Billboard Lists
Page: 5
06/21/2023
Our staff picks the 50 best songs of 2023 so far — the breakthroughs, the comebacks and the total surprises.
By 
Rania Aniftos, Katie Atkinson, Eric Renner Brown, Leila Cobo, Stephen Daw, Kyle Denis, Ingrid Fajardo, Josh Glicksman, Paul Grein, Lyndsey Havens, Rylee Johnston, Tetris Kelly, Cydney Lee, Elias Leight, Jason Lipshutz, Heran Mamo, Rebecca Milzoff, Taylor Mims, Gail Mitchell, Melinda Newman, Jessica Roiz, Dan Rys, Andrew Unterberger
06/21/2023
06/20/2023
Our staff’s 50 favorite albums of 2023 so far, presented alphabetically, with our 50 favorite songs to follow tomorrow.
By 
Katie Bain, Dave Brooks, Eric Renner Brown, Stephen Daw, Kyle Denis, Thom Duffy, Griselda Flores, Josh Glicksman, Carl Lamarre, Cydney Lee, Elias Leight, Jason Lipshutz, Joe Lynch, Heran Mamo, Rebecca Milzoff, Taylor Mims, Melinda Newman, Jessica Nicholson, Isabela Raygoza, Kristin Robinson, Jessica Roiz, Dan Rys, Andrew Unterberger
06/20/2023
Celebrating a milestone 10 years together as a group in July 2023, no one can deny BTS’ impact on not just K-pop, not just pop, but on music as a whole. With members of ARMY (the name of their loyal fanbase) stationed all over the world, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook have […]
How does a song become a gay anthem? Like the LGBTQ+ community itself, our soundtrack is vast and diverse. We have recorded our history and contribution to the culture through music, and with this list we acknowledge and remember the forerunners that have made possible the positive changes we’ve seen over the decades. These songs […]
Taylor Swift is a queen of the modern pop world. But when she joins forces with other artists, especially ones at the top of their game, the songs are automatically a cultural event. Big or small, artists who work with Swift always seem to pair with her voice perfectly — which is probably why she’s […]
05/18/2023
This will be the seventh consecutive year that women have been invited to rock and roll’s annual party. (And not just as the +1s of male inductees.)
05/18/2023
Your final year of school is nothing if not an emotional rollercoaster. Excitement, nervousness and at least a hint of sadness are just a few of many emotions that senior students feel as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives.
Even those who are not part of the class of 2023 can remember all the “lasts”: your last first day, last homecoming game, last spring break, last exam, and finally, the highly-anticipated last day of school. It’s a lot to take in — on top of prom and college decisions for high schoolers and job-hunting for higher ed students. And before even getting a chance to catch your breath, it’s time to bust out the caps and gowns for pomp and circumstance, snatch that diploma you’ve worked so hard to get, say your farewells and, of course, celebrate.
To get the party started, Billboard has rounded up 22 tracks that make great additions to any graduation playlist. From songs written for the purpose of this very moment like Vitamin C’s 2000s era earworm “Graduation (Friends Forever),” to classics like Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration,” to melancholy yet optimistic numbers like Billie Eilish’s quarantine-era “my future,” to rocking tunes written for those who are wholeheartedly anti-school like Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out,” there’s something on this list that everyone is sure to enjoy. If you don’t have a graduate to celebrate but you wanna take a musical trip down memory lane, these tracks are sure to have you all up in your nostalgic feelings.
Check out these odes to growing up and making new memories below.
Vitamin C, “Graduation (Friends Forever)”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Standout lyric: “’Cause we’re moving on and we can’t slow down/ These memories are playing like a film without sound”
Vitamin C’s 2000s era hit is a graduation playlist essential — but be prepared to have the chorus (featuring a sample from Pachelbel’s “Canon in D”) stuck in your head for the next few days. Listen here.
Green Day, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”
Standout lyric: “So take the photographs and still frames in your mind/ Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time”
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong reminds us that everything happens for a reason in his guitar-driven track he originally wrote as a break-up song. But hey — it works great as a toast to great memories, growing up and moving on, too. Listen here.
Queen, “Don’t Stop Me Now”
Standout lyric: “I’m a shooting star leaping through the sky like a tiger/ Defying the laws of gravity”
Nothing is going to stop Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the band’s high-energy hit. Layered with the group’s trademark harmonies and a steady percussive beat, it’s a track that’ll surely make you “wanna have a good time,” too. Listen here.
Lizzo, “About Damn Time”
Standout lyric: “Turn up the music, turn down the lights/ I got a feelin’ I’m gon’ be alright”
Whether you know the TikTok dance or not, Lizzo’s 2023 Grammy winner for record of the year (and Billboard Hot 100 topper) will have you on your feet and partying all graduation night long. Listen here.
OneRepublic, “Good Life”
Standout lyric: “Hopelessly, I’m taking a mental picture of you now/ ‘Cause hopelessly, the hope is we have/ So much to feel good about”
OneRepublic share a simple but important piece of advice for all recent grads: you do you! Haters come and go, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still live your best life. Listen here.
Macklemore feat. Kesha, “Good Old Days”
Standout lyric: “’Cause someday soon, your whole life’s gonna change/ You’ll miss the magic of the good old days”
Graduation is definitely one of life’s biggest events — and Macklemore and Kesha reflect on life’s most precious moments in their mellow yet inspiring pop song. Listen here.
Katy Perry, “Firework”
Standout lyric: “Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed/ So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road”
If you’re not feeling the love despite such a huge accomplishment, Katy Perry’s light-hearterd anthem has got your back. Listen here.
Kid Cudi, “Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)”
Standout lyric: “People told me slow my roll, I’m screaming out “F—k that”/ I’ma do just what I want, looking ahead, no turning back”
This pop-influenced hip-hop track off Kid Cudi’s debut album cautiously strives to set you up for continued success — but that doesn’t mean you won’t encounter hurdles along the way. Listen here.
fun. feat. Janelle Monae, “We Are Young”
Standout lyric: “So let’s set the world on fire/ We can burn brighter/ Than the sun”
It sounds like “fun.” is exactly what the pop-rock band is having in their anthemic hit about memories and growing up with a feature from Janelle Monae. Listen here.
Billie Eilish, “my future”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Standout lyric: “Know I’m supposed to be unhappy/ Without someone (someone)/ But aren’t I someone?”
A track that starts as a somber, introspective ode to Billie Eilish’s past turns into a funky, optimistic look at her future. Listen here.
Bill Withers, “Lovely Day”
Standout lyric: “When the day that lies ahead of me/ Seems impossible to face”
We’ve all had those days where we just can’t keep it 100. But Bill Withers’ groovy anthem is sure to get you out of whatever rut you may be in. Listen here.
Post Malone feat. Quavo, “Congratulations”
Standout lyric: “I was patient/ Now I can scream that we made it (We made it)”
Manifesting success is the theme of Post Malone and Quavo’s celebratory track. Which exactly the energy all new grads deserve. Listen here.
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake, “Moment 4 Life”
Standout lyric: “No, I’m not lucky, I’m blessed, yes/ Clap for the heavyweight champ, me/ But I couldn’t do it all alone, we”
Despite being the biggest names in rap, Nicki Minaj and Drake aren’t letting fame get to their heads. The duo shouts out everyone that helped them get to where they are in their celebratory collaboration. Listen here.
Taylor Swift, “Long Live”
Standout lyric: “You held your head like a hero/ On a history book page/ It was the end of a decade/ But the start of an age”
Taylor Swift reflects on the best of memories in her Speak Now closer. Though she’s likely singing about the success of Fearless (award wins and world tour), the lyrics will hit close to home for graduates, too. Listen here.
Kool & The Gang, “Celebration”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Standout lyric: “So bring your good times and your laughter too/ We gonna celebrate your party with you”
Because what good is any party playlist without this classic? Listen here.
Maroon 5, “Memories”
Standout lyric: “There’s a time that I remember, when I did not know no pain/ When I believed in forever, and everything would stay the same”
Maroon 5’s nostalgic number won’t just be on your graduation party playlist — it’ll be on your 10-year reunion mix, too. The question remains: What memories will you keep talking for years to come? Listen here.
Lorde, “Ribs”
Standout lyric: “This dream isn’t feeling sweet/ We’re reeling through the midnight streets/ And I’ve never felt more alone/ It feels so scary, getting old”
Though the lyrics aren’t necessary celebratory or even nostalgic, Lorde perfectly captures the fear that comes with growing up in this fan-favorite Pure Heroine track. Listen here.
Benny Blanco and Juice WRLD, “Graduation”
Standout lyric: “What I didn’t know was this grown-up world (This grown-up world)/ Was just school in a blown-up world (This blown-up world)”
Benny Blanco and Juice WRLD create an upbeat, yet slightly bitter take on Vitamin D’s early 2000’s track by the same name (which also appears on this list). Listen here.
Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow, “INDUSTRY BABY”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Standout lyric: “Turned my haters to consumers, I make vets feel like they juniors”
This one is for the champions (graduates)! Complete with a marching band, Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow take you back to high school in their enigmatic collaboration. Listen here.
Alice Cooper, “School’s Out”
Standout lyric: “Well, we got no class/ And we got no principles/ And we got no innocence”
Alice Cooper’s smash opener to their School’s Out album is a dedication to those who maybe didn’t have the best experience in school, and are just grateful to get outta there. Listen here.
Panic! At The Disco, “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
Standout lyric: “In the garden of evil/ I’m gonna be the greatest/ In a golden cathedral/ I’ll be praying for the faithless”
Panic! At The Disco frontman Brandon Urie sings about the ups and downs of the fame train in his upbeat banger. Listen here.
SZA, “Prom”
Standout lyric: “Promise to get a little/ Better as I get older/ And you’re so patient/ And sick of waitin’”
SZA’s thoughtful yet far from mellow ode to growing up serves as a piece of advice for everyone entering adulthood: it’s okay if you don’t have it all together. Listen here.
Kanye West and T-Pain, “Good Life”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Standout lyric: “The good life, let’s go on a living spree/ S—t, they say the best things in life are free”
Throw your hands up in the sky! Kanye West subtly samples Michael Jackson in his vibey collaboration with T-Pain off his aptly titled Graduation album. Listen here.
It’s hard to imagine that Bob Dylan, Three 6 Mafia and Toby Keith have much in common, but all three artists understand the power of a knockout stoner track.
Marijuana has served as the inspiration for smoking cuts in rock, hip-hop, pop, and (of course) reggae, and is still influencing more than a few of our biggest artists today. Whether it’s Dylan’s “everybody must get stoned” double entendre or Wiz Khalifa boasting, “Roll joints bigger than King Kong’s fingers/ And smoke them hoes down until they’re stingers” on “Young, Wild & Free,” his collab with the doggfather of all stoners, Snoop Dogg, musicians have bravely fought cottonmouth and given voice to the sticky icky for decades. Most of them, in fact, began singing or rapping about the ganja back when it was straight-up illegal in America. But now, as people wise up and draconian regulations about marijuana roll back, it’s safe in many states to roll one up and enjoy (responsibly, of course).
A number of artists, from Willie Nelson (duh) to the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart to Jay-Z to Travis Barker, have gotten in the game, either endorsing or becoming owners (or partial owners) in various brands of THC and CBD, which you can read about here.
Since it’s probably 4:20 somewhere, Billboard has put together a countdown of 25 tracks that talk about toking up, with each song including a “potency” level that measures their inebriated energy on a scale of one (mildly buzzed) to 10 (totally stoned).
Afroman, “Because I Got High”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “I was gonna clean my room until I got high/ I gonna get up and find the broom but then I got high/My room is still messed up and I know why (Yeah, hey!)/ Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high.”
Potency: ONE. At first, “Because I Got High” sounds like a fun, harmless joke about how smoking weed leads to unproductivity. But when Afro Man’s problems get more and more serious — he goes from cutting class to losing his wife and kids — this song just becomes a buzzkill.
Listen here.
Miley Cyrus, “Dooo It!”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Loving what you sing/And loving smoking weed/Weed, weed, weed, weed”
Potency: TWO. While the track hit No. 23 on Billboard Twitter Top Tracks and gave some fun insight into the questions that plague a high Cyrus, it’s a bit too repetitive — not unlike a stoner’s philosophical musings….
Listen here.
Rihanna, “James Joint”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “I’d rather be smoking weed/Whenever we breathe”
Potency: FOUR. The first verse finds Rihanna romancing the stoner, but as she gets into “breaking things” and “the police” coming, the less-pleasant and more paranoid thoughts begin to take over.
Listen here.
Method Man & Redman, “How High”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane/ It’s the funk doctor spock smokin buddha on a train/ How high? So high that I can kiss the sky/ (Up, up to the sky!)”
Potency: FIVE. Though it only has a few literal weed references, this mid-’90s rap gem was the original theme song for one of the greatest stoner music duos to date, Method Man & Redman. To witness them perform it in concert is to see burly security guards hopelessly attempt to put out dozens of simultaneously lit-up joints.
Listen here.
Tom Petty, “You Don’t Know How It Feels”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Let’s get to the point/ Let’s roll another joint/ And let’s head on down the road/ There’s somewhere I got to go.”
Potency: FIVE. The rock n’ roll equivalent to Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode,” Petty’s hit isn’t really about weed. The one line that is, however, is just too memorable to go unacknowledged. Radio stations famously censored it, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from shouting it out loud in their car.
Listen here.
Neil Young, “Roll Another Number (For the Road)”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Think I’ll roll another number for the road, I feel able to get under any load/ Though my feet aren’t on the ground, I been standin’ on the sound/ Of some open-hearted people goin’ down.”
Potency: SIX. Though Neil Young’s classic isn’t solely about weed, the song’s general sentiment is all stoner, and it’s impossible to listen to these skulking guitar strums without slowing down to a snail’s pace.
DRAM feat. Lil Yachty, “Broccoli”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Yeah I know your baby mama fond of me/ All she want to do is smoke that broccoli.”
Potency: SIX. DRAM and Yachty’s feel-good anthem is riding the high of career validation as much as the more herbal kind, but there’s still more than enough of both to pass around.
Wiz Khalifa & Snoop Dogg feat. Bruno Mars, “Young, Wild & Free”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Roll joints bigger than King Kong’s fingers/ And smoke them hoes down until they’re stingers. “
Potency: SEVEN. Yeah, it’s a softball pop hit. But “Young, Wild & Free” is dope because it unites legendary smoker Snoop Dogg with young puff dragon Khalifa and it ropes in sweetie pie crooner Bruno Mars, whose hook makes this a playful, top 10 Hot 100 jam about hazy times and not just another album cut to be cherished only by serious stoners.
Listen here.
Cab Calloway, “Reefer Man”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “If he trades you dimes for nickels/ And calls watermelon’s pickles/ Then you know/ You’re talkin’ to that reefer man”
Potency: SEVEN. For those that not only smoke, but tease folks that can’t handle their green with a cool temperament, this 1932 song’s a laugh riot, poking fun at folks that don’t know what’s what or which way is up after they light up.
Listen here.
Amy Winehouse, “Addicted”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “When you smoke all my weed man/You gotta call the green man/So I can get mine and you get yours”
Potency: SEVEN. Not only is this super-relatable (mooching is a big no-no) but the horns and that jazz beat, combined with Winehouse’s indelible vocals, will have you floating on cloud nine.
Listen here.
Sean Paul, “We Be Burnin'”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Everyday we be burnin’ not concernin’ what nobody wanna say / We be earnin’ dollars turning ’cause we mind de pon we pay / More than gold and oil and diamonds – girls, we need dem everyday”
Potency: SEVEN. Not only is Sean Paul clear of his love for blazin’ on “Burnin’” — he sets that love to a dancehall beat we can get down too. Paul’s “We Be Burnin’” spent a full 28 weeks on the Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 6.
Listen here.
Sir, “D’Evils”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Quarter pound of fire burnin’ daily/ Harder to remember, gettin’ harder to remember”
Potency: SEVEN. Not as in your face with its smoke-blowing as some of the other songs on this list, but the looped “one spliff a day” sample (courtesy of Billy Boyo) is certainly hard to ignore, as is its serenely blazed overall vibe.
Listen here.
Toby Keith, “Weed With Willie”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Now we learned a hard lesson in a small Texas town/ He fired up a fat boy and he passed it around/ The last words that I spoke before they tucked me in/ I’ll never smoke weed with Willie again”
Potency: SEVEN. On this Shock’n Y’all bonus track, Toby Keith spins a yarn about sharing a blunt with one of America’s most notorious pot enthusiasts: Willie Nelson. The country legend’s stuff might be a little too powerful for Keith, who opts for the whiskey and declares, “I’ll never smoke weed with Willie again.”
Listen here.
Kid Cudi, “Marijuana”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Pre- pre- pretty green bud/ All in my blunt/ Ohhh I need it.”
Potency: SEVEN. Kid Cudi swore off smoking weed, but he certainly spent a good chunk of his first two albums celebrating the pastime. On “Marijuana,” the airiest track on Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, Cudi likens marijuana to a best friend, saying that it “always had my back” and “never left me lonely.” It’s length? 4:20.
Listten here.
Bob Dylan, “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “I would not feel so all alone/ Everybody must get stoned!”
Potency: SEVEN. Dylan was no stranger to philosophical songwriting in the mid-60s, but the opening track to Blonde on Blonde remains a particular triumph for marijuana enthusiasts. Backed by a brass band, the typically poetic Dylan delivers a loopy anthem punctuated by the exclamation, “Everybody must get stoned!” at the end of each verse.
Listen here.
Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg & Kurupt, “The Next Episode”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Hey-ay-ay-ay! Smoke weed every day!”
Potency: EIGHT. On this 2001 West Coast classic, the Doctor recruits his conglomerate, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and Nate Dogg (R.I.P.), to show how the left side lives: namely, sporting greenery of every type.
Listen here.
Mighty Diamonds, “Pass the Kouchie”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Pass the kouchie pon the left hand side / Pass the kouchie pon the left hand side / It a go bun, it a go dung, Jah know”
Potency: NINE. Mighty Diamonds’ 1982 classic was loved by many in Jamaica, but exploded it in the U.K. and U.S. when Musical Youth covered it as “Pass the Dutchie.” Musical Youth interchanged pots, substituting the “kouchie” with a Dutch oven.
Listen here.
Luniz, “I Got 5 On It”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “I’m gone, beatin my chest like King Kong / It’s on, wrap my lips around a 40 / And when it comes to get another stogie / Fools all kick in like Shinobi.”
Potency: NINE. Listen closely to Luniz’s 1995 “I Got 5 On It,” and you’ll get a full lesson on the do’s and don’t’s of dope.
Listen here.
Black Sabbath, “Sweet Leaf”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “My life is free now, my life is clear/I love you sweet leaf, though you can’t hear.”
Potency: NINE. Marijuana, of course, is an inanimate object. But don’t tell that to Ozzy Osbourne, who professes his love directly to his “sweet leaf” as though it’s his wife or some mythical metal goddess over grinding guitar riffs. Being pro-weed never sounded so romantic.
Listen here.
Cypress Hill, “Hits From the Bong”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Still it, goes down smooth when I get a clean hit/ Of the skunky, funky, smelly green sh*t/ Sing my song, puff all night long/ As I take hits from the bong…”
Potency: NINE. Complete with bong rip sound effects and a hazy soul sample, Cypress Hill’s hip-hop classic could persuade even the straightest of the straight edge to take a walk on the high side.
Listen here.
Sublime, “Smoke Two Joints”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “I smoke two joints a dime a piece, and two the time before / I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints / And then I smoke two more”
Potency: NINE. Anytime, anywhere is the mentality when it comes to the toke on Sublime’s 1992 hit, “Smoke Two Joints.” Originally by The Toyes, Sublime adds in other samples (Beyond the Valley of the Dolls film, Eazy-E, Just Ice and Bert Susanka) and seals it with the sounds of a bubbling bong.
Listen here.
Missy Elliott, “Pass That Dutch”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Pass that dutch, pass that dutch/Pop that, pop that, jiggle that fat”
Potency: NINE. This smokin’ track made the Hot 100 in 2003, and with its unstoppable beat it’s a certified banger — plus it features Elliott spitting “pain in your rectum,” which somehow comes across as worse than a pain in the ass.
Listen here.
Peter Tosh, “Legalize It”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “Singers smoke it, and players of instrument too/Legalize it, yeah yeah, that’s the best thing you can do”
Potency: NINE. Whether they call it weed, marijuana, tampee or ganja, smokers have been grooving to Peter Tosh’s plea for legalization for decades. Reggae legend Bob Marley later tried his hand at a new version of “Legalize It” after guesting on Tosh’s 1976 album of the same name.
Listen here.
Three 6 Mafia, “Stay High”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “What’s up Mary! Mary Jane!/Since I have met you, girl, you ruined my brain/You stole my heart, right from the start”
Potency: TEN. Before they became Academy Award winners for “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” Three 6 Mafia crafted arguably the greatest hip-hop song about smoking weed ever laid to tape. From the syrupy soul sample to Young Buck’s wild middle verse to the zonked-out bliss of the chorus, “Stay High” (or its censored counterpart, “Stay Fly”) invites the listener to do just that.
Listen here.
Rick James, “Mary Jane”
Most Smokin’ Lyric: “And when I’m feeling low, she comes as no surprise / Turns me on with her love, takes me to paradise.”
Potency: TEN. Rick James’ oft-sampled 1978 hit is one of the first songs to define punk-funk. “Mary Jane” opens up strong with strings, then lightens up with female vocals that introduce the star of the show and James’ leading “lady.” Like Ozzy, James knows how to turn crooning about weed into a potent act of seduction.
Listen here.
Breaking up is hard to do. When a relationship comes to a painful end, however, there is one bright side — you get to enjoy breakup songs in a way you might not have before.
It’s true: Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and SZA (who is Billboard’s 2023 Woman of the Year) just hit different once you’ve actually gone through the tender-hearted scenarios they so poignantly describe in their lyrics. Maybe you, too, have had an ex hang on to your old scarf because it smells like you, even after calling you up again just to break you like a promise. Or, maybe you had to watch as your partner left you for the older blonde girl they had previously told you not to worry about, possibly right before you passed your driver’s license test.
Or god forbid, maybe you’ve even been dumped by someone you uhh … had an intimate moment with at a theater, a la “You Oughta Know” (which is absolutely, without a doubt, 1,000% on this list). Hey, Billboard doesn’t judge.
But just as not all breakups are sad, neither are all breakup songs. Just ask Lizzo, whose self-love, leave-his-behind, booty-shaking bangers will transform listeners from heartbroken to happily single and ready to mingle. Alternately, allow Beyoncé’s discography to remind you just how much you’re worth. Or better yet, take a cue from Ariana Grande and simply say to your ex, “Thank you, next.”
Whether you’re angry, relieved, wallowing in grief or gleefully moving on from your latest romantic split, allow Billboard‘s 55 favorite breakup songs to ease you through the aftermath.
Hip-hop – which believe it or not turns 50 this year — has always blossomed from love. It may seem corny to the average hip-hop head, but in an industry based on stealing the hearts of listeners, love is a universal language. Rappers who can balance vulnerability with machismo are undeniable chart-toppers whether it comes to self-love, love for their homies or even love of riches. If you’re a love hater, here’s a fact — Certified Lover Boy Drake was crowned Billboard’s Artist of the Decade in 2021.
But on this list, only one song from Drake’s love catalog will be mentioned. We’re also rounding up our top affectionate hip-hop cuts from classic ‘80s throwbacks to Y2K-era favorites to modern masterpieces.
To kick-off Valentine’s Day, check out the Best Hip-Hop Love Songs of All Time below.
Editor’s Note: A lot of these songs come from some of the greatest to ever pick up a mic. Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Lil Kim, LL Cool J, Drake, 50 Cent and The Notorious B.I.G. all appear on Billboard and Vibe’s recently unveiled list of the 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, which was born out of block parties in the Bronx back in 1973.
While the best rappers of all time is a subject for hot debate, there’s also a less contentious top 50 list you can turn your attention to. Billboard’s Top 50 Love Songs of All Time isn’t an editorial list, but rather a roundup of songs with love (or some variation on the word) in the title that have performed the best on Billboard’s charts over the years. You can check that out here.