Rap and Hip Hop Albums in US Top 10 1986-1993

Although Rap and Hip Hop had been around for several years, 1986 was a very important point in the success of the genre. There were other albums that made a mark prior to 1986, but the single “Walk This Way” – a collaboration with Aerosmith on their album Raising Hell – became the first hip hop song to hit the mainstream and to land inside the Billboard Top 5. I decided to start this list of Top 10 albums in the year 1986 and run through 1993 – the year that Dr. Dre’s The Chronic broke into the mainstream ushering in the harder edge of rap that would become prevalent throughout the 1990’s.

A few interesting notes – in the the eight years between Run-D.M.C’s Raising Hell and the end of 1993, rap/hip hop albums hit the US Top 10 album charts 31 times. In 1993 alone, there were nine albums in the Top 10. The artist diversity is impressive as well; only three artists had two albums in the Top 10 (MC Hammer, Ice Cube and Too Short).

Raising Hell by Run-D.M.C. (1986)

Word Up! by Cameo (1986)

Licensed to Ill by The Beastie Boys (1987)

Bigger and Deffer by LL Cool J (1987)

Crushin’ by Fat Boys (1987)

He’s the DJ I’m the Rapper by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (1988)

Loc-Ed After Dark by Tone Loc (1989)

Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em by MC Hammer (1990)

Poison by Bell Biv Devoe (1990)

To The Extreme by Vanilla Ice (1990)

Gonna Make You Sweat by C&C Music Factory (1991)

N.W.A. (1991)