Does anyone know what the first rap song to go to #1 in the U.S. was? I've heard that many consider Blondie's "Rapture" to be the first, but does anyone know if there was a more...traditional rap song before that to go to #1? Thanks.

: Does anyone know what the first rap song to go
: to #1 in the U.S. was? I've heard that many
: consider Blondie's "Rapture" to be
: the first, but does anyone know if there was
: a more...traditional rap song before that to
: go to #1? Thanks.

TX and James gave the best answers here (by far), but I thought I'd expand on their answers, as well as provide a few more facts & figures...

The first rap single to crack the r&b charts (but not necessarily the first ever recorded and/or released, mind you) was Fatback's "King Tim III (Personality Jock)", in October of '79. It would hit #26. However, it failed to cross over to the pop charts...

The first rap single to crack the pop charts is pretty well known; it was indeed the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight", in November of '79. It eventually went to #36 (and therefore earned the distinction of being the first rap hit to make the top 40 on the pop charts as well). It debuted exactly one week later than the Fatback song on the r&b chart, later hitting #4, thus becoming the first rap song to make the top 10 there...

"Rapture" by Blondie was most certainly a #1 pop hit here in the U.S., climbing to the summit in March of '81. (I know it got played to death when I lived near L.A. at the time, ChuckyG!) Although it does feature a rap in the middle, it's not considered a rap song, per se. (But that didn't stop it from rising to #33 on the r&b charts at the time, making "Rapture" Blondie's only r&b hit!)

Sorry, ChuckyG, but I'm afraid Tone Loc's 1989 hit, "Wild Thing", wasn't the first rap song to crack the top 10 on the pop charts - not even close! That honor goes to Run-D.M.C.'s cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way", in September of '86. It also hit #8 r&b, which, ironically, was lower than its #4 peak on the pop charts! That was followed five months later by "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" by the Beastie Boys (a white group), in February of '87. That one failed to crack the r&b charts. Fun fact: The Beastie Boys actually landed not one, but TWO hit rap singles on the r&b charts before first "crossing over" to the pop charts w/ "(YG)FfYR(TP!)" in late '86!

The first rap song to go all the way to #1 on the pop charts was (drum roll, please), yes, none other than Vanilla Ice w/ "Ice Ice Baby", in November of '90 (yet another white artist). He would take the song to #6 on the r&b charts as well...

But here's where the subject gets a bit tricky: What about the first rap song to hit #1 on the r&b charts??? Well, I have a complete chronological list of all songs that hit #1 r&b through the mid '90s, and I guess it depends on your definition of a "rap" song. The oldest contender would be "Double Dutch Bus" by Frankie Smith, in July of '81 (also hit #30 pop). Next up is "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton, in April of '83 (failed to cross over to the pop chart). Then we jump all the way to September of '87, when L.L. Cool J struck w/ his ballad, "I Need Love" (also hit #14 pop). The honor probably deserves to go to one of those three. Which one??? Let the debate begin!

Hope this sets the record straight in a few areas...

: Sorry, ChuckyG, but I'm afraid Tone Loc's 1989
: hit, "Wild Thing", wasn't the
: first rap song to crack the top 10 on the
: pop charts - not even close! That honor goes
: to Run-D.M.C.'s cover of Aerosmith's
: "Walk This Way", in September of
: '86. It also hit #8 r&b, which, ironically,
: was lower than its #4 peak on the pop
: charts! That was followed five months later
: by "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right
: (To Party!)" by the Beastie Boys (a
: white group), in February of '87. That one
: failed to crack the r&b charts. Fun fact:
: The Beastie Boys actually landed not one,
: but TWO hit rap singles on the r&b charts
: before first "crossing over" to
: the pop charts w/ "(YG)FfYR(TP!)"
: in late '86!

yup, I just checked my Billboard book.. I was tracking "Walk This Way" from when it entered the chart, and thought it didn't get very high, should have kept reading (really wish they'd list out two dates in the index, entry date, and highest position date)

: (really wish they'd list out two dates in
: the index, entry date, and highest position
: date)

Actually, that's exactly what Joel Whitburn's "Pop Annual" book is for - it lists all singles to ever crack the "Hot 100" chart annually by peak position and gives the peak date (as opposed to the entry date)! And yes, everything's neatly indexed in the back, too! (Need to get my hands on the new current edition, but if you're big on music like I am, I find this book to be just as indispensible as the "Top Pop Singles" and "Top 40 Singles" books, whichever you have! Will set you back a few bucks, though...)

: Actually, that's exactly what Joel Whitburn's
: "Pop Annual" book is for - it
: lists all singles to ever crack the
: "Hot 100" chart annually by peak
: position and gives the peak date (as opposed
: to the entry date)! And yes, everything's
: neatly indexed in the back, too! (Need to
: get my hands on the new current edition, but
: if you're big on music like I am, I find
: this book to be just as indispensible as the
: "Top Pop Singles" and "Top 40
: Singles" books, whichever you have!
: Will set you back a few bucks, though...)

yeah, that's my argument with all his books, too damn expensive.. wish I had the money at the beginning of the year when he ran the special on the top 100 charts books, I'd like to have all the volumes at some point..

I've got older printings of Top 40 Hits and Top 40 Albums and the Number One Hits books, which is probably the best of the lot, though my copy is 15 years old.. and hence, no help with the rap question...

atomic dog is funk ... i forgot what that dutch song sounds like .....

LL cool J is definitely rap ...so Ill say
LL cool J

: atomic dog is funk ... i forgot what that dutch
: song sounds like .....

It's the one with the guy who sound like he's being put through a clothes wringer - the voice is almost identical to the vocalist's in, "Devil Does Your Dog Bite" by, was that Tom Tom Club? Anyway, I'd say it's more funk than rap officially too. So there ya go, another country heard from.
And, what the hey, while I'm here an aside to Liz: Watch the defensiveness. Keep it in perspective. We've lived longer and learned more. You've got taut skin and a butt that's not starting to sag yet. Youth isn't something to be ashamed of. The inablility to evolve is. Gawd, I sound like Ghandi and Barney had a brain-damaged child. Sorry. Had to express.

: atomic dog is funk ...

W/o a doubt the song is funk, more than anything else, but it also contains elements of rap, just like Blondie's "Rapture". Definitely borderline. So if you don't consider "Rapture" to be "rap", then yeah, I agree that "Atomic Dog" should also be thrown out...

Rapture i wouldnt consider rap either. Its a rock/semi-dance song ...with a rap in it (which hardly sounds like a rap anyway) I do love the song.

Atomic Dog - 0 % Rap 100% Funk
George Clinton is the epitome Funk. (George being head of "Parliment-Funkadelic".