Rap and hip-hop more influential than rock n' roll study finds

Rap is the defining music of the last half-century, according to new research from the U.K. that claims it is "the single most important event that has shaped the musical structure of the American charts."

Researchers at two London Universities analyzed more than 17,000 songs that made up 86 per cent of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 between 1960 and 2010, concluding hip-hop had the biggest influence on popular culture.

"I've been arguing their findings for the past decade," music journalist and author of Hip Hop World Dalton Higgins told CBC Radio's Rick Cluff.

"The only thing is that they have hard data now — research — that essentially spells out in very clear terms why hip-hop is arguably the predominant music form around the world, whether you love it or loathe it."

Higgins said despite its influence, hip-hop still hasn't gained the same recognition as rock n' roll, something he said may be linked to its roots in black culture.

"Rap music, much like any other historically black music, they tend to become very highly visible but hugely misunderstood," he said.

Still, Higgins said hip-hop is relatively new — it only emerged about 40 years ago, and this latest study may be the start of the genre gaining more mainstream recognition.

"I like to say hip-hop has now grown-up and left the hood. What you have happening if people from across class distinctions, racial designations, religions are now tapping into its purpose — what it was put here to do. It's a speak-out mechanism," he said.

To hear the full interview with Dalton Higgins, listen to the audio labelled: Rap is more influential than rock.