The 30 Best Nelly Songs, from Hot in Herre to Dilemma

What is Nelly's most famous song?

"Hot in Herre" is Nelly's most famous song, a 2002 number one on the Billboard Hot 100 that won a Grammy. "Dilemma" with Kelly Rowland was an even bigger hit, and "Ride wit Me", "Country Grammar", "Grillz" and "Just a Dream" are his other signature songs.

Nelly's biggest hits

1. "Hot in Herre", 2002: a Neptunes-produced party anthem and his first number one.
2. "Dilemma", 2002: a number one R&B duet with Kelly Rowland.
3. "Ride wit Me", 2001: a laid-back, singalong number three hit.
4. "Country Grammar", 2000: the breakthrough single that introduced his St. Louis sound.
5. "Shake Ya Tailfeather", 2003: a number one with P. Diddy and Murphy Lee from Bad Boys II.
6. "Grillz", 2005: a number one with Paul Wall and Ali and Gipp.
7. "Just a Dream", 2010: a melodic, heartbroken number three hit.
8. "Over and Over", 2004: a number three country-rap crossover with Tim McGraw.
9. "Air Force Ones", 2002: a number three ode to sneakers with the St. Lunatics.
10. "My Place", 2004: a smooth number four hit with Jaheim.

Nelly songs from Country Grammar (2000)

Nelly's debut album topped the Billboard 200 and is certified diamond, one of the best-selling rap debuts ever.

11. "E.I.", 2000: a bouncy number 15 hit.
12. "Batter Up", 2000: a single with his group, the St. Lunatics.
13. "#1", 2001: a song from the Training Day soundtrack.

Nelly songs from Nellyville (2002)

14. "Work It", 2003: a collaboration with Justin Timberlake.
15. "Nellyville", 2002: the album's title track.

Nelly songs from Sweat and Suit (2004)

16. "Flap Your Wings", 2004: a high-energy party single.
17. "Tilt Ya Head Back", 2004: a duet with Christina Aguilera.
18. "'N' Dey Say", 2005: a reflective single that samples Spandau Ballet's "True".
19. "Errtime", 2005: a number 24 single from the Longest Yard soundtrack.

Later Nelly songs

20. "Wadsyaname", 2007: a smooth, R&B-flavored single.
21. "Party People", 2008: an energetic single with Fergie.
22. "Body on Me", 2008: a single with Akon and Ashanti.
23. "Move That Body", 2010: a dance single with T-Pain and Akon.
24. "Gone", 2011: a sequel to "Dilemma", again with Kelly Rowland.
25. "The Champ", 2011: a single from 5.0.
26. "Hey Porsche", 2013: a bright, pop-leaning single.
27. "Cruise (Remix)", 2013: his number four remix of the Florida Georgia Line hit.
28. "Lil Bit", 2020: a country-rap hit with Florida Georgia Line.

Nelly's featured hits

29. "Where the Party At", 2001: Jagged Edge's number three hit featuring Nelly.
30. "Girlfriend (Remix)", 2002: NSYNC's number five hit featuring Nelly.

Who is Nelly?

Nelly was born Cornell Haynes Jr. on November 2, 1974, in Austin, Texas, and moved to St. Louis as a child. He formed the St. Lunatics with friends in the 90s, and his solo debut, Country Grammar, made him a star in 2000 with a melodic, sing-song flow and a Midwestern accent that sounded like nothing else in rap. Over the next five years he became one of the best-selling artists of the decade, and in 2004 he released two albums, Sweat and Suit, on the same day. He has since moved into country music with the 2021 album Heartland, competed on Dancing with the Stars and kept touring his hits.

Nelly and the St. Lunatics

Before he went solo, Nelly rapped with the St. Lunatics, a group of friends from St. Louis that included Murphy Lee, Ali, Kyjuan and City Spud. When Country Grammar took off, he brought the crew with him: they appear on "Batter Up", "Air Force Ones" and "Shake Ya Tailfeather", and the group released its own album, Free City, in 2001. The Band-Aid Nelly wore on his cheek in the early 2000s was a show of support for City Spud while he was in prison.

Nelly albums to start with

• Country Grammar (2000): the diamond-selling debut, with "Ride wit Me" and "E.I.".
• Nellyville (2002): his biggest era, with "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma".
• Sweat and Suit (2004): two albums released on the same day, one for the club and one for slow jams.
• 5.0 (2010): with "Just a Dream".
• Heartland (2021): his country album, with "Lil Bit".

The story behind Hot in Herre

"Hot in Herre" was produced by The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, and built around a sample of Chuck Brown's go-go classic "Bustin' Loose". Released in 2002 as the lead single from Nellyville, it spent seven weeks at number one and won the Grammy for Best Male Rap Solo Performance. It is still one of the most played party songs of the 2000s, at clubs, weddings and summer cookouts alike.

The story behind Dilemma

"Dilemma", with Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child, samples Patti LaBelle's 1984 ballad "Love, Need and Want You", and LaBelle herself appears in the video. The song spent ten weeks at number one on the Hot 100 in 2002 and won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. See our Patti LaBelle songs for the original.

Nelly's style

Nelly's image was as famous as his hooks in the early 2000s: crisp white Air Force 1 sneakers, oversized jerseys, a headband and, for a time, the Band-Aid on his cheek. He turned that style into business with the clothing lines Vokal and Apple Bottoms, and "Air Force Ones" became an anthem for sneaker fans that is still played whenever a new pair drops.

Nelly and country music

Nelly has always liked country music. "Over and Over" with Tim McGraw was a top three crossover in 2004, his remix of Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" became one of the biggest country songs of 2013, and in 2021 he released Heartland, an album of country collaborations. For more from his duet partner, see our Tim McGraw songs.

Grammy wins

Nelly won three Grammys: Best Male Rap Solo Performance for "Hot in Herre", Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Dilemma" and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Shake Ya Tailfeather".

Nelly songs for a party or a wedding

For a party, "Hot in Herre", "Ride wit Me", "Shake Ya Tailfeather" and "Country Grammar" fill the floor; use the clean versions if kids are around. For a wedding, "Dilemma" and "Just a Dream" are fun singalongs, and "Hot in Herre" is a guaranteed late-night favorite. For more, see our hip hop wedding songs.

Nelly songs for a road trip or a workout

For a road trip, "Ride wit Me" is the obvious opener, followed by "Air Force Ones", "Grillz" and "Lil Bit", with "Just a Dream" for the late-night stretch when everyone starts singing along. For a workout, "Flap Your Wings", "Shake Ya Tailfeather" and "Move That Body" keep the energy high. For more, see our road trip songs.

A song with their own hook

Nelly's best songs have hooks everyone can sing. A personalized song can give someone you love a hook of their own: their name, their hometown and the stories only you two share. It makes a fun birthday, anniversary or best friend gift.

How to create a personalized hip-hop song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: hip-hop, R&B, pop and more.
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Give them a song of their own: create a song and hear four previews for free.