of everything,” while speaking to Rolling Stone. “It changed the world.”

Released in 1982 as a non-album single, the song, according to Rolling Stone, introduced Roland 808 beats — the type later used by the Beastie Boys and Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) — to hip-hop and “coined the sonic language” of modern dance music.

“It’s as important as Willie Mitchell or Booker T. were to the Memphis scene,” Chuck D of Public Enemy told the publication. “There hasn’t been a song like it in hip-hop since.”

4. ‘The Message’ by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (1982)

As its title suggests, “The Message” is renowned for marrying classic rap with sharp social commentary. The lyrics wrestle with heavy topics, including generational poverty and over-policing in Black communities.

Twenty years after its release, “The Message” became the first-ever rap song to be inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, which preserves art that is “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2012.

Hemu Aggarwal/Getty Images

5. ‘Sucker M.C.’s’ by Run-D.M.C. (1983)

When Joseph Simmons (aka Run), Darryl McDaniels (aka D.M.C.), and Jason Mizell (aka Jam Master Jay) formed Run-D.M.C. in Queens, New York, they quickly achieved icon status.

“Sucker M.C.’s” was released as the B-side for the group’s official debut single, “It’s Like That.” What could’ve been doomed as a footnote in rap history (it peaked at No. 15 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) became the foundation for an era known as “new-school rap.”

In contrast to the genre’s previous hits, which were flecked with R&B and funk influences, “Sucker M.C.’s” is powerfully minimalistic — stripped down to just B-boy vocals and an Oberheim DMX drum machine, hailed by Billboard as “the most famous hip-hop drum pattern in the history of the genre.”

As music critic Nelson George wrote, the song was a springboard, “heralding the 808 as the foundation of hip-hop’s future and Run-D.M.C. as the genre’s new kings.” George also argued that Run-D.M.C.’s first album marked “the first time that real hip-hop was pressed to vinyl.”

Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

6. ‘Paul Revere’ by Beastie Boys (1986)

The Beastie Boys, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, gleefully joined the New York City rap scene in 1986 with “Licensed to Ill,” the first rap album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Its commercial appeal also helped launch the success of Def Jam, which became one of the most coveted labels for hip-hop artists.

“Licensed to Ill” spawned several hit singles, including “Girls,” “No Sleep till Brooklyn,” and “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!).”

But it was “Paul Revere,” the sensationalized origin story of the Beastie Boys, that inspired fellow legends like Rick Ross, Missy Elliott, and N.W.A.

“‘Paul Revere’ just changed our life,” Ice Cube recalled in 2019. “This is how we knew our style would work. We did a version of ‘Paul Revere’ at a show and the crowd went crazy. We changed the words, made it dirty, made it ours, and the crowd went crazy, and we knew, OK, this was our style.”

7. ‘I Know You Got Soul’ by Eric B. & Rakim (1987)

Despite their relatively brief run as a DJ/MC duo, Eric B. & Rakim cemented their legacy as tastemakers following the release of their debut album, “Paid In Full,” which is widely recognized as a benchmark in hip-hop history.

The fourth track, “I Know You Got Soul,” is a standout example of the genre’s evolving complexity, as well as its long history with sampling, interpolating, and remixing — in short, transforming something old into something new, a skill that requires resourcefulness, innovation, and finesse.

Rolling Stone, which ranked “I Know You Got Soul” at No. 23 among the greatest hip-hop songs of all time, described it as “the sort of jam that disappeared once copyright lawyers stepped up their game.”

“Eric B. built this landmark 1987 track by looping a chunk of the James Brown-produced song of the same name,” the magazine explained. “But turnabout is fair play: British mixmasters M/A/R/R/S built their hit ‘Pump Up the Volume’ around a sample of Rakim saying that phrase on ‘I Know You Got Soul.'”

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

8. ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (1988)

In 1989, Jeff Townes and Will Smith (aka DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince) became the first hip-hop act in history to win a Grammy.

The inaugural award for best rap performance was presented to their hit single, “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” a cheeky teen anthem that peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100.

However, Townes and Smith weren’t there to accept the award. After learning the groundbreaking rap category wouldn’t be televised, the duo refused to attend the ceremony in protest.

“We don’t have the problem with the Grammy as an award or the Grammys as an institution, we just had a problem with the 1989 design of the awards show,” Smith told Entertainment Tonight that same year. “We chose to boycott. We feel that it’s a slap in the face.”

9. ‘Fuck tha Police’ by N.W.A. (1988)

N.W.A.’s protest anthem has one of the most powerful, revolutionary, and long-lasting legacies in the history of music.

In 2020, 32 years after its release, the song experienced a resurgence in popularity during a new wave of protests against police brutality.

“That song is still in the same place before it was made,” Ice Cube, who was 19 when his group released the track, said in 2015. “It’s our legacy here in America with the police department and any kind of authority figures that have to deal with us on a day-to-day basis.”

“There’s usually abuse and violence connected to that interaction, so when ‘Fuck tha Police’ was made in 1988, it was 400 years in the making,” he continued. “And it’s still just as relevant as it was before it was made.”

Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

10. ‘Bust a Move’ by Young MC (1989)

Young MC’s signature hit “Bust a Move” represents a playful, nimble, genre-hopping side of hip-hop culture.

On top of the memorable Ballin’ Jack sample, the song includes pieces of Bette Midler’s disco record “Daytime Hustler” and even features Flea of The Red Hot Chili Peppers playing bass.

The song flooded the airwaves upon its release and won the 1990 Grammy Award for best rap performance — making Young MC the first solo rapper ever to win a Grammy. It was the first time a rap category was televised during the ceremony.

11. ‘Fight the Power’ by Public Enemy (1989)

First released on the soundtrack for Spike Lee’s seminal “Do the Right Thing,” “Fight the Power” embodied the anger and frustration felt by the Black community in the face of systemic oppression and police brutality in the United States in the late ’80s.

“If the government dictates who you are, then you’re part of the power structure that keeps you down. We were going to fight that and say: ‘Look at me as a human being,'” Public Enemy’s Chuck D told The Guardian in 2016.

The track’s bold and unapologetic lyrics (“Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me you see”) tackled racial inequality head-on and inspired a generation to stand up against injustice.

“Songs are like little earthquakes,” Chuck D said. “After ‘Fight the Power,’ the fucking world shook.”

12. ‘I Left My Wallet In El Segundo’ by A Tribe Called Quest (1990)

Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White — collectively known as A Tribe Called Quest — have been widely celebrated for their Afrocentric, neo-soul approach to hip-hop.

“The rappers from Tribe were far from urban jungle warriors: They loved to read and wanted to smoke weed, not sell it. They wore their intellectualism lightly, but proudly, and they made hip-hop for people who were as interested in ideas as in rhymes,” Touré wrote for the New York Times. “Questlove, the drummer for the Roots, told me that when he was a teenager, Tribe was critical to his seeing himself as someone who could be in hip-hop.”

Indeed, A Tribe Called Quest has influenced a staggering array of artists, from André 3000 to Lorde to Pusha T.

“Just about anyone out here doing it — outside of anything hardcore or overly gangsta — you’re a descendant of Tribe, whether you like it or not,” Trent Clark, editor-in-chief of HipHopDX, told USA Today. “Benchmarks, blueprints, they set them all.”

The group’s enduring legacy was launched in 1990 with “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo,” released as the lead single from their debut album.

13. ‘U Can’t Touch This’ by MC Hammer (1990)

Much like “Bust a Move,” MC Hammer’s catchy hit — which borrows heavily from the Rick James classic “Super Freak” — became a cultural touchstone and helped introduce hip-hop to more mainstream audiences.

In addition to its wins for best R&B song and best rap solo performance, “U Can’t Touch This” was the first hip-hop song ever to earn a Grammy nomination for record of the year.

MC Hammer/YouTube

14. ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ by LL Cool J (1991)

LL Cool J opened “Mama Said Knock You Out,” the titular single from his fourth album, with one of the most iconic raps in history: “Don’t call it a comeback / I been here for years.”

The Queens native had previously received backlash for his third album, “Walking with a Panther,” which had been described as over-the-top and out of touch.

“I definitely had a chip on my shoulder,” LL Cool J recalled to Rock the Bells. “They looked at the diamonds, jewelry, and cars as a sign of me being disconnected. When in reality, I was just living out my hustler dreams and that’s just what I always wanted to do.”

The rapper also said he turned to his grandmother for support when he felt ostracized by the hip-hop community.

“I was already energized when we went to record, but her advice was in the back of my mind,” he said.

The criticism became fuel for “Mama Said Knock You Out,” which went multiplatinum and secured LL Cool J’s first Grammy Award for best rap solo performance.

“Mama Said Knock You Out” remains an indelible piece of pop culture today, especially in the world of athletics. The song was recited by Serena Williams in a 2018 commercial and was recently remixed for the NBA In-Season Tournament soundtrack.

“That song stands the test of time because exactly what he’s talking about,” producer Marley Marl told Rock the Bells. “Everybody loves a great comeback story.

15. ‘Let Me Ride’ by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg (1993)

Dr. Dre’s debut album “The Chronic” was a game changer. It helped popularize the G-funk subgenre and launched Dre’s solo career as a rapper and producer — as well as the career of Snoop Dogg, who was largely unknown at the time.

Their reggae-inspired collaboration “Let Me Ride” was promoted as the album’s third single and earned Dre his first Grammy Award in 1994.

Although Dre continues to be celebrated in the music industry, he has also been accused of assault by Dee Barnes, a journalist and MC, who told Rolling Stone that she’s been blacklisted by the music industry since speaking out against the mogul.

16. ‘U.N.I.T.Y.’ by Queen Latifah (1993)

Queen Latifah became the first female rapper to receive a Grammy Award in 1995, winning best rap solo performance for “U.N.I.T.Y.”

As with many of her signature songs, “U.N.I.T.Y.” celebrates the resilience of women in a male-dominated world, explicitly condemning issues like sexual harassment (“I walked past these dudes when they passed me / One of ’em felt my booty, he was nasty”) and sexist language in her own industry (“Instinct leads me to another flow / Every time I hear a brother call a girl a bitch or a ho / Tryna make a sister feel low / You know all of that gots to go”).

Just this year, Latifah made history again as the first female rapper to join the National Recording Registry with the induction of her debut album “All Hail The Queen.”

17. ‘None of Your Business’ by Salt-N-Pepa (1994)

The 37th annual Grammys proved to be a historic night for women in hip-hop. After Queen Latifah accepted the award for best rap solo performance, Salt-N-Pepa became the first-ever female rap group to take home a golden gramophone.

Cheryl James (aka Salt), Sandra Denton (aka Pepa), and Deidra Roper (aka DJ Spinderella) won best rap performance by a duo or group for “None of Your Business,” a sex-positive anthem that calls out misogynistic double standards. It was their third nomination in the category that had previously been dominated by men.

The song’s parent album, “Very Necessary,” was eventually certified multiplatinum — making Salt-N-Pepa the first female rap group to achieve the feat.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

18. ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ by Coolio featuring L.V. (1995)

“Gangsta’s Paradise” didn’t just spark a breakthrough in Coolio’s career. It marked a turning point for hip-hop at large, in terms of radio play and mainstream appeal.

Originally recorded for the drama film “Dangerous Minds,” the song is notable for its moody, melodramatic production. Combined with L.V.’s melodic chorus and Coolio’s biblical lyrics — “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” is based on Psalm 23 — the song became easy to recognize and difficult to shake.

“Gangsta’s Paradise” was the best-selling song of 1995 in the US and wound up topping charts in over a dozen countries. It was also the first hip-hop song to win single of the year at the Billboard Music Awards, an award that celebrates commercial success.

To this day, “Gangsta’s Paradise” remains one of the most memorable and widely beloved hits from the ’90s with over 1 billion streams on Spotify.

19. ‘Hypnotize’ by The Notorious B.I.G. (1997)

“Hypnotize” was promoted as the lead single for The Notorious B.I.G’s sophomore album, “Life After Death,” which was released just 16 days after the Brooklyn legend was murdered.

The landmark song became Biggie’s first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100, making him the only artist to posthumously top the chart since John Lennon in 1980. (Later that year, “Mo Money Mo Problems” also ascended to No. 1, making Biggie the only artist to top the Hot 100 posthumously twice.)

“Hypnotize” is still known as a crossover smash, a sure-fire party starter, partially thanks to its ingenious infusion of disco. The beat was crafted using a sample of Herb Alpert’s “Rise,” written by Andy Armer and Herb’s nephew, Randy “Badazz” Alpert.

Randy later revealed that he’d been approached by several hip-hop artists to use the sample, including stars like Ice Cube and Easy E, but he was never convinced — until he heard Biggie’s demo.

“There were probably 8-10 records between the late ’80s through the early ’90s that tried to sample ‘Rise,’ and I never liked them,” he told Billboard in 2017.

After turning down a flood of requests, Randy’s publisher convinced him to listen to the “Hypnotize” demo in late 1996.

“I remember when that thing came on… that was it, I’m done. It’s great,” he recalled. “I played that cassette over and over. I must’ve played it for half an hour, 45 minutes. I said, ‘That’s a fucking hit record.'”

“To this day 20 years later… like, I ask my twin 17-year-olds, and those 17-year-olds were not born when ‘Hypnotize’ came out, and were certainly not born when ‘Rise’ came out. But them and their friends love that record,” Randy added. “There are certain artists that work through generations.”

20. ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ by Diddy featuring Faith Evans & 112 (1997)

Before he leveraged his fame to build a business empire, Sean Combs (then known as Diddy) dominated the charts in the ’90s and early 2000s.

In 1997 alone, Combs notched three No. 1 hits on the Hot 100: “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down,” “Mo Money Mo Problems,” and “I’ll Be Missing You,” a tribute to his labelmate, Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, who was murdered in March of that year.

The heartfelt single reigned atop the chart for 11 weeks, which remains one of the longest No. 1 streaks in Billboard history.

The following year, “I’ll Be Missing You” won best rap performance by a duo or group at the 40th annual Grammy Awards. Combs also won best rap album for “No Way Out,” making him the first rapper in history to receive multiple Grammys in a single night.

More recently, Combs was sued by his longtime partner and label signee Cassie, who accused him of perpetuating a “cycle of abuse.” The case was quickly settled out of court.

21. ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’ by Lauryn Hill (1998)

After a celebrated career with the Fugees, “Doo Wop (That Thing)” was released as Lauryn Hill’s solo debut single. It debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, becoming the 10th song in history to achieve that feat.

It also led the charge for Hill’s one and only studio album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” on which she was the sole producer.

At the 1999 Grammys, Hill became the first hip-hop artist ever to win album of the year, in addition to awards for best new artist, best R&B album, best female R&B vocal performance, and best rhythm & blues song.

“Doo Wop (That Thing)” remains Hill’s signature hit, inspiring a new generation of groundbreaking artists.

“Normally, you had other people singing the hooks — Nate Dogg, Ashanti. But Lauryn Hill was singing her own hook and spitting intricate verses,” Lizzo wrote for Billboard in 2018. “I don’t think people realize how amazing and incredible that is — and how difficult it is to pull that off.”

“She set the bar,” Lizzo continued. “I was always afraid of being a singer, but then when I heard Lauryn Hill, I was like, ‘Maybe I can do both.'”

Frank Micelotta Archive via Getty Images

22. ‘Changes’ by 2Pac featuring Talent (1998)

Before his murder in 1996, Tupac Shakur built a reputation as an outspoken poet, rapping about an array of sociopolitical issues.

Although Shakur’s music wasn’t always “woke” by today’s standards, “Changes” stands out as one of his most referenced and most prescient songs.

Originally recorded in 1992, “Changes” was released after Shakur’s death as the lead single from his “Greatest Hits” compilation. It remains the only posthumous song to be nominated for best rap solo performance at the Grammys.

The lyrics reveal a devastating, first-hand account of racist systems in the US, particularly mass incarceration (“It ain’t a secret, don’t conceal the fact / The penitentiary’s packed, and it’s filled with blacks”), as well as generational poverty, police brutality, gun violence, and the disastrous war on drugs.

“‘Changes’ by 2Pac was the first hip-hop song I heard that stopped me in my tracks,” Sampa the Great recently wrote in an essay for The Guardian. “I was 9 years old, living in Botswana as a middle child of five.”

“Because Tupac was expressing human experiences, it made me connect,” she continued. “And that was another note for myself: regardless of where I’m from, what language I speak or which culture I belong to, the human experience always resonates.”

23. ‘Get Ur Freak On’ by Missy Elliott (2001)

Missy Elliott’s status as an innovator and trailblazer was well-established by the time she was ready to release her third studio album, “Miss E… So Addictive.” But the album’s lead single, “Get Ur Freak On,” took Elliott’s fame to new heights.

Cowritten and produced by Timbaland, the Grammy-winning song has been hailed as “the most iconic 21st-Century dance anthem” (BBC) and “one of the most deliciously freaky, gleefully experimental hip-hop songs ever” (Rolling Stone). Elliott’s refusal to pander or follow trends has inspired everyone from Michelle Obama to Bad Bunny.

“I just wanted to cross the border with this album,” she told Vibe magazine in 2001. “When was the last time somebody made records like Prince, or Rick James, or Marvin Gaye’s ‘Sexual Healing?’ I wanted to do what everybody else is scared to do.”

Missy Elliott/YouTube

24. ‘Ether’ by Nas (2001)

Nas honed the art of the diss track with “Ether,” released on his fifth album “Stillmatic.”

Intended as a response to Jay-Z’s “Takeover,” the song made such a splash that its title became synonymous with public humiliation.

According to Merriam-Webster, the word “ether” — historically used to describe “the upper regions of space” — took on a new colloquial meaning thanks to Nas, one that’s still popular today.

“The song, which finished second in a 2017 Rolling Stone Readers’ Poll of the best diss tracks of all time, was received with great acclaim and is credited with revitalizing Nas’ career,” reads an article on the dictionary’s website.

“Shortly after its release, ‘ether’ began to see use as a verb along the ranks of ‘own,’ ‘savage,’ and ‘throw shade,’ all of which refer to the act of leveling criticism to another in a public way that is intended to humiliate,” Merriam-Webster continues. “‘Ether’ adds to that meaning the effect of leaving the target of such criticism at a loss for response. And now it’s out there, in the air, for Jay-Z and everyone else to breathe in.”

25. ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem (2002)

Amid all of Eminem’s accomplishments, “Lose Yourself” stands out as one of the most lauded hip-hop cuts of all time.

It was the inaugural winner of the Grammy Award for best rap song in 2004 and became the first rap song ever to be nominated for song of the year, a category that celebrates excellence in lyricism. Written for the soundtrack of “8 Mile,” Eminem’s film debut, it was also the first rap song to win an Oscar.

In 2014, “Lose Yourself” became the third song in history to be certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America.

26. ‘Frontin” by Pharrell featuring Jay-Z (2003)

Today, Pharrell is known for smash hits like “Happy” and “Blurred Lines,” as well as his illustrious career as a producer, which has yielded gems like Frank Ocean’s “Pink + White,” Beyoncé’s “Blow,” Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body,” and Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U.”

Pharrell has affected both pop and hip-hop culture in nearly incalculable ways — but before all that, “Frontin'” put him on the map as a solo star. Pharrell’s debut single pushed him into the spotlight and expanded the reach of his influence, partially thanks to its brilliantly designed music video.

“The vision of a hip hop-driven, streetwear-inflected lifestyle presented by ‘Frontin’ in 2003 was basically the blueprint for everything that became cool in the 18 years since,” Cam Wolf wrote for GQ. Pharrell also confirmed to Complex that its impact was “calculated.”

Pharrell Williams/YouTube

27. ‘Hey Ya!’ by Outkast (2003)

Outkast, the Atlanta duo that’s widely credited for the rise of Southern rap, convinced everybody to shake it like a Polaroid picture (even though you’re not supposed to do that) when they released “Hey Ya!” as the lead single for their multiplatinum album, “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.”

Written, produced, and performed by André 3000, the smash hit is most notable for its genre-defying, cross-generational appeal. Upon its release, the rap-funk-pop behemoth reigned at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for nine weeks and became the first song ever to be downloaded 1 million times on iTunes.

Indeed, “Hey Ya!” is probably the closest to “universally beloved” that any song can get. It’s been described by critics as an “experimental masterstroke” (NME) and “one of the greatest unifying forces that pop music has given us this century” (Stereogum). In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked “Hey Ya!” as the 10th-best song of all time.

28. ‘Super Bass’ by Nicki Minaj (2011)

Plenty of rappers enjoyed radio play before Nicki Minaj came along, but she may have perfected the formula for a crossover hit in the 21st century. “Super Bass” combined rapid-fire rhymes with irresistible hooks, establishing Minaj as a top-tier rapper as much as an international pop star.

Whether “Super Bass” is Minaj’s best song is irrelevant; it poured gasoline on her career and allowed her to carve a unique path through the music industry.

Minaj redefined what it means to be a woman in hip-hop, to the point where you can no longer find a breakthrough star in the genre who hasn’t sung her praises. (“Thank you Nicki,” Doja Cat explicitly raps on her Grammy-nominated third album. “I love you!”)

29. ‘Marvin’s Room’ by Drake (2011)

Since his debut in 2010, Drake has become the undisputed king of hip-hop’s commercial appeal. One could argue that “Take Care” paved the way.

Drake’s sophomore album is still widely considered his best work. Though it may seem like standard fare to newer fans, that’s precisely because its influence was so vast. “Take Care” is credited with popularizing the emotive rap-sung style that took over hip-hop in the 2010s, and its lead single, “Marvin’s Room,” is the crown jewel of that subgenre.

“The easiest thing to do is be like, ‘I’m the coolest guy, I get all the girls, I’m untouchable,'” Drake’s longtime producer, Noah “40” Shebib, told Billboard in 2019. “The hard thing to do is be vulnerable and honest. [‘Marvins Room’] opened the doors for artists in Drake’s position to make music from their heart and not be so confined to self-imposed rules and regulations.”

30. ‘Alright’ by Kendrick Lamar (2015)

Kendrick Lamar is considered by many to be the greatest living rapper. Across his four studio albums, the lyrical wiz has racked up countless accolades, including 17 Grammys (out of 47 nominations) and a Pulitzer Prize.

Lamar’s crowning achievement, however, is not his many awards or glowing reviews. It’s the way he’s inspired younger generations, especially in the Black community. His standout single “Alright” became a call for justice and an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement, years before it was reignited by the death of George Floyd.

“When I’d go in certain parts of the world, and they were singing it in the streets,” Lamar told the New York Times in 2015. “When it’s outside of the concerts, then you know it’s a little bit more deep-rooted than just a song. It’s more than just a piece of a record. It’s something that people live by — your words.”

Kendrick Lamar/YouTube

31. ‘No Problem’ by Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz (2016)

“No Problem,” the most popular song from Chance the Rapper’s third mixtape “Coloring Book,” helped take down a longstanding barrier for hip-hop artists.

Even after he’d arrived on mainstream radars, Chance still refused to sign a major label contract, preferring to operate independently. Like many grassroots rappers, who find success on free platforms like YouTube or SoundCloud, Chance’s music wasn’t available to purchase, only to stream. This made him ineligible to be nominated for a Grammy Award — until the Recording Academy changed the rule, that is.

In 2017, the Recording Academy announced it would allow submissions of streaming-only albums for the first time. That same day, Chance was announced as the first streaming-only artist to receive Grammy nominations — including best rap song and best rap performance for “No Problem.”

He won the latter during the preshow, in addition to two other awards, cementing his role as a key player in hip-hop’s growing takeover.

32. ‘Bodak Yellow’ by Cardi B (2017)

It’s hard to remember a time when Cardi B wasn’t a household name, but before she released “Bodak Yellow” as her major-label debut single, she was still best known as a meme-able character from “Love & Hip-Hop: New York.”

The song had other plans. It reigned at No. 1 for three weeks — only the second time ever a female rapper had topped the chart unaccompanied — and catapulted Cardi B to Grammy-level reverence.

“Bodak Yellow” eventually became the first song ever by a female rapper to be certified diamond.

33. ‘This Is America’ by Childish Gambino (2018)

Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) surprise-released “This Is America” with no explanation, save for an intricate and unnerving music video.

It became an overnight phenomenon. The enigmatic track inspired think pieces, sparked outrage among conservatives, and fueled discussions about racism and gun violence in the US.

Whatever Glover’s intention was, the song’s reach was indisputable; “This Is America” was awarded both song of the year and record of the year at the 61st annual Grammy Awards, becoming the first hip-hop song in history to win either.

Childish Gambino/YouTube

34. ‘Old Town Road’ by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (2019)

Lil Nas X’s breakthrough single, which combines elements of trap, country, and industrial rock, first made headlines for suffering a setback: Billboard unceremoniously booted the viral hit from its country charts, citing indistinct “factors” that many interpreted as racist.

In response, Lil Nas X recruited Billy Ray Cyrus, a country legend he only knew from watching “Hannah Montana” as a kid.

It’s no exaggeration to say that that decision changed the music industry. The new Cyrus-featuring remix of “Old Town Road” set a record for the longest streak at No. 1 on the all-genre Hot 100 (19 weeks) and became the fastest song in history to be certified diamond.

The song’s runaway success signaled a shift away from genre lines and boundaries — a charge that hip-hop artists had already been leading for decades — and forced a long-overdue conversation about double standards for Black musicians.

35. ‘Savage Remix’ by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé (2020)

Megan Thee Stallion was already one of the brightest new stars in rap before her collaboration with Beyoncé made history.

At the 2021 Grammys, the Houston natives won best rap song for “Savage Remix,” becoming the first-ever female duo to triumph in the category. Their win also meant that Beyoncé — who’s dabbled in rap and hip-hop trends throughout her career — had officially become the most-awarded woman in Grammys history.

“But of course, the Queen is really here for a coronating co-sign of Megan Thee Stallion — the defining artist of a year that seemed a never-ending showcase for her bravado, poise and finely calibrated fury,” Lindsay Zoladz wrote for the New York Times. “‘Savage’ is so much more than a meme, an Instagram caption, a TikTok dance: It is a joyous assertion of Black female personhood in a world that needed it as desperately as water.”

Barnaby Lane contributed additional reporting.

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