Kanye West has been a recurring name in the hip-hop game for over ten years now, and his fame and talent haven't weakened with time; in fact, they've increased. His most recent album, “The Life of Pablo,” debuted as his seventh #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. 'Ye has had many songs go #1 over the years, but which songs are really his most influential and memorable hits? Based off of popularity and numbers, here is a ranking of Yeezus' songs as defined by a member of one of his biggest fan-bases: college girls.
10. "Bound 2"
Arguably one of Yeezy’s most uncomfortable videos (I don’t recommend watching it unless you want to watch Kim and Kanye get way too close for comfort), “Bound 2” blessed us with the iconic “uh-huh honey” voice-over. This combined with remixed, old-timey vocals and a good rhythm make this Yeezy’s #10 song.
9. "Black Skinhead"
The ultimate workout song. This is definitely one of those songs that tons of people have heard and can recognize, but they don’t know the name. Between the aggressive beat and lyrics, this is the perfect song to throw on during your gym trip or on a road-trip to wake you up.
8. "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1"
Maybe it's just me, but I think most people found out about this song through Vine and Twitter memes. Arguably one of the best drops in a Yeezy song, Future’s iconic “If young Metro don’t trust you, I’m gon' shoot you” perfectly introduces the song after some heavy gospel vocals. Kanye’s first few lines are a little odd, but overall the super short song (two minutes, 15 seconds!) is beyond easy to jam out to.
7. "Heartless"
Ah yes, the song that you and your middle school friends would head-bang and yell to as if you had any idea what a bad breakup was. Not a super dirty or explicit song either, it was the perfect song to introduce you and your Crocs to the world of rap.
6. "Clique"
The ULTIMATE squad song, "Clique" placed sixth on this list because of its catchy beat and lyrics that are perfect to sing (or scream) along with in the car. However, it’s pretty difficult to listen to all four minutes and 53 seconds of the song due to the repetition of the word “clique.” It's used so many times it doesn’t even sound like a real word anymore, landing it at #6.
5. "Stronger"
Another great workout song, this Yeezy tune has withstood the test of time. You can still hear it playing at parties in 2016 even though the song itself was released in his third studio album, “Graduation,” in 2007.
4. "Mercy"
An iconic anthem of 2012 and even into 2013, "Mercy’s" introduction is immediately recognizable to anyone who was in middle or high school during this time. With catchy lyrics and a strong background beat, it remains one of Kanye’s top selling songs.
3. "Ni**as in Paris"
Released in 2011 as a single of Kanye and Jay-Z’s collaborative album, “Watch the Throne,” "Ni**as in Paris" was a smashing success and can still be found on playlists today. It definitely holds a spot as one of Kanye’s most recognizable songs.
2. "Famous"
Easily the biggest hit from Kanye’s most recent album, “The Life of Pablo,” some say that this song gained its popularity from the lyric about Taylor Swift referencing their infamous VMA drama, and the ensuing drama between Taylor and Kim. Whether that’s true or not, almost every teenage to college-aged kid in America can recognize Rihanna’s featured intro on the song and the base-heavy beat, pulling this song up to #2.
1. "Gold Digger"
This is Kanye’s highest grossing song of all time and rightfully so. Want to test this theory? Go to a party, put this song on, and just watch the crowd’s immediate reaction to “she take my money, when I’m in need.”