Thought this was interesting, I just looked up all the top 20 for each year and counted how many were rap songs, it's kind of subjective and imperfect but I think it gives a pretty good idea of the ups and downs. I'm pretty surprised how hip hop dominated 2009 and 2010 still were, it's really only faded away in the past 2 years and even 2011 had as many as 2006, which is a year I think of as being thick in rap music  :o

It's no surprise 2004 was the most rap dominated year of all time but the rap songs from 2006 and 2007 imo were the most ridiculous. Party Like a Rockstar?  ;D


1980 - 0
1981 - 1
1982 - 0
1983 - 0
1984 - 0
1985 - 0
1986 - 0
1987 - 0
1988 - 0
1989 - 2
1990 - 2
1991 - 1
1992 - 2
1993 - 5
1994 - 2
1995 - 3
1996 - 4
1997 - 4
1998 - 5
1999 - 1
2000 - 1
2001 - 9
2002 - 9
2003 - 10
2004 - 13
2005 - 8
2006 - 6
2007 - 10
2008 - 5
2009 - 10
2010 - 8
2011 - 6

Thought this was interesting, I just looked up all the top 20 for each year and counted how many were rap songs, it's kind of subjective and imperfect but I think it gives a pretty good idea of the ups and downs. I'm pretty surprised how hip hop dominated 2009 and 2010 still were, it's really only faded away in the past 2 years and even 2011 had as many as 2006, which is a year I think of as being thick in rap music  :o

It's no surprise 2004 was the most rap dominated year of all time but the rap songs from 2006 and 2007 imo were the most ridiculous. Party Like a Rockstar?  ;D


1980 - 0
1981 - 1
1982 - 0
1983 - 0
1984 - 0
1985 - 0
1986 - 0
1987 - 0
1988 - 0
1989 - 2
1990 - 2
1991 - 1
1992 - 2
1993 - 5
1994 - 2
1995 - 3
1996 - 4
1997 - 4
1998 - 5
1999 - 1
2000 - 1
2001 - 9
2002 - 9
2003 - 10
2004 - 13
2005 - 8
2006 - 6
2007 - 10
2008 - 5
2009 - 10
2010 - 8
2011 - 6

...but what are the songs?

...but what are the songs?


Well, for 1981 it's Rapture by Blondie, and for 1989 it's the two Milli Vanilli songs (barely hip hop, but I counted them.)

Rapture is more New Wave than Hip Hop, IMO. I know it has rap but it's kind of a small chunk of the song.

I think the first real full Hip Hop song to be a Billboard hit was "Walk This Way" by Run DMC, which hit #5 in 1986.

Well, for 1981 it's Rapture by Blondie, and for 1989 it's the two Milli Vanilli songs (barely hip hop, but I counted them.)


Milli Vanilli were not hip-hop.  They were dance and pop.

Milli Vanilli were not hip-hop.  They were dance and pop.


In that case, MC Hammer isn't hip hop either. I'd say Young MC and Vanilla Ice would still count though.

In that case, MC Hammer isn't hip hop either. I'd say Young MC and Vanilla Ice would still count though.


Have you heard Milli Vanilli? Only 'Girl You Know It's True' has rap in it. MC Hammer is rap though.

Have you heard Milli Vanilli? Only 'Girl You Know It's True' has rap in it. MC Hammer is rap though.


You wouldn't consider this hip hop?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReklDIQS-n8

You wouldn't consider this hip hop?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReklDIQS-n8
No Milli Vanilli is not 100% rap. They had rap verses in their songs yeah though. Maybe urban-pop you could label them as although that term wasn't used then. They would be labled as Pop/R&B back then probably.

Thought this was interesting, I just looked up all the top 20 for each year and counted how many were rap songs, it's kind of subjective and imperfect but I think it gives a pretty good idea of the ups and downs. I'm pretty surprised how hip hop dominated 2009 and 2010 still were, it's really only faded away in the past 2 years and even 2011 had as many as 2006, which is a year I think of as being thick in rap music  :o

It's no surprise 2004 was the most rap dominated year of all time but the rap songs from 2006 and 2007 imo were the most ridiculous. Party Like a Rockstar?  ;D


1980 - 0
1981 - 1
1982 - 0
1983 - 0
1984 - 0
1985 - 0
1986 - 0
1987 - 0
1988 - 0
1989 - 2
1990 - 2
1991 - 1
1992 - 2
1993 - 5
1994 - 2
1995 - 3
1996 - 4
1997 - 4
1998 - 5
1999 - 1
2000 - 1
2001 - 9
2002 - 9
2003 - 10
2004 - 13
2005 - 8
2006 - 6
2007 - 10
2008 - 5
2009 - 10
2010 - 8
2011 - 6
I am surprised about 2009 that rap had that many songs in the year end charts. I thought the genre was on a down period in 2009. Even 2010 the number is a little higher than I would have thought.
2005 I;m surprised the number of hip-hop songs in 2005 wasn't in the double digits like 2003 and 2004 in the Top 20 considering Kanye and 50 had albums come out that year.

2006 for hip-hop it was popular in the beginning and end of 2006 but not in the middle of the year(spring, and summer.) That year was a weird year for the genre.

No Milli Vanilli is not 100% rap. They had rap verses in their songs yeah though. Maybe urban-pop you could label them as although that term wasn't used then. They would be labled as Pop/R&B back then probably.


Not 100%, they're not Tupac, but neither is MC Hammer.

I am surprised about 2009 that rap had that many songs in the year end charts. I thought the genre was on a down period in 2009. Even 2010 the number is a little higher than I would have thought.
2005 I;m surprised the number of hip-hop songs in 2005 wasn't in the double digits like 2003 and 2004 in the Top 20 considering Kanye and 50 had albums come out that year.

2006 for hip-hop it was popular in the beginning and end of 2006 but not in the middle of the year(spring, and summer.) That year was a weird year for the genre.


Yeah me too, though I should note that the rap songs from 2010 are not as purely hip hop as the mid 2000s examples. Rap has only really started to diminish in popularity in the past 2 years.

Rap/Hip Hop was at its peak in the early 00's, people were complaining about rap taking over, but now it's almost gone. Nowadays the music charts are filled with electronic/dubstep songs and all the singers/rappers are switching over to techno pop. All songs today have that annoying buzzy synth sound.