The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time: Salt-N-Pepa, 'Push It'

The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time

50

49

48

47

46

45

44

43

42

41
40

39

38

37

36

35

34

33

32

31
30

29

28

27

26

25

24

23

22

21
20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11
10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Salt-N-Pepa, 'Push It'

Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

prev 46/50 next

Hot, Cool and Vicious, 1986

Salt-N-Pepa's libidinous jam was one of the first rap records to top the dance charts, and it remains as dependable a party-starter as any song of the hip-hop era. The snake-charmer electro groove is a monster and Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandy "Pepa" Denton trounce all comers in the man-strafing sassiness department: "Can't you hear the music's pumpin' hard like I wish you would?" they rap. Joke's on you, fellas.