Top Soundtracks
List of the Best R&B and Hip Hop Soundtracks
Hip Hop and R&B soundtracks, or soundtracks in general, have been part of movies for generations, but no era or generation can be compared to the classic albums that were produced and created throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s. In this golden era of music, we were blessed to hear some of the greatest and most classical songs of all time.
Top 25 Hip Hop and R&B Soundtracks
1. The Bodyguard
Released Date: 1992
Featured Artists: Whitney Houston
Top Songs: “I Will Always Love You,” “I’m Every Woman,” “Run To You,” and more.
Quick Facts: The Bodyguard soundtrack achieved a record-breaking status by becoming the highest selling soundtrack of all time, during the period when Whitney Houston was the most popular singer in the world.
2. Waiting to Exhale
Released Date: 1995
Featured Artists: Whitney Houston, TLC, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, SWV, Brandy, Toni Braxton, Mary J Blige, and more.
Top Songs: Whitney Houston “Count on Me,” Whitney Houston “Exhale,” Brandy “Sittin’ Up in My Room,” Mary J Blige “Not Gon’ Cry,” and more.
Quick Facts: The classic album achieved significant milestones, such as selling seven million copies and receiving various award nominations, including 11 Grammy nominations. It was also among the top charting albums in 1995.
3. Space Jam
Released Date: 1996
Featured Artists: D’Angleo, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, R. Kelly, Seal, Coolio, Monica, Salt N Pepa, Chris Rock, Barry White, and more.
Top Songs: Seal “Fly Like an Eagle,” R. Kelly “I Believe I Can Fly,” Barry White and Chris Rock “Basketball Jones,” Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Coolio, LL Cool J “Hit Em,” and more.
Quick Facts: Michael Jordan’s Space Jam soundtrack is one of the most successful soundtracks ever sold. It achieved worldwide recognition by topping the charts and receiving gold and platinum certifications.
4. Set It Off
Released Date: 1996
Featured Artists: En Vogue, Brandy, Queen Latifah, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Busta Rhymes, Seal, Goodie Mob, and more.
Top Songs: Brandy “Missing You,” Bone Thugs “Days of Our Lives,” En Vogue “Don’t Let Go,” and more.
Quick Facts: The Set It Off soundtrack achieved platinum certification and a Top 5 position on the charts. Even though it did not receive as many awards as some other soundtracks, it is frequently regarded as the best soundtrack of all-time.
5. Friday
Released Date: 1995
Featured Artists: Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, The Isley Brothers, Bootsy Collins, Scarface, Cypress Hill, 2 Live Crew, Mack 10, and more.
Top Songs: Dr. Dre “Keep Their Heads Ringin’,” Ice Cube “Friday,” The Isley Brothers “Tryin To See Another Day,” Boosty Collins “You Got Me Wide Open,” 2 Live Crew “Hoochie Mama,” and more.
Quick Facts: The 2x platinum soundtrack that peaked number one on the charts was mixture of old-school legends, like Rick James and The Isley Brothers, and, at the time, the top new school artists of the rap game, like Dr. Dre and Ice Cube.
6. Boomerang
Released Date: 1992
Featured Artists: Babyface, Toni Braxton, TLC, Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill, A Tribe Called Quest, and more.
Top Songs: Boyz II Men “End of the Road,” Babyface and Toni Braxton “Give U My Heart,” Grace Jones “7 Day Weekend,” Toni Braxton “Love Shoulda Brought You Home,” A Tribe Called Quest “Hot Sex,” and more.
Quick Facts: The Boomerang soundtrack was released through the LaFace Records, while primarily written and produced by LA Reid and Babyface.
7. Above The Rim
Released Date: 1994
Featured Artists: 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Al B. Sure, Warren G, Nate Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and more.
Top Songs: Warren G and Nate Dogg “Regulate,” 2Pac “Pain,” Lady of Rage and Snoop Dogg “AfroPuffs,” and more.
Quick Facts: One of the three Death Row soundtracks released during their time dominating West Coast hip-hop, while also being one of Death Row’s top selling albums.
8. Soul Food
Released Date: 1997
Featured Artists: Missy Elliot, Outkast, Boyz II Men, Dru Hill, Total, Xscape, Blackstreet, En Vogue, and more.
Top Songs: Boyz II Men “A Song for Mama,” Total “What About Us,” Dru Hill “We’re Not Making Love No More,” and more.
Quick Facts: Mostly produced by Babyface, Soul Food would eventually become a 2x platinum selling soundtrack and was considered as one of the top albums of 1997.
9. 8 Mile
Released Date: 2002
Featured Artists: Eminem, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Nas, Xzibit, and more.
Top Songs: Eminem “Lose Yourself,” 50 Cent “Wanksta”, Eminem “8 Mile”
Quick Facts: One of the last critically acclaimed hip hop soundtracks, 8 Mile reached the top of the charts in over 20 countries.
10. Dr. Doolittle
Released Date: 1998
Featured Artists: Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Timbaland, Twista, Montell Jordan, and more.
Top Songs: Ginuwine “Same Ol G,” Aaliyah “Are You That Somebody,” and more.
Quick Facts: Hit producer Timbaland had much to do with the production on the soundtrack, which eventually sold over two million copies.
11. Life
Released Date: 1999
Featured Artists: Destiny Childs, The Isley Brothers, K-Ci & JoJo, Mya, Maxwell, Brian McKnight, Wyclef Jean, Juvenile, Ja Rule, and more.
Top Songs: Maxwell “Fortunate,” K-Ci and JoJo “Life,” and more.
Quick Facts: R&B artist R. Kelly played a significant role in producing The Life album, which not only reached the top 5 on the charts but also earned platinum certification. No information has been left out in this paraphrase.
12. Belly
Released Date: 1998
Featured Artists: DMX, Nas, Method Man, Jay-Z, Noreaga, Mya, Ja Rule, D’Angelo, Rakim, and more.
Top Songs: D’Angelo “Devil’s Pie,” DMX, Ja Rule, Method Man, and Ja Rule “Grand Finale,” and more.
Quick Facts: Possibly the top hip hop soundtrack of the late 1990s, Belly’s soundtrack reached number one of the charts and sold close to one million copies.
13. Sunset Park
Released Date: 1996
Featured Artists: 2Pac, Aaliyah, Mobb Deep, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, MC Lyte, Tha Dogg Pound, Queen Latifah, ONYX, and more.
Top Songs: Mobb Deep “Back at You,” MC Lyte and Xscape “Keep On, Keepin’ On,” ONYX “Thangz Changed,” and more.
Quick Facts: A classic hip hop soundtrack, with over a million sold, Sunset Park was the number one album in the country after its release.
14. Blue Streak
Released Date: 1999
Featured Artists: Jay-Z, Hot Boys, Keith Sweat, Raekwon, Foxy Brown, Tyrese, Kelly Price, and more.
Top Songs: Jay-Z “Girl’s Best Friend,” Tyrese and Heavy D “Criminal Mind,” So Plush and Ja Rule “Damn (Should’ve Treated U Right),” Hot Boys “Rock Ice,” and more.
Quick Facts: One of the few hip-hop and R&B soundtracks that had multiple singles to reach the charts. Blue Streak also had an all-star lineup of producers, which featured production from Swizz Beatz, Mannie Fresh, Jermaine Dupri, and Stevie J.
15. Poetic Justice
Released Date: 1993
Featured Artists: 2Pac, TLC, Babyface, Usher, Tony! Toni! Toné!, and more.
Top Songs: Mista Grimm “Indo Smoke,” TLC “Get It Up” by TLC, Usher “Call Me a Mack,” and more.
Quick Facts: Though a star-studded cast of artists and producers, like Dr. Dre, Dallas Austin, and several others, Poetic Justice was not as acclaimed as other hip hop and R&B soundtracks, only reaching gold certification.
16. New Jack City
Released Date: 1991
Featured Artists: Ice-T, Guy, Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, 2 Live Crew, and more.
Top Songs: Troop “Living for the City,” Color Me Badd “I Wanna Sex You Up,” and more.
Quick Facts: The soundtrack that was responsible for initiating a new era of hip hop and R&B soundtracks. New Jack City became popular during the 1990s and achieved great success by reaching the top of the charts.
17. Don’t Be a Menace
Released Date: 1996
Featured Artists: Jodeci, Lil Kim, UGK, Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang, R.Kelly, Erick Sermon, Suga T, Doug E. Fresh, Shock G, Lost Boyz, and more.
Top Songs: Lost Boyz “Renee,” Mona Lisa “Can’t Be Wasting My Time,” UGK and Keith Murray “Live Wires Connect,” Joe “All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do),” and more.
Quick Facts: The Don’t Be a Menace soundtrack consisted of top producers, like RZA, Erick Sermon, R. Kelly, Havoc of Mobb Deep, and Clark Kent, and as mentioned above, numerous of music’s number one rappers and R&B artists. Eventually, Don’t Be Menace became one of the top albums of 1996, eventually becoming certified gold.
18. Baby Boy
Released Date: 2001
Featured Artists: Snoop Dogg, Tyrese, Three 6 Mafia, D’Angelo, Anthony Hamilton, Devin The Dude, and more.
Top Songs: Three 6 Mafia “Baby Mama,” Snoop Dogg and Tyrese “Just a Baby Boy,” and more.
Quick Facts: The Baby Boy soundtrack was mixture of old school 70s hits and new school hip-hop and R&B hits of some of the top artists of the 2000s.
19. The Wood
Released Date: 1999
Featured Artists: Oukast, DMX, Blackstreet, Hot Boys, UGK, The Roots, R. Kelly, Joe, Too $hort, and more.
Top Songs: Joe “I Wanna Know,” Marc Dorsey “Crave,” Mystikal and Outkast “Neck Uv Da Woods,” and more.
Quick Facts: The Wood soundtrack achieved immediate success by topping the charts and selling more than half a million records. It boasted popular artists and producers such as Swizz Beatz, Teddy Riley, and Organized Noize,
20. Juice
Released Date: 1991
Featured Artists: Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, Too $hort, Cypress Hill, Salt N Peppa, Naughty by Nature, and more.
Top Songs: Naughty by Nature “Uptown Anthem,” Rakim “Juice,” and more.
Quick Facts: Over 500,000 copies sold, Juice was among the top hip-hop and R&B albums of the early 1990s following its release.
21. Rush Hour
Released Date: 1998
Featured Artists: Jay-Z, Dru Hill, Wu Tang Clan, Ja Rule, Too $hort, Cam’ron, Jon B., Montell Jordan, and more.
Top Songs: Dru Hill and Redman “How Deep Is Your Love,”Jay-Z “Can I Get A…,” and more.
Quick Facts: With great success from the film, the Rush Hour soundtrack also saw much international and global success as well.
22. Love & Basketball
Released Date: 2000
Featured Artists: Master P and No Limit Soldiers, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Ice Cube, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Eightball & MJG, Ol Dirty Bastard, Montell Jordan, UGK, and Mack 10
Top Songs: Meshell Ndegeocello “Fool of Me,” Bilal “Soul Sista,” Angie Stone “Holding Back the Years,” Lucy Pearl “Dance Tonight,” and more.
Quick Facts: One of the top all-time R&B soundtracks, though only twelve songs, Love & Basketball was a perfect match of R&B, neo-soul, and old school classics.
23. I Got the Hook-Up
Released Date: 1998
Featured Artists: Master P and No Limit Soldiers, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Ice Cube, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Eightball & MJG, Ol Dirty Bastard, Montell Jordan, UGK, and Mack 10.
Top Songs: Master P “I Got the Hook-Up,” Master P and Bone Thugs N Harmony “Hook It Up,” Ice Cube “Ghetto Vet,” Soulja Slim “From What I Was Told,” Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Mystikal “Who Rock This,” and more.
Quick Facts: Peaking number 3 on the Billboard charts, I Got The Hook-Up is arguably No Limit’s best soundtrack and compilation album, released during a time when No Limit was on top of the music industry.
24. How Stella Got Her Groove Back
Released Date: 1998
Featured Artists: Janet Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, Shaggy, Mary J Blige, K-Ci & JoJo, Wyclef Jean, Big Pun, Beenie Man, and more.
Top Songs: Soul II Soul “Free Again,” Boyz II Men “Your Home Is in My Heart,” Janet Jackson and Shaggy “Luv Me, Luv Me,” and more.
Quick Facts: The soundtrack for How Stella Got Her Groove Back was a combination of rhythm and blues and dancehall and reggae music, leaving the album among the top pure R&B soundtracks.
25. How To Be A Player
Released Date: 1997
Featured Artists: 2Pac, Master P, DMX, Foxy Brown, Dru Hill, Cam’Ron, Ja Rule, 8Ball & MJG, EPMD, Suga Free, and more.
Top Songs: Junior M.A.F.I.A., Mase, and Cam’ron “Young Casanovas,” Foxy Brown and Dru Hill “Big Bad Mamma,” and more.
Quick Facts: Certified gold, the How To Be a Player soundtrack peaked to the top ten of Billboards Top 200.