Song · Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock
“It Takes Two” by Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock
Released 1988
“It Takes Two” by Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock appears on 6 radio countdowns from 5 stations between 1991 and 2026. It was first released in 1988. Its best result is #123 on the Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #7,187 alternative song of all time.
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Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, a hip-hop duo out of New York City, put out "It Takes Two" on Profile Records in 1988, and it went the distance: a top-40 single that the RIAA later certified platinum, and a track other artists have been covering and sampling ever since.
The praise piled up. Spin drew up a list of the 100 greatest singles of all time in 1989 and slotted "It Takes Two" at number one, and AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine observed that plenty of critics and listeners call it the greatest hip-hop single ever made, adding that he found that hard to argue with. Rolling Stone placed it 116th on its list of the 500 best songs of all time in 2021.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 917 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) | 1002 |
| 2004 | 123 | Q101 | Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) | 300 |
| 2021 | 234 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s | 909 |
| 2023 | 319 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s | 850 |
| 2025 | 487 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs | 800 |
| 2026 | 426 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s | 498 |
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