You must have heard of Kanye West as he is one of the renowned artists and record producers in the music industry. Kanye West is also the pioneers of the mainstream hip-hop music industry, which we are all familiar with now. He is very popular worldwide and the seventh-highest certified recording artist in the US. He is one of the few lucky ones who has won the Billboard Artist Achievement Award, which is known to be one of the most prestigious awards of the music industry.
Apart from the music industry, he is a billionaire with lots of profitable ventures. He is also a producer and a fashion designer. He owns the famous shoe brand, Yeezy, which attracted all the sneakerheads, gaining worldwide attention and ultimately being a competitor with Nike, Adidas, Converse, etc. He has won 21 Grammy awards.
To read more about his life and achievements, check out our article on “Who is Kanye West?”
Kanye West’s Popular Songs
There are many great songs that Kanye West has put out. Some of these famous songs are listed below:
1. Runaway
Runaway is one of Kanye’sbest songs that he released as a second single from his fifth studio album called “My Twisted Dark Fantasy” on October 4, 2010. It featuresPusha T, another great American rapper.
The production of the song was by Kanye himself and some of his co-producers including, Emile, Jeff Bhasker, and Mike Dean. It was a 9-minute song that is known to be the longest track in the album.
2. Jesus Walks
Kanye West released his second song called Jesus Walks on May 25, 2004, as the fourth single from his debut album, The College Dropout. The song, written by Kanye West and Che Smith, was also produced by Kanye himself. It is about 4 minutes long.
The song contains a sample of “Walk with Me” as performed by ARC Choir. Kanye faced some resistance when releasing this song because it had the word “Jesus” in it, which was not acceptable for the religious people and hence got a lot of controversies.
3. Gold Digger
Gold Digger was released on July 5, 2005, by Kanye West featuring guest vocalist Jamie Foxx. It was a second single from Kanye West’s second album called Late Registration. The song was 3:41 minutes long and written by Kanye West, Ray Charles, and Renald Richard.
It turned Kanye into an international pop sensation. This song became a hit, and it got on the first spot in the US Billboard 100 on September 6, 2005. His song won the Grammy award for the “Best Solo Rap Performance” in 2006.
4. Flashing Lights
The song Flashing Lights was released on November 12, 2007, featuring Detroit R&B singer Dwele.It contains background vocals from an Australian singer called Connie Mitchell. Although it was not a huge hit radio song, it is a perfect one for Kanye West’s album called “Graduation.”
The song feels like a throwback to the future rock song and the disco at the same time. Flashing Lights features a tale of a man who struggles with the end of the relationship.
5. Power
Power was released on May 28, 2010, as the first single from his fifth studio album called “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” The song has additional vocals by an Australian Singer named Dwele and was co-produced by West and an American producer, Symbolic One.
“Power” was written by many people including, Kanye Mike Dean, and Jeff Bhasker. The song had a sample of King Crimson’s 1969 classic called “21st Century Schizoid Man”. It displays Kanye’s extreme determination in the face of immense negativity.
6. Devil in a New Dress
This song was released on September 3, 2010, from his fifth studio album called “My Dark Twisted Fantasy.” It was written by different people including, Kanye West himself, and was produced by Bink! & Mike Dean.
The song featured an additional guest verse by Rick Ross. It was one of his last songs which he finished for his disc, and it quickly became a popular one on his album.
7. Through the Wire
This song was released on September 30, 2003, and written by Kanye West and Tom Keane. The title was named “Through the Wire” because he recorded it with his jaw wired shut after a car accident in October 2002. The crash resulted in a severe jaw injury, which had him needing a jaw reconstruction.
8. Stronger
Stronger was released on July 31, 2007, by Kanye West, as the second single from his album Graduation. Kanye West produced it with Mike Deans being the co-producer. In 2007, people had no idea about Daft Punkand who they were until Kanye sampled their first hit song “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” on the hit single Stronger.
It reached the first spot on the Billboard charts. Daft Punk made a rare appearance at the 2008 Grammy Awards to play with him. Stronger was Kanye’s one of the most radio-friendly songs.
9. Diamonds from Sierra Leone
Diamonds from Sierra Leone was released on May 31, 2005, as a first single to be available from his studio album called Late Registration. This song features a sample of the song “Diamonds are Forever” by Shirley Bassey. It got at the 43rd spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and the number 8th on the UK Top 40. It also won a Grammy Award for the Best Rap Song at the 48th Grammy Award.
This song taught people that the diamonds we buy are often a product of violence. It introduced a new generation of fans to the musical styles of Dame Shirley Bassey. Although the song didn’t reach the top 40th spot in 2005, he sang it in most of his shows, and it quickly became one of the most beloved ones.
10. All Falls Down
All Falls Down, released on February 24, 2004, was the third single from his debut album, The College Dropout. The song was produced by Kanye West, with a singer called Syleena Johnson. It peaked at number 10th spot in the UK Single Charts and 7th on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 11, 2004, proving all the doubters that he is a great rapper.
He learned howto rapby hanging out with Dead Prez, and was also able to write “All Falls Down” in 15 minutes because of him.
11. Good Life
Good Life was released on October 2, 2007, as the third single for his third studio album Graduation. The song features vocals by T-Pain, produced by West and DJ Toomp. It contains a sample of the keyboard outro performed by Michael Jackson.
You can tell by the name of the song that he was at that point in his life where he was celebrating and enjoying it. It got on the 7th spot in the Billboard Hot 100 and on 23rd spot on the UK Singles Chart. This song also earned two Grammy awards; one was for the Best “Rap/Sung Performance,” and the other was for the “Best Rap Song.”
Kanye West – One of the Bests
There is no exaggeration in calling Kanye West one of the best hip hop artists of this generation. He has made a name for himself in not only music but also the world of fashion, politics, shoes, architecture, and many more.
Kanye’s achievements have made him stand out from the rest of the people and led him to the top, making him the center of attention.