The Rolling Stone has unveiled the Arab pop hits of the century, and Egypt takes the cake. The 21st Century soundscape in the Arab world is a tapestry that resonates far beyond the region — Remember when Billie Eilish admitted she was obsessed with Nancy Ajram? The Rolling Stone has narrowed down a century’s worth of bangers into a list of top 50 songs they feel represent iconic artists, trends, and timeless tracks that have shaped the genre.

Om El Donia came out on top. That’s right, folks, the list is dominated by staple Egyptian artists like Mohamed Mounir, Tamer Hosny, Sherine, and Hisham Abbas. A total of 15 Egyptian hits made it onto the list, four of which are in the top ten. Rapper Wegz, who has been making a name for himself since 2020, has made it to the list, as have Mohamed Ramadan and Oka w Ortega (to Hany Shaker’s dismay). Lebanese artists came in at a close second with eleven songs on the list and three hits in the top ten.

Topping the list at #1 is our very own El Hadaba. Amr Diab’s Tammalli Ma’ak is his magnum opus, the impact of which is still very much making the rounds in the contemporary music scene. The song has been covered by non-Egyptian artists extensively, most notably Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna, whose mash-up cover has garnered 43 mn views since last August and inspired a slew of adaptations by other popular artists.

The years 2000-2006 were the golden era of pop hits, comprising eight of the top ten songs. Here are the top contenders:

  • Nancy Ajram came in at number two with Ya Tabtab Wa Dallaa’;
  • Cheb Khaled’s C’est La Vie earned him third place;
  • Hisham Abbas made it to fourth place with Habibi Dah;
  • Ehab Tawfik’s Allah Aleik Ya Sidy clinched fifth;
  • Fadel Shaker’s Ya Ghayeb came in at sixth;
  • Ragheb Alama’s Nasini El Dounia took seventh place;
  • Saber Rebai’s Sidi Mansour clocked in at eighth place;
  • Samira Said and Cheb Mami’s Youm Wara Youm collab was ninth.

Palestine is in the spotlight, with Mohammed Assaf’s Dammi Falastini set in tenth place.Music journalist Danny Hajjar describes the song as a “nationalistic rallying cry” that has seen an uptick in popularity in the face of Israel’s seven-month attack on Gaza, which has left over 34k Palestinians killed. The song has reached 14.7 mn streams on Spotify, with Google searches spiking to 22k on October 8 of last year.

Curious about what else made the cut? You can scroll through all fifty songs here.

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