On May 13, Apple Music began their 10-day countdown to rattle off their 100 Best Albums list. With any sort of ranking, fans and artists are going to be divided. But, Ebro, famous radio host and hip-hop figure, made sure to explain to the masses that the requirements for each selection were robust. He, along with various other experts and artists were not allowed to choose their favorite records. Instead, they focused on things like cultural impact, fleshed out ideas over hits, storytelling, etc. With all of that in consideration the people over at Apple Music certainly had their work cut out for them.
But the dust has now settled and only one LP is reigning supreme. If you read the title, then you could guess that the album that earned the top spot was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Lauryn's one and only solo album claimed the throne over some pretty tough competition. Falling just short of number one was Beyonce's Lemonade (#10), Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe) (#7), and Frank Ocean's Blonde (#5). Other notable entries were Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life (#6), Prince & The Revolution's Purple Rain (#4), and Michael Jackson's Thriller (#2).
Lauryn Hill Lands At No. 1 For Apple Music
Hip-hop and R&B were represented a lot on this Best 100 Albums list overall too. Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., De La Soul, Travis Scott, Tyler, The Creator, and Dr. Dre, are just a few to name. Even though it seems that a lot of thought went into these rankings, a lot of fans were in an uproar over Nas' Illmatic only being at number 39. SZA was also quite puzzled over SOS LP placing in the 70 range. "Lmao. 72nd is so disrespectful," she wrote on IG. While a lot of people will assuredly disagree with the Lauryn Hill pick, this album will never age. It still has a lasting impact on one of the largest genres in the world all these years later.
What are your thoughts on Lauryn Hill claiming the number one spot on Apple Music's 100 Best Albums list? If you disagree, what project would you put number one all time, and why? Is this the best hip-hop/hip-hop adjacent record ever? What songs do you still revisit from it? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Lauryn Hill. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
