12 Most Played Songs From The 80s In Hip Hop History (They Built The Culture)

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:42:48 +0000

The 1980s. When hip hop went from block parties to MTV. From the Bronx to the world. These 12 songs built the culture.
In this video, you'll discover:

Walk This Way - Run-DMC & Aerosmith broke down the wall on MTV, changed music forever
The Message - Grandmaster Flash didn't want to record it, became most important song in hip hop
Fight the Power - Public Enemy made it for Spike Lee, FBI opened a file on them
My Adidas - 25,000 people held their shoes in the air, got a $1M endorsement deal
Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa & a borrowed 808 created the sound of the future
Paid in Full - Eric B. & Rakim recorded the greatest album ever in ONE WEEK
Rapper's Delight - Big Bank Hank rapped someone else's rhymes, sold 11 million copies
Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A. got banned, investigated by FBI, sold 3 million anyway
Push It - Salt-N-Pepa proved women could dominate hip hop
It Takes Two - Rob Base made a perfect song in 2 hours
Parents Just Don't Understand - Will Smith won the first rap Grammy, then boycotted it
The Breaks - Kurtis Blow became first rapper on major label, went gold

From Def Jam to Sugar Hill Records. From the Bronx to Compton. From battle rap to crossover hits.
This is how hip hop conquered the 1980s.
🎵 CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Introduction: How Hip Hop Conquered The 80s
0:40 - #12: The Breaks (First Rapper on Major Label)
1:55 - #11: Straight Outta Compton (FBI Investigated Them)
3:10 - #10: Parents Just Don't Understand (First Rap Grammy)
4:25 - #9: Push It (Women Proved They Could Dominate)
5:40 - #8: It Takes Two (Perfect Song in 2 Hours)
6:55 - #7: Paid in Full (Greatest Album Made in 1 Week)
8:10 - #6: Rock the Bells (LL Cool J Launched Def Jam)
9:25 - #5: My Adidas (25,000 Shoes in the Air, $1M Deal)
11:00 - MID-ROLL: The Songs That Changed Everything
11:15 - #4: Planet Rock (808 Created the Future)
12:30 - #3: Fight the Power (FBI Opened a File)
13:45 - #2: The Message (Most Important Song Ever)
15:00 - #1: Walk This Way (Broke Down The Wall)
16:15 - Outro: How Hip Hop Built The Culture
📚 SOURCES:
VH1 Hip Hop Honors
"Can't Stop Won't Stop" by Jeff Chang
Documentary footage and artist interviews
Billboard chart data and RIAA certifications
💬 Which 80s hip hop song defined the era for you? Drop it in the comments.
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