Rolling Stone magazine has assembled a list of the Top 50 hip-hop songs of all time, and "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five came out on top.
Why "The Message"? Rolling Stone says that with the song's stern “Don’t push me/ ’cause I’m close to the edge” warning, the 1982 hit by the South Bronx collective was able “to tell, with hip-hop’s rhythmic and vocal force, the truth about modern inner-city life in America.”
Here's the Top 10:
1. “The Message” – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
2. “Rapper’s Delight” – Sugarhill Gang
3. “Planet Rock” – Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force
4. “Sucker M.C.’s” – Run-DMC
5. “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” – Geto Boys
6. “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” – Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg
7. “Fight the Power” – Public Enemy
8. “Juicy” – Notorious B.I.G.
9. “Straight Outta Compton” – N.W.A.
10. “Paid in Full” – Erik B. and Rakim
The selection panel included Rolling Stone staffers and such hip-hop experts as Questlove of The Roots. The full Top 50 list will appear in the December 7th issue of Rolling Stone and is online now.
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