#87 Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A
The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time
- 2025 Album Rank
- 87
- 2011 Album Rank
- 103
- Total Points
- 764
- Year Released
- 1988
- Billboard 200 Chart Peak
- 37 (1988) / 6 (2015)
- Weeks at #1
- N/A
- RIAA Sales Certification
- 3,000,000 (Multi Platinum)
- Buy Album
- Apple Music Amazon
Straight Outta Compton Album Details
Straight Outta Compton is the groundbreaking debut album by N.W.A, released on August 8, 1988, and widely credited with pioneering gangsta rap. Featuring the core lineup of Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, the album delivered raw, unfiltered depictions of life in South Central Los Angeles. Its confrontational lyrics, minimalist beats, and defiant tone marked a radical shift in hip-hop, bringing social reality and political outrage to the forefront of the genre.
With its explosive title track, the incendiary Fuck tha Police, and Ice Cube's vivid lyricism, the album drew both widespread acclaim and intense criticism. Though it received little mainstream radio support, Straight Outta Compton sold millions and reshaped the cultural landscape, influencing generations of artists and putting West Coast hip-hop on the map.
Interesting Facts About Straight Outta Compton
- The album was recorded in just six weeks at Audio Achievements in Torrance, California, with Dr. Dre producing nearly all the tracks using stripped-down, funk-influenced beats.
- Ice Cube wrote most of the group's lyrics at the time, despite being only 18 years old during the sessions.
- Fuck tha Police drew attention from the FBI, which sent a warning letter to N.W.A's label, Ruthless Records, condemning the song's content.
- Although controversial, the song became an anthem of protest against police brutality, earning lasting cultural significance well beyond its release.
- Eazy-E, whose real name was Eric Wright, financed much of the album's production using profits from his early hustling days and helped co-found Ruthless Records.
- Radio stations largely refused to play the album, yet it sold over three million copies through word of mouth and underground circulation.
- Straight Outta Compton was one of the first hip-hop albums to carry the now-standard Parental Advisory label.
- The original pressing of the album did not include Express Yourself, a track that later became a standout single for its positive message and lack of profanity.
- The group's success led to growing internal tensions, especially around financial issues. Ice Cube left the group shortly after the album's release, leading to a notorious series of diss tracks.
- The album originally peaked at number 37 on the Billboard 200 album chart in 1988 but later peaked at number 6 in 2015 as there was renewed interest in the album with the release of the film Straight Outt Compton. The title track also reached the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100 during this time as well.
- In 2016, the album was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
- The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017 for its cultural and historical significance.
Straight Outta Compton Tracklist
- Straight Outta Compton - Reached #38 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in 2015
- Fuck tha Police
- Gangsta Gangsta
- If It Ain't Ruff
- Parental Discretion Iz Advised
- 8 Ball (Remix)
- Something Like That
- Express Yourself
- Compton's N the House (Remix)
- I Ain't Tha 1
- Dopeman (Remix)
- Quiet on tha Set
- Something 2 Dance 2
