Song · MC Hammer
“U Can't Touch This” by MC Hammer
Released 1990
“U Can't Touch This” by MC Hammer appears on 3 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 1990 and 2025. It was first released in 1990. Its best result is #25 on the CFNY Top 90 Songs of 1990. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #109 alternative song of 1990.
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Video from YouTube (Petter Oliveira). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
MC Hammer hung "U Can't Touch This" on the opening riff of Rick James's 1981 "Super Freak", which is why James and Alonzo Miller share the writing credit with him, and he turned that borrowed hook into the song that defines him. Capitol put it out in April 1990, the third single pulled from Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em, his third album, with Hammer producing it himself, and Rupert Wainwright's video put him front and center in his trademark Hammer pants.
Pop rap this brazen could have ended up a novelty. Instead it topped the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart and the charts of six other countries, won Grammys for Best R&B Song and Best Rap Solo Performance, and became the first rap song ever nominated for Record of the Year, at the 1991 ceremony.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 25 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON | CFNY Top 90 Songs of 1990 | 90 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 490 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s | 908 |
| 2025 | 389 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s | 500 |
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