Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs Chart’s Top 100 Songs Of All Time Revealed

    In honor of the 25th-anniversary of Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart, Billboard has released a countdown of the Top 100 songs of all time The Top 10 songs include tracks by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and 69 Boyz, among others. 

    “The 25th Anniversary Hot Rap Songs ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot Rap Songs chart, since the chart’s inception in the March 11, 1989, issue,” Billboard says of this report. “Rankings are based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 having the greatest value and weeks at lower positions proportionately less. Due to various changes in chart rules, chart length and methodology throughout the years, songs had varying reigns at No. 1 and on the chart. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from all 25 years, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference in turnover rates from those periods.”

    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis crafted the #1 song on the chart, with the duo’s Wanz-assisted “Thrift Shop.” The track’s peak position was #1 and its peak date was January 19, 2013. 

    Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, Salt-N-Pepa, Coolio, Craig Mack and The Notorious B.IG. also have selections in the Top 10. The publication’s Top 10 list is as follows. 

    1. “Thrift Shop” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 1/19/2013

    2. “Tootsee Roll” – 69 Boyz
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 9/3/1994

    3. “Hot Boyz” – Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott feat. Nas, Eve & Q-Tip
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 11/27/1999

    4. “Can’t Hold Us” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 5/4/2013

    5. “Expression” – Salt-N-Pepa
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 1/20/1990

    6. “Gangsta’s Paradise” – Coolio feat. L.V.
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 9/2/1995

    7. “Flava In Ya Ear” – Craig Mack
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 9/10/1994

    8. “Big Poppa/Warning” – The Notorious B.I.G.
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 1/28/1995

    9.”No Hands” – Waka Flocka Flame feat. Roscoe Dash & Wale
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 12/11/2010

    10. “The Humpty Dance” – Digital Underground
    Hot Rap Songs Peak: 1, Peak Date: 3/17/1990

    The remaining 90 selections are profiled in the Billboard article. 

    RELATED: Hip Hop Release Dates

    102 thoughts on “Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs Chart’s Top 100 Songs Of All Time Revealed

    1. This is what happens when white people try and tell us what the greatest hip hop songs of all time are FUKKiNG OUT OF THEIR MINDS!!!!!!!!!!!

    2. why they got a pic of this ugly nigga nas on here when he dont have a song on the top 10. Thats missy song featuring like 5 people. I dont think nas being on it made it a hit. I think it was a hit despite him being on it.

    3. Hey morons, it’s based off how the song preformed not ‘white people’ dictating what the top ten songs are. Reading comprehension.

      1. lol no its not. If its based on how songs performed tell me why some songs that peaked at number 2 are higher than number 1. Damn fool its called reading comprehension

    4. 2 songs in the top 5, undisputed. Best duo in hip hop.

      1. Macklemore & Ray Lewis
      2. Mobb Deep
      3. Outkast

    5. The white man wins again you Bluegum Apes, maybe you subhuman chimps should go back to that shithole Africa we’re Aids and babyrape is the soup of the day. We are smarter than you and make better music so we will always rise ro the top.

      1. Good one you lame..8 of the 10 up there aren’t “white man” rappers, so maybe you should think your life over a bit more

    6. Drake only appears 7 times? I thought for sure that Started From The Bottom would be in the top 100.

      1. no it doesnt bcuz some of the songs on the list never even reached number 1. This is just pure bias 100% which is y a dude who isnt even rap (mackelmore) is even on this list let alone #1. (n b4 u start callin me racist im white)

    7. if Macklemore is on here where are all the other pop artists like brittany spears justin Timberlake and insync

    8. Please tell me how Macklemore has multiple songs on this list but a real white rapper Eminem is not even on this list???? This is fuckin bullshit the fact lose yourself isnt on here is a joke (an actual hip hop song) and yet Gangum style (no rapping) is on here. List is beyond laughable

    9. I flipped on da bitch who supposedly wrote this list on twitter. She even claims she didnt write the list. No1 wants 2 claim this trash haha

      1. You are a fucking retard.

        it’s a computer generated list. it’s based on a formula, and only reflective of commercial success.

      2. yes bcuz a computer put Gangnam style in the category of RAP when it literally has nothin 2 do wit da genre. Ur a fool fuck boi

    10. You gotta remember the internet wasn’t popping when most of these songs were in their prime, thats why Macklemore song blew up and became so big.

    11. I’m not surprised and neither should anyone else be. They never said the 100 best rap songs. This is billboard people. Notice no wu-tang, mobb deep, rakim, nwa etc. And hardly any real rap hits like changes, still dre, lose yourself, big pimpin. Once and a while you get a gangsters paradise but who gives a shit about popularity when you can have substance

      1. True. A lot of those tracks was weak anyway. Real hip hop heads know who the true kings of rap are.

    12. Eminem isn’t on here, while Soulja Boy & Kirko Bangz are on the list. Even Lil Boosie has a song on here.

      Just no.

    13. I’m surprised eminem ain’t on this list. He’s pop.

      Biggie and Craig Mack shouldn’t be disrespected by being on a pop list like this.

      1. or commended for them having a real hip hop song that was commercially successful enough to be on there.

    14. So I’m racist for saying that Macklemore is the new eminem. A puppet for the industry.

      But Macklemore is being named number 1 on the 100 best hip hop songs list. Number 1 of all time?

      1. Omg, Macklemore is not the new Eminem or never will be. Fagglemore is a fucking fag pussy cunt. No one can replace slim shady. Macklemore is a whole different part of hip-hop. Actually, he’s more pop. Eminem > Mackle

      2. ^Nigga said “omg”
        Looks like you the fagglemore.
        Not saying he deserves top of any list (though this list is based on commercial success and not anything else) Mack actually stands for something and gets hated on. “Fagglemore” > your broke ignorant ass

    15. Is this really what shit has turned into? These braces wearing preteens run the industry now. Like it or love it.

      1. “Braces-wearing preteens”
        Well shit, I wasn’t aware that orthodontic work had anything to do with taste in music.

    16. I agree. I want to see all the white cats on this site defend this list. You call lord jamar racist but I wanna see you call this list racist.

      If this is not a racist list then what the hell is.

      Out of all the great hip hop records for a white dude that is barely rap to get number 1 is racist. Period.

      Sales wise coolio gangsters paradise sold more records. And so have other records.

      Elvis is the king of rock n roll

      Eminem is the king of hip hop

      Eric Clayton is the king of blues

      Bee gees kings of disco

      Justin timberlake King of pop ( not yet but it will happen )

      Funny how it works.

      1. I’d call it a list based on statistics and sometimes undeserving popularity, nowhere does it say these are the “best” songs. They just did better on the charts, nothing to do with racism.

      2. How is this racist? its based on people listening…people of all colors chose to listen. Tired of ignorant hip hop “critics” like you on the internet. Give an idiot a keyboard and…fuck it, you know what happens.

      3. Whites do racist things like only support white artists, then turn around and call us racist for pointing it out.

      4. Im white and I defend this list because its not based on someones opinion but fact, so im not sure how race comes into it? Although I accept that based on your comments I think your a fucking retard from the projects with no education may be based on racial stereotyping…..

    17. nobody is saying these are the best rap songs of all time. if you’re getting angry about that you’re a fucking idiot. it’s all about time spent on the Billboard top 100, it’s literally rewarding commercial success of singles. don’t be fucking stupid.

      1. Chuck D impersonator: Billboard doesn’t mean shit to Hip Hop culture. It only means something to these pathetic ass corporate label heads, who will only continue to rape the culture. If anyone doesn’t understand or support the premise in which Hip Hop was built, or pay homage to those that made it possible for the art form and culture to thrive are the worse fucking scum of the earth. Do your fucking history of the culture to gain an appreciation or totally STFU!

    18. Where is Skee-Lo’s I wish, Dear Mama, Still Dre, Snoop’s Whats my name, MIA paper planes etc. Bogus list

    19. That was the most nonsensical list I’ve ever seen. I really wanna see the formula and numbers they used to put that thing together.One of Ja Rule’s least successful singles made the chart and nothing else? One 50 Cent song? And WTF is “Danses with Wolvez”? Shit doesn’t even pop up in Youtube or Google.

    20. Wack ass list, who picked this weak shit and HHDX why would you post such fucking trash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    21. No California love, No Lose yourself, No In da club, no Lean back
      no Give to me on The top 10 WTF, billboard you kiddin right?! tell me you kiddin’!

    22. Someone must be on macklemore’s nuts, the guy is a corny and isn’t all that talented either…different strokes for different folks though.

      1. That “someone” would be American pop fans. This isn’t a list of quality or best or whatever. It’s sheerly based off popularity. So yes the masses of America are on his nuts as evident in his Grammy win over Kendrick and all other accolades

    23. Drake’s been dropping singles for only 5 years and he appears on this list more than any other artist in the history of hip-hop. That’s sheer domination. HAIL KING DRIZZY!

      1. And yet Drake has never had a #1 on the Billboard main chart (Hot 100) as the main artist lol. Check your data

      2. Who cares he’s a hip-hop/R&B artist not a pop artist like Eminem. That’s why Drake has the most #1’s on the hip-hop and R&B chart ever and that’s why artists like Eminem don’t even appear on this list.

      3. You’re wrong about everything, Drake fanboy. If Eminem’s a pop artist, then so is Drake. They’re both hip-hop artists. Fuck singles, Eminem sold more albums.

      1. You must be really young then cause that song was all over the radio and the video was all over TV.

    24. This doesnt make sense, like the guy below said In da club and lose yourself dont show up…??? yet No hands from waka flaka show up and i never even heard of it

    25. Most of the songs listed are wack and I got tired of hearing all of them at one time or another. This is not list of good songs just songs that dj’s played the shit out of.

    26. I swear people on this site can’t process the words they read. Idk who’s worse the mods for posting dumb stories like Lord Jamar and what 50 Cent ate for breakfast or the fans for their lack of comprehension.

      Everyone saying “whack list” “who picked this” “where’s this song this list is whack.” READ THE ARTICLE! It’s based off the popularity of these songs on the Billboard charts. So whether or not you think it’s whack it’s not saying these are legendary hip-hop songs or that this is a list of greatest songs ever. It’s just what songs are popular. So you don’t like popular music that’s fucking great but to ask who chose this list, that would be Americans listening to the radio and the record labels paying the radios to play their shit.

      God this comment section is full of mother fuckers that NEED to go to knock out some remedial classes in school

      1. Yep, there needs to be a discussion about hip-hop, and the way things work, then Maybe change could occur. Thought this could be a good place for that, my nigg I was wrong.

    27. man beyonces last two albums are trash she just goes on about fucking jayz she’s clearly trying to copy rhirhi but it just sounds forced and tepid

    28. Everyone saying it’s based on popularity? Salt and Pepa Expression was never a #1 track, it was 26th at it’s highest, it’s not even Salt and Pepas biggest track, Shoop and Whatta Man are at 3 and 4, so this list it totally fucked, sorry. (look it up). 50 Cent In Da Club was #1 on Billboard charts forever. Some of these tracks were NOT that popular, sorry,

    29. Great historical points of hiphop reference for those who really were connected with the music. I remember vividly when each of these songs were rotated heavily. Starting with that 1990 digital underground song I was in high school and on to 1994 69Boyz track, I was a freshman in college. If a college student isn’t in tune with music who is? I’d have to agree with most of the tracks on the list at least until I stopped listening to the radio.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *