Artist · chart history · #324 in indie & aaa artist polls
The Roots
Band Philadelphia United States Formed 1987 US hip hop group
The Roots formed in 1987 in Philadelphia, United States. The Roots has 42 chart appearances on 40 radio countdowns from 21 stations on RockLists, spanning 2003–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “The Seed (2.0)”, which appears on 30 lists with a best position of #4. The station that charted The Roots most often is CD101 (Columbus, OH), with 8 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 2003.
The Roots are hip-hop's great live band, formed in Philadelphia in 1987 by rapper Black Thought and drummer Questlove. They play it on live instruments, with a jazzy, eclectic approach that pulls in soul, funk and rock, and a lineup that has grown to take in guitarist Captain Kirk Douglas, keyboardist Kamal Gray, sousaphone player Tuba Gooding Jr. and horn players like Dave Guy.
Things Fall Apart, in 1999, brought the smooth, aching "You Got Me", and Phrenology, in 2002, swung the doors open to rock with "The Seed (2.0)", a scrappy, strutting, guitar-driven jam. How I Got Over, in 2010, turned inward and soulful, with "The Fire" building from quiet reflection to a gospel-tinged surge. Along the way they have collected Grammys and NAACP Image Awards.
In 2009 they became the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and moved with him to The Tonight Show in 2014, putting their chops in front of a nightly audience. Members also branch out into production, acting and guest spots on other artists' records and shows.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs by The Roots on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Seed (2.0) | 30 | #4 | – | 2003 | |
| 2 | You Got Me | 4 | #71 | – | – | |
| 3 | The Next Movement | 1 | #211 | – | – | |
| 4 | Rock You | 1 | #145 | – | 2004 | |
| 5 | The Fire | 2 | #64 | – | 2010 | |
| 6 | Dear God 2.0 | 1 | #72 | – | 2010 | |
| 7 | Here I Come | 1 | #657 | – | – | |
| 8 | Right On | 1 | #862 | – | – |
Albums with charting songs
Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.
Year-end chart timeline
Combined year-end countdown points per year. Taller bars mean more songs placing higher across more stations.
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