The 40 Best 80s Rap Songs, from The Message to Fight the Power

What is the most famous 80s rap song?

"The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is often called the most important 80s rap song, and in 2002 it became the first hip-hop recording added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. The biggest hits of the decade were "Walk This Way" by Run-DMC and Aerosmith, "Wild Thing" by Tone Lōc and "Bust a Move" by Young MC, and "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy closed the decade as one of the most celebrated songs in any genre.

The biggest 80s rap songs

1. "The Message", Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, 1982: a vivid, serious portrait of city life that changed what rap could be about.
2. "Walk This Way", Run-DMC with Aerosmith, 1986: the rap-rock remake that reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
3. "Fight the Power", Public Enemy, 1989: written for Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing.
4. "Push It", Salt-N-Pepa, 1987: a dance-floor smash that reached number 19 and earned a Grammy nomination.
5. "Parents Just Don't Understand", DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, 1988: a funny story song that won the first Grammy for Best Rap Performance.
6. "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", Beastie Boys, 1986: a number seven hit the band meant as a joke.
7. "I Need Love", LL Cool J, 1987: a pioneering rap love ballad and a number one R&B hit.
8. "Paid in Full", Eric B. and Rakim, 1987: the title track of one of the most influential rap albums ever made.
9. "Wild Thing", Tone Lōc, 1988: a gravel-voiced party song that reached number two.
10. "Bust a Move", Young MC, 1989: a number seven hit with Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass.

Old-school rap of the early 80s

11. "Rapper's Delight", the Sugarhill Gang, 1979: the song that introduced rap to the world, a top 40 hit in January 1980.
12. "The Breaks", Kurtis Blow, 1980: the first rap song certified gold.
13. "Rapture", Blondie, 1981: the first number one in America to feature rap vocals.
14. "Planet Rock", Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force, 1982: an electro classic built on a Kraftwerk melody and a drum machine.
15. "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)", Melle Mel, 1983: a funky warning about cocaine.
16. "Roxanne, Roxanne", UTFO, 1984: the song that started the Roxanne Wars.
17. "Friends", Whodini, 1984: a smooth, thoughtful song about who you can trust.
18. "Rock Box", Run-DMC, 1984: one of the first rap songs built on a rock guitar.

Mid-80s classics from Run-DMC, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys

19. "My Adidas", Run-DMC, 1986: a tribute to their favorite sneakers that led to a deal with the brand.
20. "Peter Piper", Run-DMC, 1986: nursery rhymes turned into a showcase for DJ Jam Master Jay.
21. "It's Tricky", Run-DMC, 1987: a playful single from Raising Hell.
22. "I Can't Live Without My Radio", LL Cool J, 1985: an ode to the boombox from his debut album, Radio.
23. "Rock the Bells", LL Cool J, 1986: a booming, hard-hitting fan favorite.
24. "Going Back to Cali", LL Cool J, 1988: a laid-back single from the film Less Than Zero.
25. "Paul Revere", Beastie Boys, 1986: a tall tale told over a backward drum beat.
26. "The Show", Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, 1985: a beatbox showcase featuring a young Slick Rick.

The golden age: late 80s rap songs

27. "Eric B. Is President", Eric B. and Rakim, 1986: the debut single that introduced Rakim's cool, complex style.
28. "I Know You Got Soul", Eric B. and Rakim, 1987: a James Brown-flavored classic.
29. "Don't Believe the Hype", Public Enemy, 1988: a charged single from It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.
30. "The Bridge Is Over", Boogie Down Productions, 1987: KRS-One's famous answer in the battle over hip-hop's birthplace.
31. "Children's Story", Slick Rick, 1988: a storytelling masterpiece from his debut album.
32. "Ain't No Half-Steppin'", Big Daddy Kane, 1988: smooth, fast and confident.
33. "Me Myself and I", De La Soul, 1989: a quirky number one R&B hit built on a Funkadelic groove.
34. "Ladies First", Queen Latifah featuring Monie Love, 1989: a proud anthem for women in hip-hop.
35. "Self Destruction", Stop the Violence Movement, 1989: an all-star single organized by KRS-One against violence.

80s rap party hits

36. "It Takes Two", Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, 1988: a platinum party anthem built on Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)".
37. "Funky Cold Medina", Tone Lōc, 1989: a comic story song that reached number three.
38. "Just a Friend", Biz Markie, 1989: a lovable, off-key ballad that became a top ten hit in 1990.
39. "Supersonic", J.J. Fad, 1988: a speedy West Coast hit by an all-female trio.
40. "Top Billin'", Audio Two, 1987: a minimal beat that has been sampled countless times.

How rap went mainstream in the 80s

Rap grew out of block parties in the Bronx in the 70s, where DJs looped the drum breaks of funk and disco records and MCs rhymed over them. "Rapper's Delight", built on the groove of Chic's "Good Times", showed in 1979 that rap could sell records, and "The Breaks" and "Rapture" followed. Through the 80s Run-DMC brought rap to rock radio and MTV, the Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill became the first rap album to top the Billboard 200, and by 1988 MTV had a show just for rap, Yo! MTV Raps. For the music that came before, see our 70s disco songs.

The story behind Walk This Way

Run-DMC had long rapped over the opening beat of Aerosmith's 1975 song "Walk This Way". Producer Rick Rubin suggested they remake the whole song, and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry joined them in the studio. The video, in which the two bands break down a wall between their rehearsal rooms, became an MTV favorite, the single reached the top five, and the collaboration revived Aerosmith's career while bringing rap to millions of rock fans.

The story behind The Message

Before "The Message", most rap songs were about partying and boasting. Written mainly by Melle Mel and Duke Bootee, it described poverty, stress and danger in the city in plain, vivid detail over a slow, heavy beat. It reached the top ten in the UK, and Rolling Stone later named it the greatest hip-hop song of all time. Its success opened the door for the socially conscious rap of KRS-One and Public Enemy later in the decade.

The first rap Grammy

The Grammys first gave an award for Best Rap Performance in 1989, and it went to DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince for "Parents Just Don't Understand". The Fresh Prince was Will Smith, who soon became a television and movie star. The next year the award went to Young MC for "Bust a Move", which had become one of the biggest party songs of 1989.

Women of 80s rap

Women shaped 80s rap from the start. Roxanne Shanté was just 14 when she answered "Roxanne, Roxanne" with "Roxanne's Revenge", setting off dozens of answer records. Salt-N-Pepa became one of the first female rap acts to go platinum, MC Lyte proved a woman could out-rhyme anyone, J.J. Fad brought the West Coast sound to the charts, and Queen Latifah's "Ladies First" became an anthem. For the decade that followed, see our 90s female singers.

80s rap songs for a party or a workout

For a party, play "It Takes Two", "Push It", "Bust a Move", "Wild Thing", "Funky Cold Medina", "Walk This Way" and "Fight for Your Right": they still fill a dance floor. For a workout, "Rock the Bells", "Rock Box", "Don't Believe the Hype", "Paid in Full" and "Fight the Power" bring hard-hitting energy. For karaoke, "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Just a Friend" are crowd favorites. For more, see our best karaoke songs.

80s rap albums to start with

• Raising Hell, Run-DMC (1986): with "Walk This Way", "My Adidas" and "It's Tricky".
• Licensed to Ill, Beastie Boys (1986): the first rap album to top the Billboard 200.
• Paid in Full, Eric B. and Rakim (1987): the album that raised the bar for every rapper after it.
• It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy (1988): loud, urgent and groundbreaking.
• 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul (1989): playful, colorful and full of samples.

More rap and 80s music

Continue into the next decade with our 90s rap songs, explore the whole decade with our 80s songs, or find a present with our gift ideas for hip-hop lovers and hip-hop birthday songs.

A rap song about them

80s rappers told stories about their friends, their neighborhoods and themselves. A personalized hip-hop song can do the same for someone you love: their name, their best stories and the moments that make them who they are, with an old-school beat. It makes a great birthday, anniversary or Father's Day gift for someone who grew up with these songs.

How to create a personalized hip-hop song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: hip-hop, R&B, pop, electronic and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three memories or details about them.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $35.99, or $40.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give them a track of their own: create a song and hear four previews for free.