100 Greatest Rap Songs Ever

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 1. The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
  2. Fight The Power - Public Enemy
  3. Nuthin But A "G" Thang - Dr. Dre
  4. It's Like That - Run-D.M.C.
  5. Rappers Delight - Sugarhill Gang
  6. Juicy - Notorious B.I.G.
  7. Children's Story - Slick Rick
  8. I Used To Love H.E.R. - Common
  9. Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa
10. Paid in Full - Eric B. & Rakim
11. Rock the Bells - LL Cool J
12. Jesus Walks - Kanye West
13. Walk This Way - Run-D.M.C. & Aerosmith
14. The Breaks - Kurtis Blow
15. Fuck Tha Police - N.W.A.
16. Rosa Parks - Outkast
17. Check the Rhime - A Tribe Called Quest
18. Keep Ya Head Up - 2 Pac
19. They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) - C.L. Smooth & Pete Rock
20. It Takes Two - Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
21. Stan - Eminem
22. One Mic - Nas
23. Me Myself and I - De La Soul
24. The Show - Doug E. Fresh w/Slick Rick
25. The Bridge Is Over - Boogie Down Productions
26. Bring The Noise - Public Enemy
27. Award Tour - A Tribe Called Quest
28. Shed So Many Tears - 2 Pac
29. Eric B. is President - Eric B. & Rakim
30. Push It - Salt-n-Pepa
31. Ms. Jackson - Outkast
32. It Was A Good Day - Ice Cube
33. Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
34. Big Poppa - Notorious B.I.G.
35. Cha Cha Cha - MC Lyte
36. C.R.E.A.M. - Wu Tang Clan
37. Hard Knock Life - Jay Z
38. My Philosophy - Boogie Down Productions
39. You Gots to Chill - EPMD
40. Mind Playing Tricks on Me - Geto Boys
41. Dear Mama - 2pac
42. I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need - Method Man w/ Mary J. Blige
43. The World Is Yours - Nas
44. Set It Off - Big Daddy Kane
45. Rock Box - Run-D.M.C.
46. Scenario - A Tribe Called Quest
47. Tha Crossroads - Bone Thugs N Harmony
48. I Need Love - LL Cool J
49. O.P.P. - Naughty By Nature
50. Sucker M.C.s - Run-D.M.C.
51. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
52. Doo Wop (That Thing) - Lauryn Hill
53. U.N.I.T.Y. - Queen Latifah
54. Passin' Me By - The Pharcyde
55. Murder Was the Case - Snoop Doggy Dogg
56. Parents Just Don't Understand - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
57. Ain't No Half-Steppin' - Big Daddy Kane
58. What You Know - T.I.
59. La Di Da Di - Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh
60. Bonita Applebum - A Tribe Called Quest
61. The Definition - Mos Def & Talib Kweli (Black Star)
62. Just A Friend - Biz Markie
63. All About the Benjamins - Puff Daddy w/Lil Kim, The LOX & The Notorious B.I.G.
64. Wild Thing - Tone-Loc
65. Get Ur Freak On - Missy Elliott
66. Get At Me Dog - DMX
67. My Name Is... - Eminem
68. Triumph - Wu-Tang Clan
69. Regulate - Warren G. w/ Nate Dogg
70. The Choice Is Yours - Black Sheep
71. Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio
72. In Da Club - 50 Cent
73. Ladies First - Queen Latifah w/ Monie Love
74. I Ain't No Joke - Eric B. & Rakim
75. Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) - Digable Planets
76. I'm Bad - LL Cool J
77. Top Billin' - Audio Two
78. Lyte As A Rock - MC Lyte
79. The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground
80. I Got 5 On It - The Luniz
81. Elevators (Me & You) - Outkast
82. You Got Me - The Roots
83. Paul Revere - The Beastie Boys
84. Colors - Ice T
85. P.S.K. (What Does It Mean) - Schoolly D
86. Boyz-N-The-Hood - Eazy E
87. Roxanne, Roxanne - U.T.F.O.
88. Shook Ones, Pt II - Mobb Deep
89. Dirty South - Goodie MOB
90. Freaks Come Out At Night - Whodini
91. Big Pimpin' - Jay Z
92. Tennessee - Arrested Development
93. Deep Cover - Dr. Dre w/ Snoop Doggy Dogg
94. It's the Joint - The Funky Four + 1
95. A Milli - Lil Wayne
96. Crush On You - Lil Kim
97. Life Is...Too $hort - Too $hort
98. Ridin' - Chamillionaire w/ Krayzie Bone
99. 6 In the Mornin' - Ice T
100. Bust A Move - Young MC

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VH1's 100 Greatest Rock Songs

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100 Sammy Hagar – “I Can’t Drive 55″
99 Grand Funk Railroad – “We’re An American Bandv
98 Buckcherry – “Lit Up”
97 The Edgar Winter Group – “Frankenstein”
96 Kansas – “Carry On Wayward Son”
95 Creed – “Higher”
94 The Darkness – “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”
93 Autograph – “Turn Up The Radio”
92 Night Ranger – “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me”
91 Smashing Pumpkins – “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”
90 Jethro Tull – “Aqualung”
89 Andrew W.K. – “Party Hard”
88 Alice In Chains – “Would?”
87 Winger – “Seventeen”
86 Marilyn Manson – “The Beautiful People”
85 Velvet Revolver – “Slither”
84 W.A.S.P. – “I Wanna Be Somebody”
83 Evanescence – “Bring Me To Life”
82 Rainbow – “Since You Been Gone”
81 Black Sabbath – “Heaven And Hell”
80 Journey – “Any Way You Want It”
79 Billy Idol – “Rebel Yell”
78 Bad Company – “Feel Like Making Love”
77 Soundgarden – “Black Hole Sun”
76 Lita Ford – “Kiss Me Deadly”
75 The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
74 The Cult – “Love Removal Machine”
73 Thin Lizzy – “Jailbreak”
72 Pat Benetar – “Heartbreaker”
71 Jane’s Addiction – “Mountain Song”
70 Foreigner – “Hot Blooded”
69 Living Colour – “Cult Of Personality”
68 White Zombie – “More Human Than Human”
67 ZZ Top – “Tush”
66 Europe – “The Final Countdown”
65 MC5 – “Kick Out the Jams”
64 Rollins Band – “Liar”
63 Survivor – “Eye Of The Tiger”
62 Dokken – “Breaking The Chains”
61 Ratt – “Round And Round”
60 Skid Row – “18 And Life”
59 Billy Squier – “The Stroke”
58 Stone Temple Pilots – “Interstate Love Song”
57 The Kinks – “You Really Got Me”
56 Warrant – “Cherry Pie”
55 Blue Oyster Cult – “Don’t Fear The Reaper”
54 Faith No More – “Epic”
53 Steppenwolf – “Born To Be Wild”
52 The Runaways – “Cherry Bomb”
51 Megadeth – “Peace Sells”
50 Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Give It Away”
49 The Stooges – “Search And Destroy”
48 Korn – “Freak On A Leash”
47 Kid Rock – “Bawitdaba”
46 Anthrax – “Madhouse”
45 Foghat – “Slow Ride”
44 Cream – “Sunshine Of Your Love”
43 Dio – “Holy Diver”
42 The Clash – “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”
41 Quiet Riot – “Cum On Feel The Noize”
40 Poison – “Talk Dirty To Me”
39 Boston – “More Than A Feeling”
38 Queen – “Stone Cold Crazy”
37 The Who – “My Generation”
36 Van Halen – “Hot For Teacher”
33 Alice Cooper – “School’s Out”
34 Heart – “Barracuda”
33 Green Day – “Basket Case”
32 Ted Nugent – “Cat Scratch Fever”
31 AC/DC – “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
30 Pearl Jam – “Even Flow”
29 Joan Jett – “Bad Reputation”
28 Foo Fighters – “Everlong”
27 Whitesnake – “Still Of The Night”
26 Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”
25 The Ramones – “Blitzkrieg Bop”
24 Iron Butterfly – “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”
23 Ozzy Osbourne – “Crazy Train”
22 Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Hey Joe”
21 Led Zeppelin – “Kashmir”
20 Bon Jovi – “You Give Love A Bad Name”
19 Rush – “Tom Sawyer”
18 Scorpions – “Rock You Like A Hurricane”
17 Twisted Sister – “I Wanna Rock”
16 Kiss – “Rock And Roll All Nite”
15 Motley Crue – “Dr. Feelgood”
14 Iron Maiden – “Run To The Hills”
13 Def Leppard – “Photograph”
12 Judas Priest – “Breaking The Law”
11 Deep Purple – “Smoke On The Water”
10 Motorhead – “Ace Of Spades”
09 Van Halen – “Runnin With The Devil”
08 Aerosmith – “Walk This Way”
07 Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
06 The Who – “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
05 Metallica – “Enter Sandman”
04 Black Sabbath – “Paranoid”
03 Led Zeppelin – “Whole Lotta Love”
02 AC/DC – “Back In Black”
01 Guns N’ Roses – “Welcome To The Jungle”

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About.com Top 40 Best Pop Songs of All Time

Source: http://top40.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/top40essentialsongsalltime.03.htm

10. OutKast - "Hey Ya!" (2003)

Courtesy LaFace Records

"Hey Ya" was released as one of the two lead singles, along with "The Way You Move," from OutKast's double disc set Speakerboxxx / The Love Below. Its catchy uplifting pastiche of Rock, Pop, Hip Hop and R&B was instantly celebrated as brilliant work. The song reached #1 on the pop singles chart and ended the year as a frequent mention in critics' choices for the top single of the year. The video that accompanies the song references the Beatles's historic appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. The song's memorable line, "Shake it like a Polaroid picture," was later used in advertising by Polaroid.

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9. Carly Simon - "You're So Vain" (1972)

Courtesy Elektra

Despite the fact that the true subject of this song is still not known, it is one of the most devastating portraits of conceit ever recorded. Speculation of whom Carly Simon was thinking about include Mick Jagger, Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson and James Taylor. Various clues to the identity have come out over time. Musically, "You're So Vain" is one of the best examples of a confessional style of singer-songwriter pop. The song is Carly Simon's only #1 pop single.

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8. Rod Stewart - "Maggie May" (1971)

Courtesy Mercury Records

Rod Stewart's tale of a manipulative romance with an older woman is believed to be autobiographical. It became Stewart's first #1 pop single and is given credit for launching his career as a solo star. "Maggie May" brought a British folk-pop style and Stewart's trademark raspy vocals into the pop mainstream. Rod Stewart has said he's not sure why it became such a big hit because it has no melody.

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7. Righteous Brothers - "Unchained Melody" (1965)

Courtesy Philles

"Unchained Melody" began its recorded life as a theme song for an obscure 1955 prison film Unchained. It hit the pop charts shortly after in an instrumental version by Les Baxter and a vocal version by Al Hibbler. The song was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Song from a Motion Picture. Produced Phil Spector recorded the best known version of "Unchained Melody" as a solo performance by the Righteous Brothers' Bobby Hatfield but it was still credited to the duo upon release. Their version of the song was a top five pop hit, and it returned to the charts in 1990 after being included on the soundtrack to the film Ghost. "Unchained Melody" remains one of the most romantic pop songs of all time.

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6. Beach Boys - "Good Vibrations" (1966)

Courtesy Capitol Records

"Good Vibrations" is the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson's magnum opus. It became the band's third #1 pop single. Some consider the song to be a mini-symphony of sorts in multiple sections. Production of the song is reported to have taken seventeeen sessions and ultimately cost over $50,000, a phenomenal cost at that time. The final segments of the song feature the electronic instrument the theremin. "Good Vibrations" is considered to have broken entirely new ground in what could be done in the recording studio with splicing together a wide range of discreet recorded components to create the final work.

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5. Beatles - "Yesterday" (1965)

Courtesy Capitol Records

The Guinness Book of Records claims no song has inspired more cover versions than "Yesterday." It is a melancholy ballad recorded with simply the voice of Paul McCartney over a string quartet. It details the aftermath of a relationship gone sour. However, when something so simple is done so perfectly it becomes a classic. The other Beatles members were at first adamantly against including the song on a Beatles album because the sound was so different from their other work. They did veto its release as a single at home in the UK. In the US the song was a #1 hit. A 1999 BBC poll voted "Yesterday" the Best Song of the 20th Century.

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4. Judy Garland - "Over the Rainbow" (1939)

Courtesy Decca

"Over the Rainbow" was written specifically for the movie The Wizard Of Ozby Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Judy Garland singing the song was originally deleted from the movie, but insistence from Harold Arlen and executive producer Arthur Freed lobbied to get it back in the film. The version from the Wizard of Oz remains the best known recording, but other cover versions, particularly the one by Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, are well known. The "Songs of the Century" list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts listed "Over the Rainbow" as #1 based on its historical significance.

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3. Rolling Stones - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965)

Courtesy London Records

The Rolling Stones topped the US pop singles chart for the first time with this song. It has all of the components of a classic Rolling Stones hit including an arresting guitar introduction from Keith Richards as well as classic preening vocals from Mick Jagger. The song was recorded at the Chess Studios in Chicago. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" was seen as subversive and threatening due to its sexual suggestiveness and attacks on commercialism. It was the song that turned the Rolling Stones into superstars.

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2. Bruce Springsteen - "Born to Run" (1975)

Courtesy Columbia Records

Bruce Springsteen has stated that he wrote "Born to Run" as a last-ditch effort to become a true star. His first two albums had been critically acclaimed but didn't sell particularly well. The song is essentially a passionate, heroic love letter to a girl named Wendy. The imagery in the song is powerful with "kids huddled on the beach in a mist" and "highways jammed with broken heroes." The song, along with the rest of the albumBorn to Run did help make Bruce Springsteen into a star. He appeared on the covers of Time and Newsweek and the album hit #3 on the charts. Neither of his first two albums had placed inside the top 50. The song itself reached #23 on the pop singles chart in the US.

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1. John Lennon - "Imagine" (1971)

Courtesy Apple Records

John Lennon himself stated that "Imagine" is as good as anything he wrote with the Beatles. The song remains one of the most powerful and poignant requests in song to imagine a peaceful world. It reached the top 10 in both the US and the UK upon initial release.

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MTV's 100 Greatest POP song

(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
...Baby One More Time
All The Small Things
Beat It
Bennie And The Jets
Billie Jean
Bohemian Rhapsody
Brass In Pocket
Brown Eyed Girl
Bye Bye Bye
Careless Whisper
Changes
Dancing Queen
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me
Don't Speak
Don't You Want Me
Every Breath You Take
Faith
Free Fallin'
Go Your Own Way
Gone Till November
Good Times
Good Vibrations
Hot Fun In The Summertime
Hotel California
I Need Love
I Wanna Be Sedated
I Want It That Way
I Want To Hold Your Hand
I Want To Know What Love Is
I Want You Back
I Will Always Love You
I Will Survive
Imagine
In My Life
Iris
Jump
Just A Friend
Just Can't Get Enough
Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
Just The Way You Are
Just What I Needed
Let's Stay Together
Like A Rolling Stone
Like A Virgin
Longview
Losing My Religion
Love Shack
MMM Bop
Maybe I'm Amazed
Miss You
My Generation
My Name Is
Nasty
No Diggity
O.P.P.
Oh, Pretty Woman
One
One Headlight
Only Happy When It Rains
Our Lips Are Sealed
Papa Don't Preach
Photograph
Proud Mary
Respect
Rock With You
She Drives Me Crazy
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smooth
Stayin' Alive
Superstition
Surrender
Sweet Child O' Mine
Tainted Love
Tangled Up In Blue
Tears In Heaven
The Boy Is Mine
The One I Love
The Tracks Of My Tears
Time After Time
Tiny Dancer
Under The Bridge
Vogue
Waterfalls
What's Going On
Where Did Our Love Go
Wonderwall
Yesterday
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
You Oughta Know
You Shook Me All Night Long
Your Song

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