Top 10 Missy Elliott Songs

Photo: Atlantic Records, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Missy Elliott songs list looks at an artist whose,original name was Melissa Arnette Elliott. She was born July 1st 1971 in the city of Portsmouth Virginia. Missy Elliott is an American rapper and songwriter who established herself in the male-dominated hip-hop industry with her amazing talents in singing, rapping, writing, and music production.

Her talents were visible from an early age and her breakthrough came in 1991 when her group Sista was signed by DeVante Swing in his Swing Mob Records label. After several guest appearances and collaborations, she launched her solo music career with her debut album Supa Dupa Fly in 1997. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 200 breaking the record for the highest-charting debut album for a female rapper during that time.

From then Elliott went on with her incredible success and released her second album Da Real World on 22nd June 1999 and had great commercial success. In the early 2000s, she became an international superstar after her album Miss E… So Addictive, Under Construction and This Is Not a Test in 2000, 2002, and 2003 respectively. She has won four Grammy Awards and sales of more than 30 million records in the US. Below are her top 10 songs.

# 10 – Pass That Dutch

When it comes to a Mean Girls Scene, no track could be perfect than this. But the hit itself is curiously unaffecting. This clap-heavy song is composed to be twerked to and is one of the numerous collaborations between Missy Elliott and Timbaland.

The track was produced for Missy Elliott’s fifth studio album “This Is Not a Test” in 2003. The hit features samples of Santa Esmeralda’s version “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” “Potholes In My Lawn” by De La Soul, and “Magic Mountain” by War. This hit is primary evidence of a sinister and sparse backing track that boasts a Technicolor vocal performance.

“Pass That Dutch” had a stunning commercial success peaking at number nine on the US Billboard Rap Songs. Additionally, it reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number ten in the UK. It is a hit that will keep you entertained and psyched throughout the day.

# 9 – Sock It 2 Me

In the early 1990s, the United States and particularly New York City was home to the R&B collection but Missy Elliot came and Bob Dylan– a breakout star will great brain full of perspective and fireworks speaking out blazing innovations too fast that her fans found it hard to keep up, so imagine what her rivals were going through. This song was a great hit characterized by a brilliant video by Hype Williams. The hit defied the music industry expectations by exaggerating compared to what people thought would be downplaying Missy’s body stage. From a personal point of view, if the hit was her first single instead of second, it would undoubtedly be placed among the greatest debuts of all time.

This song by Missy Elliott featuring Da Brat and Lil’ Kim is not only her biggest hit in the 1990s but also one of the most loved tracks for its Mega Man-inspired music video. The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

# 8 – 4 My People

During its release, it was difficult to believe that the USA R&B stars were accepting four-to-the-floor beats, something of a freshness. It was when everyone wanted a track that would take them on the dance floor and allow them to feel some ecstasy. This collaboration with Eve “4 My People” was already labeled “Party anthem.

The song was released from “Miss E… So Addictive” album as her fourth and final single. The hit peaked at number two in Holland and number five in the UK. This was possible due to its heavy airplay of Basement Jaxx remix and was Missy Elliott’s second highest-charting single hit in the United Kingdom.

# 7 – One Minute Man

Just from the title of the song, you have already figured out what the track’s lyrics are about. Elliott is always good for a sharp upending sexual politics as well as a table-turning objectification in pop music. In the hit, she is criticizing a man who does not last long in bed. In her lines, she talks of how she will make her man love her and she will give her attention tonight, but in return, the man must be able to keep up.

The track was released for her 3rd studio album Miss E… So Addictive in 2001 as her second single featuring Ludacris. It peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 10 in the United Kingdom becoming Missy’s second consecutive track to feature in the top 10. This song features samples from “Greyhound Mary” by David Pomeranz in 1976.

# 6 -Beep Me 911

“Beep Me 911” by Missy Elliott featuring rapper Magoo and R&B artist 702 is amazing to listen to. The song was recorded for Missy Elliott’s debut album Supa Dupa Fly and was released as her third single in 1998.

In the lyrics, Elliot is insisting that if her boyfriend intends to leave her, then he should notify her before leaving, by any means necessary. She is very clear that if you don’t want to date there should be no ifs or wait, it should be it’s over babe. The music video starts at a pink dollhouse, Missy Elliott wearing a sparkling yellow dress dancing with other girls belonging to 702 in the background. The hit had moderate commercial success peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and number 13 on the U.S Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.

# 5 – Lose Control

After listening to this hit, you will agree that Missy Elliot is automatically one of the rap or rather hip-hop foremost MC’s whether it’s female or male. She forms an addictive and lovely rap that satisfies her fans with millions of commercial sales. In this hit featuring Ciara, Elliot allowed her to take over the rapping part and it had an incredible success winning her a Grammy Award.

The hit was recorded as the lead single for her Sixth studio album “The Cookbook” on 23rd May 2005. According to Elliot’s explanation, the song is about how music makes us feel to the point of losing control. She said that Ciara was the perfect match since the track is a record with a speed. Jokingly, she also said that the hardest part was convincing Ciara to rap since she thought it might sound messy to her fans.

Music critics embraced this track with positive reviews with some giving it four out of five stars. The song is very danceable and you cannot resist making your dancing moves after listening to it. The song enjoyed great commercial success and received a gold certification by (RIAA). The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 6 on the US Hot Rap Songs, and number two on the US Billboard Pop 100. It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.

# 4 – Work It

Factually, Missy Elliott is most explicitly a sexual megastar for quite a long time. If anyone carried on the tradition of the 80s Madonna and Prince in bringing together titillation and the raw displays of sexual drive and energy with the intensity that Missy Elliot has since the late 90s, probably they are not in your mind. You will agree with me that a lot of openly sexual music has been published since Elliot’s initial outings but few have the substance that Elliot includes in her music.

This iconic hit was released for Elliot’s 4th studio album “Under Construction” in 2002 as the album’s first single. A portion of this music popularized the slang “bandonkadok” and the entire song is just about sex. In the song’s chorus, there is the sound of an elephant trumpeting to conceal a sexual reference.

The song was a major hit and was viewed as a game-changer on male rappers and she takes charge of the sex game with the rudest rhymes and the notorious vocals. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and is actually the most successful hit by Missy to date.

# 3 – Gossip Folks

This is a track by Missy featuring Ludacris on her album Under Construction released in 2002. In the song, Elliot is responding to rumors about her weight and sexual orientation. She tells those spreading the rumors that they should mind their own affairs or rather business. The hit has words from “Double Dutch Bus” by Frankie Smith released in 1981.

In the music video, Missy Elliott is walking through a hallway and students begin rumors about her as soon as her entrance is announced. In the second verse, Elliot with her group of students is having a food fight with another group in a cafeteria where Eve, Tweet, and Trina are impressing sitting on a table.

The hit received positive reviews from music critics who praised Elliott’s bold nature and being herself. On top of that, the song had an impressive commercial success peaking at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs.

# 2 – Get Ur Freak On

By the time this track was released, Elliott was already a global iconic superstar, but the hit even elevated her status and popularity further. This killer song is based around a 6-note Punjabi riff and perfectly combines the sounds of India with that of US hip-hop. This, in turn, spearheaded a mini-wave of multicultural hits.

The collaboration between Missy Elliott and Timbaland has always resulted in great success. This hit ” Get Ur Freak On” is featured in her third studio album ” Miss E… So Addictive” in 2001. The track peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and top ten charts in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

# 1 – The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)

Topping our list is this Iconic, Legendary, and world-class track. The music video for this song was one of the most striking and also, quintessential tracks. This debut solo was composed by Bernard Miller, Don Bryant Elliot, and her producer Timbaland for Supa Dupa Fly- her debut album in 1997.

The song is extremely entertaining as Elliot says that she breaks up with her lover before he dumps her. She goes on and sings that her lover is lucky to her. I consider this as her top track since it is one that made her rise to fame with that music video. The track peaked at number 6 on Hot 100 Airplay. It was used in 2016 by a Coca-Cola commercial advert featuring Jordan Spieth- a professional golfer.

Conclusion

Missy Elliott is a legendary artist who is respected for rising to fame against all odds and when the hip-hop industry was male-dominated. Interestingly, she has managed to stay at the top for quite a long time and she is even applauded by her criticizers. The above songs by Missy Elliott are amazing and will make you feel energetic and younger than before.