Rap has dominated the music charts for decades. In fact, 2023 was the first time in 23 years that a hip-hop song didn’t go number one on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Then there are those rap songs that remain popular far after leaving the charts, like Nelly’s “Hot In Herre,” because although it reached number one way back in 2002, it’s still heard in music beds, weddings, and sporting events.
But as popular as “Hot In Herre” has become, it can’t be said the song is bigger than Nelly, who’s carved out an impressive career for himself through the years. There are plenty of rap songs that have surpassed the artists in terms of popularity, though, those cuts that are known by non-rap fans and hip-hop-hating grandparents alike.
“Jump Around” – House Of Pain (1992)
In 1992, there were two rap songs that were released in which the rapper instructs listeners to jump, and both of those singles grew in popularity as the years went on: One of them is “Jump” by the former kid group Kris Kross and the other is “Jump Around” by House of Pain.
However, it could be said House of Pain’s cut is played more in 2025 out of the two, and it’s one of the go-to rap songs to hype up a crowd, making it ideal for sporting events. The University of Wisconsin, for example, plays “Jump Around” in Camp Randall Stadium at the close of the third quarter, and thousands of students go haywire.
The song is also ideal for getting wedding wallflowers on the dance floor and for loosening up stuffy banquets. A lot of those people partying, though, probably aren’t all that familiar with “House of Pain,” the group made up of Everlast, Danny Boy, and DJ Lethal.
“It Takes Two” – Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock (1988)
To some, Rob Base and the late DJ EZ Rock are rap titans. Perhaps to others they’re the guys who made the 1988 party jam, “It Takes Two,” a song that gets played whenever energy is needed from a crowd.
Right away, the song pulls you in with a haunting, deep-voiced introduction. “Right about now you’re about to be possessed by the sounds of M.C. Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock,” the voice says.
After Base utters the words “hit it,” one of the most recognizable samples in rap history begins — a brief scream followed by the word “yeah,” making the entire song sound like one big celebration. Then by the time Base spits the opening lines, “I want to rock right now,” the party and good times have officially begun.
“Baby Got Back” – Sir Mix-a-Lot (1992)
When Sir Mix-a-Lot released “Baby Got Back” in 1992, he was probably just expressing his fondness for derrières and didn’t mean for the song to be comedic.
But that’s exactly what’s happened over the years, because today the words “Baby Got Back” are almost used as a punchline, and a lot of folks who say it probably don’t know who invented the phrase.
Some may not even be familiar with the full song and just use the words “baby got back” when joking around. That’s how much the single has seeped into pop culture since entering the world in the early ’90s.
“Bust A Move” – Young MC (1989)
In the 2009 film, “Up in the Air,” starring George Clooney and Anna Kendrick, there’s a scene where Young MC performs his hit “Bust A Move” at a job convention, and people on the dance floor party like teenagers.
It’s an accurate depiction of what usually occurs when Gen Xers and Boomers hear the song at an event, a cut that eventually became bigger than Young MC, who burst on the scene with his debut album, Stone Cold Rhymin in 1989.
It’s possible the song got so big due to its relatable topic of men courting women, or maybe it’s the memorable guitar riff, or the snazzy baseline, played by Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Young MC’s clear and simple flow also make the song accessible, so one doesn’t have to be an expert at rap slang to enjoy it, which is probably one of the reasons the song and video were once ubiquitous.
“Fatty Girl” – Keith Murray, LL Cool J, Ludacris (2001)
This song is different from the others on this list, since it can’t be said “Fatty Girl” is bigger than either LL Cool J or Ludacris. The cut isn’t more popular than New York rapper Keith Murray either, but a particular word that he uses has probably been said more than his name.
“Goodness gracious, good God almighty / You got a badoonka donk, girl, don’t hurt nobody,” Murray raps.
The word “badoonka donk” became an official slang term for a woman’s backside, being used far outside of rap circles and embraced by people who aren’t familiar with Keith’s catalog or his most popular song, “The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World.”
“Let Me Clear My Throat” – DJ Kool (1996)
If you haven’t moved and grooved to the live version of DJ Kool’s “Clear My Throat,” you really haven’t moved and grooved. It’s that simple. To this day, the song is a party staple, and wedding floors all across the U.S. have been filled with folks enjoying the Mid-’90s tune.
The song, which pulls from The 45 King’s 1991 cut “The 900 Number,” was recorded at Philadelphia’s Bahama Bay, and Kool’s verse borrows lyrics from Run-DMC’s “Peter Piper,” as well as Eric B. & Rakim’s “Eric B. Is President.”
But it’s Kool’s call-and-response that makes the record so fun, as “Let Me Clear My Throat” draws from a time in hip-hop when songs were solely used to fill the dance floor, before music execs entered the rap fray.
“Tipsy” – J-Kwon (2004)
When J-Kwon dropped the single “Tipsy” from his debut album Hood Hop, both he and the song were everywhere. That’s despite the St. Louis rapper having heavy competition, since songs like OutKast’s “Hey Ya!,” Kanye West’s “Slow Jamz,” and Usher’s “Yeah!” were also huge records in 2004.
But unlike those artists, “Tipsy” grew to be bigger than J-Kwon, and that increased when Shaboozey borrowed elements from it to make his chart-topping single “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” a single that spent 19 weeks at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100.
“Swag Surfin'” – Fast Life Yungstaz (2009)
If you’ve ever watched WNBA teams like the New York Liberty or Atlanta Dream play, then you probably noticed the entire crowd swaying from side to side as Fast Life Yungstaz “Swag Surfin'” blares throughout the arena.
Years after they released the 2009 single, which is on their Jamboree album, it’s been adopted by a bunch of sports teams that use it to build excitement and encourage fan unity.
One doesn’t need to know how to dance to enjoy the song either, which is another reason it works so well at sporting events, as it’s pretty easy to sway from east to west. It’s safe to say, though, that most people who’ve moved to the song at games aren’t that familiar with Fast Life Yungstaz or their body of work.
“Whoomp! There It Is” – Tag Team (1993)
“Whoomp! There It Is” has been everywhere, and it’s been heard far more than its creators, Tag Team, have been seen. That’s because the song has appeared in a long list of movies like D2: The Mighty Ducks, Elf, Rio, and Addams Family Values. It’s been played in a bunch of TV shows as well, including Gossip Girl, My Name is Earl, Beavis & Butthead, and South Park to name a few.
To add, Tag Team, made up of DC The Brain Supreme and Steve Rolln, did a stellar job of making Miami’s bass sound more accessible to the everyday music fan by using a clear, slowed-down flow and one of the most memorable catchphrases hip-hop has ever encountered.
“The Choice Is Yours” – Black Sheep (1991)
There are a couple of reasons why Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours” is such a big record in terms of recognizability. First, it’s considered a classic in hip-hop circles.
Two, the song was in that 2010 TV commercial for The Kia Soul car, which showed human-sized hamsters performing it while introducing the single to a whole new generation. The cut is a real party starter as well, due to the famous lines that rapper Dres delivers just before his third verse.
“Engine, engine, number nine / On the New York Transit Line / If my train goes off the track, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up,” he spits. Oftentimes, DJs won’t even play the entire song at a club, they’ll skip to that particular part, which causes the entire room to jump in unison once the beat resumes.
