Side 8 of 11
2007
Soulja Boy crashes the gates of YouTube rap
The top 10
- 01
Crank That (Soulja Boy)
Soulja Boy Tell'em
snapviralFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for seven weeks. The first song to top the chart based on internet popularity.
Why it mattered
A 17-year-old made the beat in FL Studio, posted the dance to YouTube, and accidentally became the prototype for every viral pop star to come. The Superman dance was inescapable.
- 02
Umbrella
Rihanna · feat. Jay-Z
popclubFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for seven weeks.
Why it mattered
The-Dream and Tricky Stewart wrote a chorus that turned into a worldwide singalong. Rihanna's transformation from teen-pop singer into global icon happened in one song.
- 03
Stronger
Kanye West
electro-rapclubFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for one week. Lead single from Graduation.
Why it mattered
Kanye sampled Daft Punk's 'Harder Better Faster Stronger' and made the most stadium-ready electro-rap record of the decade. Graduation's release week killed gangsta rap as the dominant chart force.
- 04
Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')
T-Pain · feat. Yung Joc
auto-tunesnapFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for one week.
Why it mattered
T-Pain's first #1 — the moment Auto-Tune stopped being a corrective tool and became a signature creative voice. The next two years of pop were all downstream of this song.
- 05
The Way I Are
Timbaland · feat. Keri Hilson, D.O.E.
electro-poptimbalandFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #3 on the Hot 100.
Why it mattered
Timbaland's Shock Value year. The hook was minimalist; the bass was massive. He was reinventing pop production every six months.
- 06
This Is Why I'm Hot
MIMS
ringtone-rapFind similar tracks →On the charts
#1 on the Hot 100 for two weeks.
Why it mattered
Beat-by-numbers ringtone rap that crashed the charts on sheer hook repetition. Critics couldn't stand it; the song couldn't be stopped.
- 07
Get It Shawty
Lloyd
r&bsnapFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #11 on the Hot 100.
Why it mattered
Lloyd's smooth-falsetto take on snap-era R&B — built around a Toto sample and the cleanest dance groove of the year.
- 08
Walk It Out
Unk
snapatlFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #10 on the Hot 100.
Why it mattered
Snap-rap with a dance attached — the second wave of ringtone-rap singles that owned the dancefloor in 2007. Andre 3000 jumped on the remix and gave it permanent legitimacy.
- 09
Make It Rain
Fat Joe · feat. Lil Wayne
clubFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #13 on the Hot 100.
Why it mattered
Scott Storch built another orchestral monster, and Lil Wayne's verse was the moment a lot of people clued in that he was about to be the best rapper alive.
- 10
International Players Anthem (I Choose You)
UGK · feat. OutKast
southernposse cutFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #66 on the Hot 100; certified gold and a critical favorite.
Why it mattered
DJ Paul and Juicy J's Willie Hutch flip + verses from Pimp C, Bun B, Andre 3000, and Big Boi = arguably the greatest posse cut of the decade.
