On this day in Hip-Hop history, 550 Music and Epic Records released the cult classic comedy Friday soundtrack. The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, where it stood for two weeks, and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart, where it stood for six weeks. The album was just as commercially successful as the film and was certified double platinum only two months later.
During the 90s, every soundtrack seemed to be a hit and the Friday soundtrack followed suit. With tracks from Ice Cube, Scarface, Dr. Dre, Cypress Hill, and 2 Live Crew, the album was a fantastic compilation of original tracks and poppin’ radio singles. At the same time, adding a few throwbacks from The Isley Brothers, Bootsy Collins, and Rick James gave the album surprising depth and a sense of nostalgia. Dr. Dre’s original single for the film, “Keep Their Head Ringing,” was able to see great success due to this soundtrack. It ranked #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. It was certified gold by the RIAA in May 1995.
