Greatest Rap Songs of All Time

Although many people might criticize today's rap music for all sounding the same, there are still some exceptional rappers who are talented and deserve some recognition from their listeners. If you enjoy rap music, you will enjoy looking through the top five greatest rap songs of all time.

Stan

Stan is written by the one and only, beloved Eminem, and although he is a punk, he has really made a name for himself, as there are not many white men who can pull off rapping and be taken seriously. Eminem has many great hits, but nothing as unique as Stan. This song is psychotic and dark, and comical all at the same time.

Roses

Outkast's music is always completely unique, and they are always coming up with absurd and crazy ways to express themselves. Who wouldn't like to relive a little bit of high school drama with the schools most popular cheerleader? Outkast are real, and these talented soul/rappers tell it like it is, "roses really smell like poo o oo."

D Boyz

The first time I heard this song by none other than Rich Boy I laughed, the second time I had the words down and sang along, the third time I turned the bass up real loud. D Boyz will have you feeling like a thug no matter who you are; it is a great song to turn on while you are driving around real slow, with your base up loud.

Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta

Who doesn't like a traditional tune by the Ghetto Boys every now and again? This is a comical song, with a slow beat playing in the background. Whoever slammed the Ghetto Boys for not being original must have not heard all of their clever antidotes in this classic, if you have not heard Damn It Feels Good to be a Gansta, than you haven't lived.

Stay Fly

If you do not like pop/rap or hardcore/rap, than Three 6 Mafia is somewhere in-between, they have simple, humorous lyrics, fast, catchy beats, and these southern rappers will help you stay fly all year-round.

There are many great rap songs, and it is almost impossible to narrow it down to the best five rap songs of all time. However, if you are interested in rap, and looking for some quality groups to start listening to, than these artists won't let you down.

For more information on the greatest raps songs of all time as well as ever other type of music check out http://www.greatestsongsofall.com/ where you can listen, rate and review songs.

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The Greatest Jackson Five Album Covers

One of the things that I miss about the "old school" days of Vinyl albums are the album covers.

Oh, you still have cool artwork and interesting designs, but you no longer have that big 12 inch plus cover that could serve as a mini-poster of your favorite artist. It was even more of a treat when the artist produced a double album, because you would then have four sides of cover work.

Now I admit that it's great not having to dedicate large amounts of space to housing an album collection. But, I tend to feel about albums like I feel about having a library of books. There's something that seems right about looking at a bookshelf and seeing those books lined up on the shelf, just like there was something that felt good about seeing your array of albums lined up nice and neat, or even scattered about.

Ultimately, I guess you can argue that it's really about the music, and being able to listen to what you want to quickly and efficiently, and the current formats certainly deliver on that.

And I don't suppose too many people bought albums just based on the cover...unless it was some of those Ohio Players albums covers (you can figure that out for yourself).

My favorite group then and now is The Jackson Five / The Jacksons. When I was growing up, we didn't have much money, and early on, the only records I was able to get came from the back of cereal boxes. So there weren't any posters around either. And when you did get your hands on an album, you were pretty excited. Come to think of it, those cereal box records did have a picture on them.

The first Jackson Five album which I actually owned was "Dancing Machine". I traded some comic books with a friend of mine to get the album. Now the cover at this point had been roughed up a bit and the album had 1 or 2 scratches (for those of you that have never used a vinyl album, if an album has a scratch it causes the music to be interrupted, either repeating itself, or jumping the groove and moving to the next section of the song and generally interfering with the fidelity of the music), but that became my favorite album. Of course it was also my only album, but why quibble.

As I got a little older, and managed to have a few bucks in my pocket, I set about collecting the albums that I couldn't buy when I was younger. I spent plenty of time looking at what they used to call the "cut-out racks/bins" (this was where older albums were placed and a notch was physically cut-out on the album cover - marking it as damaged/non-returnable and enabling the retailer to sell at a reduced price). I also found a number of the albums at second-hand or re-sale stores. Eventually, I managed to gather nearly all of the early albums that I had missed.

My favorite Jackson album covers? Well, thanks for asking - they are the following:

#1 Maybe Tomorrow -

It's a double album cover, although it was not a double album. The boys are in a garden/park setting with lots of green background. Michael, Jackie and Tito are on the front cover and Jermaine and Marlon are on the back cover, it's a wide shot so to see all five you open the cover to view the front and back together. The inside cover has another wide shot of the boys and a few smaller photos.

#2 ABC -

I thought it really cool to have them around the big letters of one of their signature tunes on the cover, and the back cover collage used a lot of photos of them appearing in everyday life settings, playing ball, just hanging out, totally cool.

#3 Greatest Hits -

Probably the most iconic photo for me of the early 70's Jackson Five

#4 Going Back To Indiana -

This was from the TV special...need I say more?

#5 Skywriter -

Totally cool seeing them in old-time flight suits with the aviator goggles.

#6 Destiny -

Double album cover, artist rendition on the cover, wide shot of the group on the inside.

#7 Get It Together -

I never managed to get my hands on this one. The original cover had a cut out of the letters GIT through which you could see the picture beneath it, it was a cover within a cover. The boys were in the yellow and red costumes. I think later versions of the album just used the GIT letters on the cover without showing the picture underneath.

#8 Triumph -

I liked this cover because it was a tight group shot, head and shoulders of the brothers done in grey shade, not quite what they did on Third Album, but it reminded me of that.

And when you strip away all of the cool sounds and fancy beats, it's important that there's still a song there. A melody that can be sang, and words with meaning.

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Madonna: Still The World's Greatest Performer

Music has always been a large part of society and so when influential and unique individuals emerge within the music industry they inevitably become exponentially popular. One of these individuals is Madonna (Madonna Louise Ciccone). Born on August 16th, 1958, Madonna was one of the most influential characters in the music industry throughout the 80's and early 90's. As an American songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur she has undoubtably made a strong name for herself throughout the world.

Madonna originally started her career by singing within music groups such as Breakfast Club and Emmy but then decided to branch out on her own and create her own brand. With the release of her debut album, people all over the world started to catch onto the revolutionary music and style that Madonna brought forth. She has had an abundance of different number one hits that have topped record charts all over the world including 'Like a Prayer', 'Papa Don't Preach', 'Vogue', '4 Minutes', and 'Like a Virgin'.

Her music career isn't the only aspect of her life that has forced her into the limelight. Madonna is also a practicing actress who has had an abundance of film appearances since 1985. She has won a variety of different awards including a Golden Globe Award for her role in Evita during the year of 1996. Although Evita was a long time hit, many critics found that Madonna had fallen short of her acting career as her other film roles were titled as failures.

Although the majority of Madonna's fame was found within the 80's ad 90's, she has continued to produce catchy and lyrical music in order to continue her role as an influential person within the music industry. The most important part of Madonna was her fashion sense and her risque approach to society. Within the 80's and 90's it was very rare that people would see provocative imagery during music videos as it was classified as "inappropriate" or "controversial" but Madonna rarely cared about critical thinking like that. Creating her music videos was seen as an art project as she thrust herself into the minds of people all over the world with fashion decision and her portrayal of sexual imagery in her music and music videos.

With her half time Super Bowl XLVI performance, Madonna inevitably showed the world that she still has the ability to create new and pop centric music enjoyable by all generations. During her performance she shared the stage with new artists such as LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, and M.I.A meanwhile performing with revolutionary artists such as Cee Lo Green. With over 114 million viewers, Madonna's half time performance was catalogued as the most watched halftime show in the history of the Super Bowl. The 53 year old looked absolutely amazing while she proved once more in the 12 minute session that she is the world's greatest performer.

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Crosby, Stills and Nash Greatest Hits - A Perfect Collection

Is there such thing as the "perfect" Greatest Hits collection? In a lot of cases the assembling of such LPs sometimes over-look an artist (or group's) best work. Often times the "radio-friendly" material is the first to make the cut while other inspiring songs fall prey to limitations imposed by the distributing record label. In the case of the 1970's (and still going strong) super group Crosby, Still and Nash there is a central place where the "essential" songs can be found. What are some of these songs and what is the title of the collection?

Released in March of 2005 Crosby, Stills and Nash Greatest Hits is a compilation that comes quite close to a "perfect" collection. This 19 song CD draws from albums and songs dating back to the original days of Crosby, Stills and Nash including their debut LP Crosby, Stills and Nash (1969) and their subsequent album Deja' Vu which was released in 1970 and introduced Neil Young as the fourth member of the group.

While the previously released "hits" album (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - So Far) included songs penned by Neil Young, Crosby, Stills and Nash Greatest Hits sticks strictly to the songs written and sung by the group's core: David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. (Singer/Songwriter Neil Young's song "hits" catalogue is so rich we will devote a future article to this Canadian songwriter's gems.)

Drawing from their hit LPs Crosby, Stills and Nash, Deja' Vu, CSN and Daylight Again this "hits" collection does not miss a beat. While it is interesting to note the exclusion of Neil Young's songs (his work appeared on Deja' Vu and Daylight Again), from a CSN fan's perspective there is not a wasted choice on this CD. The album opens with "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", a tune written by Stephen Stills to his then-love interest (and songstress) Judy Collins. This classic CSN tune completely captures the essence of CSN: Vocal Harmonies, masterful songwriting, immediately accessible melody, folk/rock rhythms etc. all delivered through world-class musicianship. With its time, feel and melody changes "Suite" is literally a "one-of-a kind" type of song. Clocking in at seven minutes and twenty eight seconds (the single was edited down to 4:35) the song reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts.

Released in 1977 on the group's CSN album, Graham Nash's "Just a Song Before I Go" was #7 on the Billboard singles charts. According to Nash, the song was written in response to a tongue-in-cheek challenge from friend who told Nash (before Nash left for the airport) "You've got half an hour, why don't you just write a song before you go?" The resulting piece is another example of CSN artistry. With Stills haunting guitar, Nash's lead vocal (conveying the heartache of leaving loved ones behind) and Crosby's (always) unusual harmony lines this two minute fourteen second piece is near-musical perfection.

"Our House", "Teach Your Children", "Southern Cross" and "Wasted On The Way" charted at # 30, 16, 18 and 9 respectively and are sprinkled throughout this CD with other CSN hits and classics. But what makes this album special is the inclusion of lesser-known cuts including Nash's "Cathedral", Crosby's "Delta" and Stills' "Daylight Again". These songs reveal the almost non-existent line between CSN's "hits" and their "other" songs. In other words even a random sampling of this collection would leave most music lovers satisfied.

With a perfect mixture of "known" and "not-so-known" tunes, Crosby Stills and Nash Greatest Hits is a good example of a "perfect" hits collection that should satisfy new-comers as well as hard-core fans.

Kenn Morr is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter, Producer and Author with six albums to his credit http://www.kennmorrmusic.com/ Originally from Long Island, NY, Kenn lives in the foothills of New England's Berkshire Mountains with his wife and two young sons and credits CSN as a major influence in his writing.

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James Taylor's Greatest Hits (That Weren't)

Since its release in 1976 James Taylor's Greatest Hits has been a staple in many music-lover's CD/album collections. And while it may be difficult to argue the inclusion of songs such as "Fire and Rain", "Sweet Baby James", "Mexico", "Carolina in My Mind" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" in the collection, James Taylor has masterfully penned countless other pieces which do not appear on Greatest Hits. Yet these unknown songs are "hits" in their own right. What are these songs and where can they be found?

The 1971 album Mud Slide Slim is a 13 song set widely known for its centerpiece (and "greatest hit") "You've Got a Friend." It is ironic "Friend" is one of Taylor's most well-known songs even though it was written and recorded by Carole King for her Tapestry album the same year. Aside from King's world-wide hit, one of the true stand-out songs on this early James Taylor offering is the beautiful "You Can Close Your Eyes." With Taylor's signature acoustic guitar and finger-picking style, lush background harmonies (to which James himself contributed) and melancholy mood this song completely captures the singer/songwriter era: A man, his guitar, a few chords and the (sometimes sad) truth. Taylor croons: "I can sing this song, and you can sing this song...when I'm gone."

Mud Slide Slim also includes the haunting "Long Ago and Far Away." As is the case with "You Can Close Your Eyes" the bare-bones recording of this melodic tune supports the music production theory of "less is more." While most of the songs on the Greatest Hits album received the full treatment of bass, drums, lush harmonies etc. "Long Ago" and "Close Your Eyes" meet the ultimate songwriting challenge i.e. how does the song stand on its own with just James, his guitar and vocals? A quick listen to either piece provides the answer: Beautifully. Therefore it is of little surprise all these years later JT still sometimes opens his shows solo, with band waiting in the wings, with either of these songs.

The 1975 release Gorilla spawned the wonderfully vibrant "greatest hit" "Mexico". With its south-of-the-border feel, rousing chorus and musical hooks "Mexico" quickly became a staple in Taylor's sets. Yet hiding on the very same album is the greatest hit (that never was) "Lighthouse". Unlike the bare-bone production of "You Can Close Your Eyes" and "Long Ago and Far Away", "Lighthouse" received the full-treatment in the recording studio. Singers David Crosby and Graham Nash (from the super-group Crosby Stills and Nash) lent their distinctive (and un-mistakable) harmony vocals to the lush arrangement which included the full band. The result was arguably one of Taylor's most infectious songs.

In this digital age where downloading single tracks is the norm we no longer have to be bound by what record companies determine to be an artist's "greatest hits." In the case of James Taylor all one has to do is take the time and simply sample his collection. It will not take long to un-earth hidden jewels and the results will be your own version of James Taylor's Greatest Hits (That Weren't.) "You Can Close Your Eyes", "Long Ago and Far Away" and "Lighthouse" are a great place to start.

Kenn Morr is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter, Producer and Author with six albums to his credit. Originally from Long Island, NY, Kenn now resides in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains with his wife and two young sons and credits James Taylor as one of his major influences. For Morr information please visit http://www.kennmorrmusic.com/.

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