---
title: ‘The Message’ No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Hip Hop Songs of All Time
author: Andrew Hazard
published: 2012-12-06
modified: 2012-12-06
section: News
tags: 99 Problems, hip hop news, In Da Club, Juicy, Lose Yourself, Rapper's Delight, The Message, Top 50 Hip Hop Songs, top hip hop songs
canonical: https://www.stasheverything.com/the-message-no-1-on-rolling-stones-top-50-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time/
source: Stash Everything
---

# ‘The Message’ No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Hip Hop Songs of All Time

Music is such a hotly debated and subjective medium, so narrowing down a “greatest of all time” list is a thankless task. While they may not be the barometer of modern culture they once were, **Rolling Stone**took on the monstrous task of naming the **50 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of All Time**.

To bring it all together, they enlisted the help of some experts, including **[Big Boi](https://www.stasheverything.com/music/big-boi-ft-aap-rocky-and-phantogram-lines/)**, **Rick Rubin**, **[Nas](https://www.stasheverything.com/lifestyle/album-review-nas-life-is-good/)**, the **[Beastie Boys](https://www.stasheverything.com/news/beastie-boys-honour-mcas-wishes-suing-energy-drink-company/)** and **Busta Rhymes**.

“The greatest hip hop songs have the power to pull energy and excitement and anger and questions and self-doubt and raw emotion out of you,” Ahmir ‘**?uestlove’** Thompson, of **The Roots**, said in his introduction. “The common thread is change. The best hip hop songs aren’t blueprints – they are calls to action, reminders that you can start a revolution in three minutes.”

Taking in the last 33 years, the list begins and ends with two generations of pioneers. The #1 hip hop song of all time, according to the list, is *The Message* by **Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five**, while **Outkast** end things off at #50 with *BOB*.

Rounding out the top five on the list is **Sugar Hill Gang** (*Rapper’s Delight*) at #2, followed by **Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force**(*Planet Rock*), **Run-DMC** (*Sucker MCs*) and **Geto Boys** (*Mind Playing Tricks on Me*).

Surprinsingly, or maybe not, the most recent entries on the list are further down, including *In Da Club* (#20), *Lose Yourself* (#28) and ***99 Problems*** (#33).

Read the [full list here](http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-50-greatest-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time-20121205#ixzz2EFuvofyo ).

   [![grandmaster-flash-the-message](https://www.stasheverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/grandmaster-flash-the-message-300x300.jpg)](https://www.stasheverything.com/the-message-no-1-on-rolling-stones-top-50-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time/grandmaster-flash-the-message/)   [![outkast-bob](https://www.stasheverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/outkast-bob-300x300.jpg)](https://www.stasheverything.com/the-message-no-1-on-rolling-stones-top-50-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time/outkast-bob/)   [![sugarhill-gang-rappers-delight](https://www.stasheverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sugarhill-gang-rappers-delight-300x300.jpg)](https://www.stasheverything.com/the-message-no-1-on-rolling-stones-top-50-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time/sugarhill-gang-rappers-delight/)   [![Planet_Rock](https://www.stasheverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Planet_Rock-300x300.jpg)](https://www.stasheverything.com/the-message-no-1-on-rolling-stones-top-50-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time/planet_rock/)   [![run-dmc-suckermcs](https://www.stasheverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/run-dmc-suckermcs-300x300.jpg)](https://www.stasheverything.com/the-message-no-1-on-rolling-stones-top-50-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time/run-dmc-suckermcs/)   [![mind-playing-tricks-on-me](https://www.stasheverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/mind-playing-tricks-on-me-300x300.jpg)](https://www.stasheverything.com/the-message-no-1-on-rolling-stones-top-50-hip-hop-songs-of-all-time/mind-playing-tricks-on-me/)