Classics By Year

[Frankizzle]

Ayo, did you ever peep that book, Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists?

They did a big list of the best albums and singles by year, here is the one for albums by year -

HIP HOP'S GREATEST ALBUMS BY YEAR

1979-85

1. Run-D.M.C. (Profile '84)

2. L.L. Cool J: Radio (Def Jam '85)

3. Wild Style (Animal '83)

4. Live Convention '82 (Disco Wax '82)

5. Live Convention '81 (Disco Wax '81)

6. Fat Boys (Sutra '84)

7. Whodini: Escape (Jive '84)

8. Run-D.M.C.: King of Rock (Profile '85)

9. Treacherous Three (Sugarhill '84)

10. Mantronix: The Album (Fresh '85)

11. Malcolm McLaren & the World Famous Supreme Team: D'Ya Like Scratchin' EP (Island '82)

12. The Big Break Rapper Party (Sounds of New York '80)

13. The Fat Boys Are Back (Sutra '85)

14. Too $hort: Don't Stop Rappin' (75 Girls '85)

15. Crash Crew (Sugarhill '84)

16. Too $hort: Raw, Uncut & X-Rated (75 Girls '85)

17. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5: The Message (Sugarhill '82)

18. Kurtis Blow: Ego Trip (Mercury '84)

19. Too $hort: Players (75 Girls, '83)

20. Whodini (Jive '83)

21. Sugarhill Gang: 8th Wonder (Sugarhill '81)

22. Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde: The Champagne of Rap (Profile '85)

23. Def Mix Volume 1 (Pop Art '85)

24. Kurtis Blow (Mercury '80)

25. Sugarhill Gang (Sugarhill '79)

1986-87

1. Run-D.M.C.: Raising Hell (Profile '86)

2. Boogie Down Productions: Criminal Minded (B-Boy '87)

3. Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill (Def Jam '86)

4. Eric B & Rakim: Paid in Full (4th & B'way '87)

5. Public Enemy: Yo! Bum Rush the Show (Def Jam '87)

6. L.L. Cool J: Bigger & Deffer (Def Jam '87)

7. Schoolly D: Saturday Night-the Album (Schoolly D '87)

8. 2 Live Crew: 2 Live Crew is What We Are (Luke Skyywalker '86)

9. Too $hort: Born to Mack (Jive '86)

10. MC Shan: Down by Law (Cold Chillin' 87)

11. Salt-n-Pepa: Hot, Cool & Vicious (Next Plateau '86)

12. Just-Ice: Kool & Deadly (Justicizms) (Fresh '87)

13. Whodini: Back in Black (Jive '86)

14. Dana Dame: Dana Dame with Fame ('87)

15. Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew: Oh My God! (Reality '86)

16. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince: Rock the House (Word Up '87)

17. Just-Ice: Back to the Old School (Fresh '86)

18. Stetsasonic: On Fire (Tommy Boy '86)

19. Masters of Ceremony: Dynamite (4th & B'way '87)

20. Kool Moe Dee: How Ya Like Me Now (Jive '87)

21. Schoolly D (Schoolly D '86)

22. Ice-T: Rhyme Pays (Sire '87)

23. Steady B: What's My Name (Jive '87)

24. Spoonie Gee: The Godfather (Tuff City '87)

25. MC Shy D: Got to Be Tough (Luke Skyywalker '87)

1988

1. Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Def Jam)

2. N.W.A: Straight Outta Compton (Ruthless)

3. The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (Def Jam)

4. EPMD: Strictly Business (Fresh)

5. Boogie Down Productions: By Any Means Necessary (Jive)

6. Big Daddy Kane: Long Live the Kane (Cold Chillin')

7. Ultramagnetic MCs: Critical Beatdown (Next Plateau)

8. Eric B. & Rakim: Follow the Leader (Uni)

9. Biz Markie: Goin' Off (Cold Chillin')

10. Jungle Brothers: Straight Out the Jungle (Idlers)

11. Eazy-E: Eazy-Duz-It (Ruthless)

12. Run-D.M.C.: Tougher Than Leather (Profile)

13. MC Lyte: Lyte as a Rock (First Priority)

14. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince: He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (Jive)

15. Marley Marl: In Control Vol. 1 (Cold Chillin')

16. Salt-n-Pepa: A Salt with a Deadly Pepa (Next Plateau)

17. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo: Road to the Riches (Cold Chillin')

18. Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew: The World's Greatest Entertainer (Reality)

19. Stetsasonic: In Full Gear (Tommy Boy)

20. 2 Live Crew: Move Somethin' (Luke Skyywalker)

21. Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud: Girls I Got 'em Locked (Elektra)

22. Life is...Too $hort (Jive)

23. King Tee: Act a Fool (Capitol)

24. Kid 'n Play: 2 Hype (Select)

25. Lakim Shabazz: Pure Righteousness (Tuff City)

1989

1. De La Soul: 3 Feet High & Rising (Tommy Boy)

2. Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique (Capitol)

3. Jungle Brothers: Done by the Forces of Nature (Warner Bros)

4. Big Daddy Kane: It's a Big Daddy Thing (Cold Chillin')

5. The D.O.C.: No One Can Do It Better (Ruthless)

6. Geto Boys: Grip It! On That Other Level (Rap-a-Lot)

7. 3rd Bass: The Cactus Album (Def Jam)

8. 2 Live Crew: As Nasty as They Wanna Be (Luke)

9. Nice & Smooth (Fresh)

10. Biz Markie: The Biz Never Sleeps (Cold Chillin')

11. EPMD: Unfinished Business (Fresh)

12. Queen Latifah: All Hail the Queen (Tommy Boy)

13. L.L. Cool J: Walking with a Panther (Def Jam)

14. Special Ed: Youngest in Charge (Profile)

15. Chill Rob G: Ride the Rhythm (Wild Pitch)

16. Low Profile: We're in This Together (Priority)

17. MC Lyte: Eyes on This (First Priority)

18. Three Times Dope: Original Stylin' (Arista)

19. Stezo: Crazy Noize (Fresh)

20. Boogie Down Productions: Ghetto Music: the Blueprint of Hip-Hop(Jive)

21. Ice-T: The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say (Rhyme Syndicate)

22. Willie D: Controversy (Rap-a-Lot)

23. Heavy D & the Boyz: Big Tyme (Uptown)

24. Sir Mix-a-Lot: Swass (Def American)

25. Kwame: The Boy Genius featuring a New Beginning (Atlantic)

1990

1. Ice Cube: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (Priority)

2. Brand Nubian: One for All (Elektra)

3. Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam)

4. N.W.A: 100 Miles and Runnin' EP (Ruthless)

5. EPMD: Business as Usual (Def Jam)

6. L.L. Cool J: Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam)

7. Eric B & Rakim: Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (MCA)

8. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo: Wanted: Dead or Alive (Cold Chillin')

9. A Tribe Called Quest: People's Instinctive Travels & the Paths of Rhythm (Jive)

10. Gang Starr: Step in the Arena (Chrysalis)

11. Boogie Down Productions: Edutainment (Jive)

12. Above the Law: Livin' Like Hustlers (Ruthless)

13. X-Clan: To the East, Blackwards (Ruthless)

14. Ice Cube: Kill at Will EP (Priority)

15. Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth: Funky Technician (Wild Pitch)

16. Too $hort: $hort Dog's in the House (Jive)

17. Special Ed: Legal (Profile)

18. Digital Underground: Sex Packets (Tommy Boy)

19. King Tee: At Your Own Risk (Capitol)

20. K-Solo: Tell the World My Name (Atlantic)

21. Poor Righteous Teachers: Holy Intellect (Profile)

22. Masta Ace: Take a Look Around (Cold Chillin')

23. Digital Underground: This is an EP Release (Tommy Boy)

24. Compton's Most Wanted: It's a Compton Thang (Orpheus)

25. D-Nice: Call Me D-Nice (Jive)

 

[Havelx]

Oh shit, No MMLP and R U still down?

 

[Beware]

Hold up!!!!!

the W is on there, but wu-tang forever isnt? you high dude?

 

[sickbizzle]

this list is suspect, some blatant bias going on here...

 

[buttuh_b]

I wouldn't call Cuban Linx 2 a classic even though it was a dope follow up... Q-Tip - The Renaissance in 2008.. Pac - All Eyez On Me is more of a classic than Reasonable Doubt. The W isn't a classic. Outkast - ATLiens is a classic. Red & Meth - Blackout! Slum Village - Fantastic Vol. 2... 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin'.. G Rap - Wanted Dead or Alive.. Goodie Mob - Soul Food.. take off Life After Death... Add It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Nas - Lost Tapes, Main Source - Breaking Atoms... yeah it would actually be a pretty lengthy list. Thank God we have been blessed with so much great hip hop.. And I would say your knowledge on southern music may be limited.. no offense.

 

[Tupacthadon1971]

if your posting that many albums, i think ya left out All Eyez On Me, The 7 Day Theory, and R U STill Down.........AEOM and 7Day Theory being known classics in my eyes

 

[ex-soldier]

At least one of Ludacris albums shouuld be in there