Hip-hop is declining in popularity

It was only in 2018 when hip-hop surpassed rock ‘n’ roll to become the most popular music genre in the U.S., but its glory was short-lived. In 2023—the year when hip-hop celebrated its 50th birthday— the music genre that gave a voice to millions seemed to be losing its appeal. While 2023 was marked with historic performances by hip-hop royalty at major events, the newer generation struggled to make a dent on the charts. Some experts worried the death knell was ringing for hip-hop, but the story might not be so clear cut. Some experts worried the death knell was ringing for hip-hop, but the story might not be so clear cut. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty In fact, media outlets were flooded with think pieces about the “decline” of hip-hop after it experienced a fall in its market share and a failure to dominate music charts for the first time in a long while. Hip-hop was still the most listened-to genre of music in 2023, it had a 26.8 percent share of the U.S. music market, down from its 2020 peak of 28.2 percent in 2020, according to research by Luminate, and its growth has slowed down drastically since its surge...