Jump to content

Gangsta's Paradise

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Gangsters Paradise)

"Gangsta's Paradise"
Single by Coolio featuring L.V.
from the album Gangsta's Paradise, I Am L.V. and Dangerous Minds soundtrack
B-side"Fantastic Voyage"
ReleasedAugust 1, 1995
Recorded1994–1995
Genre
Length4:04
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Doug Rasheed
Coolio singles chronology
"The Points"
(1995)
"Gangsta's Paradise"
(1995)
"Too Hot"
(1995)
L.V. singles chronology
"Gangsta's Paradise"
(1995)
"Throw Your Hands Up"
(1995)
Music video
"Gangsta's Paradise" on YouTube
Audio sample
Coolio feat. L.V – "Gangsta's Paradise"

"Gangsta's Paradise" is a single by American rapper Coolio, released on August 1, 1995[3] by Tommy Boy, Warner Bros. and MCA. Interpolating Stevie Wonder's song "Pastime Paradise" (1976), "Gangsta's Paradise" features vocals from American singer L.V. who served as a co-composer and co-lyricist with Coolio and Doug Rasheed, with Wonder also being credited for the composition and lyrics. Certified Platinum in October, the song was included on Coolio's second album, Gangsta's Paradise, in November 1995. Its music video was directed by Antoine Fuqua and featured Michelle Pfeiffer. The song is taken from Pfeiffer's movie Dangerous Minds, and the music video is also themed around the movie.

The song was the top-selling single of 1995 on US Billboard[4] and the first rap single ever to go straight to number one in Britain.[5] In 2008, it was ranked number 38 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop".[6] NME listed the song at number 100 in their ranking of "100 Best Songs of the 1990s" in 2012[7] and Billboard magazine ranked it among the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" in 2023.[8] Coolio was awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance, two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video and Best Video from a Film and a Billboard Music Award for the song/album. The song was voted as the best single of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll.

The song has sold over five million copies in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany.[3][9][10] Coolio performed this song live at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards with L.V. and Wonder, and at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards with L.V.

Background and writing

[edit]

Coolio, L.V. and Doug Rasheed composed "Gangsta's Paradise" and wrote its lyrics, with Rasheed also serving as the song's producer.[11] Stevie Wonder received crediting for the composition and lyrics due to the interpolation of his song "Pastime Paradise" from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life.

The song begins with a line from Psalm 23:4: "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death", but then diverges with: "I take a look at my life and realize there's nothing left." Adding to some of the religious overtones are choral vocals in the background.[12] Coolio freestyled the first couple of lines, with the rest of the lyrics coming to him quickly in one sitting. He would later claim that the song ultimately came from a source outside himself, saying: "'Gangsta's Paradise' wanted to be born; it wanted to come to life, and it chose me as the vessel."[2]

The chorus of the song "Been spending most their lives living in a gangsta’s paradise,” was created by L.V. by stacking the vocals many times to make it sound like a choir.[13]

Due to the sampling of Wonder's music, "Gangsta's Paradise" is one of the few Coolio tracks that did not contain any profanity, as Wonder did not appreciate his song being paired with it. Coolio said, "I had a few vulgarities... and he (Wonder) wasn't with that. So I changed it. Once he heard it, he thought it was incredible."[14]

Chart performance

[edit]

The single reached number one in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand, making it Coolio's most successful single. In Australia, the song stayed at No. 1 for 14 weeks, a record that would only be broken 22 years later by Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You".[15] Following Coolio's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother 6, it re-entered the UK singles chart peaking at No. 31. In the United Kingdom, "Gangsta's Paradise" is the first rap single to sell over a million copies as well as the first rap single ever to go straight to Number One.[5]

In the United States, the single spent twelve weeks in the top two of the Billboard Hot 100, of which three were spent at No. 1 and nine at No. 2. The song was certified triple platinum by the RIAA on February 23, 1996, indicating 3 million copies sold.[3] It has sold a further 1.8 million downloads in the US in the digital era as of September 2017.[16] As of September 2022, the song had sold 1.9 million downloads in US and had accumulated 763.1 million streams.[17]

Following Coolio's death on September 28, 2022, "Gangsta's Paradise" debuted two days later at number 5 on the UK Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100,[18] and reentered the Official Top 100 Singles Chart on 7 October 2022 at number 55.[19]

Critical reception

[edit]

Bill Lamb of About.com described the song as "riveting and atmospheric".[11] James Masterton for Dotmusic noted its "undoubted brilliance".[20] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly felt it "may be the bleakest tune ever to top the pop singles chart." He added, "With its ghostly choir and lyrics about a gun-toting 23-year-old who kneels in the streetlight wondering if he’ll live to see 24, it examines the abyss with journalistic coolness."[21] Freaky Trigger praised it as "complete pop greatness".[22] Idolator called it a "rap rhapsody", naming it one of The 50 Best Pop Singles of 1995.[23] David Bennun from Melody Maker wrote, "That single. F*** me, it's good. The slow pulse of strings, the heavenly choir. Puts me in mind of prime Sisters of Mercy, of all things. Coursing at the rate of a slow heartbeat, point being, it's life as it is lived, it's in the blood. Like all the best rap, you feel the meaning, you sense it, before you even listen to the lyrics".[24] Another Melody Maker editor, Taylor Parkes, said, "An oddly reserved, frustratingly MEAGRE moment. Coolio is, generally speaking, among the lusher, more intriguing gangsta rappers... "Gangsta's Paradise" limps a bit. Nice ominous, looped choir. Fits a little too comfortably on America's Top 10."[25]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Last year, this rapper hit paydirt with a reworking of Lakeside's "Fantastic Voyage". This time around, he pulls off the same trick with this tall tale founded on Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise". Unlike the original, which surprisingly never was a hit, this one was a US number 1 and has every chance of succeeding in Europe."[26] A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, saying, "An infectious release from Grammy-nominated rapper that challenges the assumed form of the genre. Number one in the US and could do big things here."[27] Music Week editor Alan Jones deemed it "a brooding and menacing track".[28] Dele Fadele from NME named it Single of the Week, writing, "And what a breathtaking doleful and melancholy record 'Gangsta's Paradise' is. [...] Stabbing strings, a keyboard drone, a massed gothic chorus of gospel voices and a beat ticking time to the bitter end, are all weaved together into this solemn theme tune".[29]

Music video

[edit]

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by American film director Antoine Fuqua and featured Michelle Pfeiffer reprising her earlier role as U.S. Marine LouAnne Johnson in the movie Dangerous Minds.[30] The video also includes scenes from the movie. Initially Coolio was concerned with the video's treatment stating, "I wanted some low-riders and some shit in it; I was trying to take it 'hood'." Despite this, he trusted Fuqua and was ultimately pleased with the final result.[2]

For the music video, Coolio won the Best Rap Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996.

The music video hit one billion YouTube views in July 2022.[31]

Cast and credits

[edit]

Impact and legacy

[edit]

In December 1995, NME ranked "Gangsta's Paradise" number 13 in its list of "NME Writers' Top 50 Singles of 1995".[32] In 1996, it was named Best Rap 12-inch at the International Dance Music Awards in Miami.[33] In 1999, The Village Voice listed the song number four on its list of "Top Singles of the 90's". In 2008, it was ranked number 38 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop".[6] In 2012, NME listed the song 100th in its ranking of "100 Best Songs of the 1990s".[7] In 2019, Billboard magazine placed it at number 20 in its ranking of "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s".[34] Same year, Stacker placed it at number 19 on its list of "Best 90s pop songs".[35] In July 2020, digital publication The Pudding carried out a study on the most iconic songs from the '90s and songs that are most known by Millennials and the people of Generation Z. "Gangsta's Paradise" was the song with the twelfth highest recognisability rate.[36] In October 2023, Billboard magazine ranked it 166th on its "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time".[8] The magazine praised its "magic moment"; "The song's climactic and heartbreaking final verse, when Coolio, born Artis Leon Ivey Jr., calls out, "They say I gotta learn, but nobody’s here to teach me/ If they can't understand me, how can they reach me? I guess they can't. I guess they won't … That's why I know my life is out of luck, fool." Same year, PureWow ranked it number two in their list of "The 53 Best 90s Songs of All Time".[37]

Parodies, covers, and sampling

[edit]

There are several parodies of the song, including "Amish Paradise" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, which was released the following year, reaching number 53 on the U.S. chart. Coolio claimed that he did not give permission for the parody, which led to disagreements between the two. Yankovic claimed that he had been told Coolio had given the go-ahead through his record label, and apologized. Because of this incident, Yankovic now seeks approval for song parodies through the artists themselves, rather than communicating through intermediaries. Coolio himself said in a 2011 interview that he had since "apologized to him (Yankovic)",[38] further stating in a Rolling Stone retrospective that objecting to the parody "was probably one of the least smart things I've done over the years."[2]

L.V. released a solo version of the single in 1996 on his debut album, I Am L.V. This version did not feature Coolio, and featured additional lyrics written by L.V. himself, with rap lyrics written by Scarface and Dani Blooms.

In 1996, the song was covered by Battery for the electro-industrial various artists compilation Operation Beatbox and their 1996 album, Distance.[39] American post-hardcore band In Fear And Faith covered the song in 2008. Austrian melodic death metal band Artas covered the song in 2008 on the album The Healing. In 2014, post-hardcore band Falling in Reverse covered the song for the compilation album Punk Goes 90s Vol. 2. The video included an appearance by Coolio. In 2015, Postmodern Jukebox produced a version in a 1920s jazz style. That same year, New Zealand hard rock band Like a Storm covered the song on their second studio album, Awaken the Fire.[40]

The song's chorus and bridge were prominently sampled by British singer Ella Henderson for her 2024 single "Alibi".[41]

In other media

[edit]

Accolades

[edit]

Billboard

  • Billboard Year-End Chart-Toppers 1995
    • Top Hot 100 Single number one
    • Top Hot 100 Single Sales number one (2.5 million copies) (2× platinum)

Grammy Awards

MTV

Track listings

[edit]
CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Gangsta's Paradise"4:00
2."Gangsta's Paradise" (instrumental)3:49
CD single bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Gangsta's Paradise"4:02
2."Fantastic Voyage" (original version)4:05
3."Mama I'm in Love Wit a Gangsta" (clean radio mix)4:09
4."Gangsta's Paradise" (instrumental)3:50
CD maxi
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Gangsta's Paradise" 4:00
2."Gangsta's Paradise" (instrumental) 3:49
3."Fantastic Voyage" (album version)Coolio4:04

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[129] 3× Platinum 210,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[130] Platinum 50,000*
Belgium (BEA)[131] Platinum 50,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[132] Platinum 90,000
France
1995-1996 sales
300,000[133]
France (SNEP)[134]
2020 release
Platinum 200,000
Germany (BVMI)[135] 2× Platinum 1,000,000^
Italy (FIMI)[136] 2× Platinum 200,000
Netherlands (NVPI)[137] Platinum 75,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[138] 3× Platinum 90,000
Norway (IFPI Norway)[139] 4× Platinum  
Portugal (AFP)[140] 2× Platinum 80,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[141] 2× Platinum 120,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[142] 2× Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[143] 5× Platinum 3,000,000
United States (RIAA)[145]
(physical)
3× Platinum 3,100,000[144]
United States
(digital)
1,900,000[17]
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[146] 2× Platinum 4,000,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Coolio :: Gangsta's Paradise :: Tommy Boy/Warner Bros". www.rapreviews.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2021. "Gangsta's Paradise" was an unlikely if engineered hit. A sample-driven g-funk number in the tradition of "Nuthin' But a G Thang," "Gin and Juice," and "Regulate," it features an inescapable hook, slow-burning groove, and general, broad-world philosophy from the perspective of an urban Californian.
  2. ^ a b c d Epstein, Dan (August 7, 2015). "The Oral History of Coolio's 'Gangsta's Paradise'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "RIAA – Gold and Platinum Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  4. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1995/Top 100 Songs of 1995". musicoutfitters.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  5. ^ a b George, Iestyn (November 4, 1995). "Long Play". NME. p. 49. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Macnie, Jim (September 24, 2008). "The 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs Ever". VH1 Blog Reality TV News and Gossip. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "100 Best Songs Of The 1990s". NME. May 8, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  9. ^ Copsey, Rob (September 19, 2017). "The UK's Official Chart 'millionaires' revealed". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on September 19, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  10. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. To access, user must enter song title under Titel, select Singles under Formate and click SUCHEN. Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  11. ^ a b Lamb, Bill (September 7, 2019). "The Best 100 Songs From the 1990s". About.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  12. ^ "Adventures in Missing the Point: 'Gangsta's Paradise'". RETUNED. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015.
  13. ^ Jacobs, Julia (September 29, 2022). "The Story of 'Gangsta's Paradise,' Coolio's Biggest Hit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  14. ^ "Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013.
  15. ^ Brandle, Lars (April 24, 2017). "Ed Sheeran's 'Shape Of You' Breaks 22-Year-Old Chart Record Down Under". Billboard.
  16. ^ "Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 09/14/2017" (PDF). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  17. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (September 29, 2022). "Coolio's History on Billboard's Charts: 'Gangsta's Pradise' & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100 - 30 September 2022 - 06 October 2022". Official Charts. September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100. 07 October 2022 - 13 October 2022". Official Charts. October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  20. ^ Masterton, James (October 22, 1995). "Week Ending October 28th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  21. ^ Browne, David (November 10, 1995). "Gangsta's Paradise". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  22. ^ Ewing, Tom (September 20, 1999). "68. Coolio ft LV – "Gangsta's Paradise"". Freaky Trigger. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  23. ^ Wood, Mike (December 9, 2015). "The 50 Best Pop Singles of 1995 (Featuring New Interviews with Alanis Morissette, Garbage, Kylie Minogue, Monica, Ace Of Base & More!)". Idolator. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  24. ^ Bennun, David (November 11, 1995). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 39. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  25. ^ Parkes, Taylor (October 21, 1995). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 36. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  26. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 41. October 14, 1995. p. 12. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  27. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 7, 1995. p. 19. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  28. ^ Jones, Alan (September 30, 1995). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 10. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  29. ^ Fadele, Dele (October 21, 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 49. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  30. ^ "The Oral History of Coolio's 'Gangsta's Paradise'". Rolling Stone.
  31. ^ "Coolio's 'Gangsta's Paradise' Video Joins YouTube One Billion Views Club". Billboard.
  32. ^ "One Cup: NME Writers' Top 50 Singles". NME. December 23, 1995. p. 25. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  33. ^ "Euro-focused Miami Gets Thumbs Up" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). March 30, 1996. p. 1. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  34. ^ "Greatest of All Time: Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s". Billboard. 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  35. ^ Osborn, Jacob (April 30, 2019). "Best 90s pop songs". Stacker. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  36. ^ Daniels, Matt (July 2020). "Defining the '90s Music Canon". The Pudding. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  37. ^ Singer, Emma; Candelario, Chelsea (October 26, 2023). "The 53 Best 90s Songs of All Time". PureWow. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  38. ^ Johnson, Billy (August 1, 2013). "Coolio Did Not Want Weird Al to Spoof 'Gangsta's Paradise'". Yahoo. Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  39. ^ Christian, Chris (August 1996). "Various Artists: Operation Beatbox". Sonic Boom. 4 (7). Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  40. ^ "Gangster's Paradise – Like a Storm | Song Info". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  41. ^ "Ella Henderson – Alibi (feat. Rudimental)". Euphoria Magazine. January 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  42. ^ Coker, Cheo Hodari (February 25, 1996). "Rap Gets Soft (Really)". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  43. ^ a b Barshad, Amos (August 10, 2011). "Nostalgia Fact-Check: How Does Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise Hold Up?". Vulture. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  44. ^ Foundas, Scott; Debruge, Peter; Chang, Justin (April 25, 2013). "3-View: 'Pain & Gain'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  45. ^ Shaffer, Claire (April 30, 2019). "The 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Trailer Is Here". Rolling Stone.
  46. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  47. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  48. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  49. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  50. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2794." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  51. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2783." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  52. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. December 16, 1995. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  53. ^ "Denmark everything but the girl". Billboard. January 20, 1996. p. 47. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  54. ^ "Discos populares en Latinoamérica". El Siglo de Torreón. January 20, 1996. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  55. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 45. November 11, 1995. p. 21. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  56. ^ "European Dance Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 48. December 2, 1995. p. 14. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  57. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V.: Gangsta's Paradise" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  58. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise" (in French). Les classement single.
  59. ^ a b "Coolio feat. LV – Gangsta's Paradise" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  60. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (9 December 1995 – 15 December 1995)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir – Tónlist. Retrieved February 3, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  61. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Coolio feat. L.V.". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  62. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 51/52. December 23, 1995. p. 11. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  63. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Coolio feat. L.V." (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  64. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  65. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise". Top 40 Singles.
  66. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise". VG-lista.
  67. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  68. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 1996). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  69. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise". Singles Top 100.
  70. ^ a b "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise". Swiss Singles Chart.
  71. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  72. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  73. ^ "Coolio Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  74. ^ "Coolio Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  75. ^ "Coolio Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  76. ^ "Coolio Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  77. ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  78. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  79. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 40. týden 2022 in the date selector. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  80. ^ "Coolio Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  81. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  82. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  83. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  84. ^ "2022 40-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 7, 2022. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  85. ^ "Coolio Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  86. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay" (Select week 14.09.2024–20.09.2024.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  87. ^ "Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  88. ^ "ČNS IFPI". IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202239 into search. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  89. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100 Week 40-2022". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  90. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  91. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  92. ^ 1995 Australian Singles Chart aria.com Archived August 3, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  93. ^ "JAHRESHITPARADE 1995" (in Austrian German). austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on October 11, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  94. ^ 1995 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop.be Archived March 30, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  95. ^ 1995 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be Archived April 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  96. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  97. ^ "1995 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 51/52. December 23, 1995. p. 14. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  98. ^ "1995 in Review: European Dance Radio 1995" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 51/52. December 23, 1995. p. 23. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  99. ^ 1995 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com Archived March 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
  100. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  101. ^ "Árslistinn 1995". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 2, 1996. p. 16. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  102. ^ "Single top 100 over 1995" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 6, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  103. ^ "JAAROVERZICHTEN – Single 1995". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on November 29, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  104. ^ "New Zealand End Of Year Charts 1995". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  105. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  106. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1995". Music Week. January 13, 1996. p. 9.
  107. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1995". Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  108. ^ "1995 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 51. December 23, 1995. p. YE-38. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  109. ^ 1996 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at Archived September 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  110. ^ 1996 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop.be Archived October 11, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  111. ^ 1996 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be Archived October 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  112. ^ "1996 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 51/52. December 21, 1996. p. 12. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  113. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts – Offizielle Deutsche Charts". offiziellecharts.de. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  114. ^ "Chart Watch – Top Selling Singles of 1996". Billboard. June 14, 1997. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  115. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1996". Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  116. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  117. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1996" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  118. ^ 1996 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch Archived October 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  119. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1996" (PDF). Music Week. January 18, 1997. p. 25. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  120. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Billboardtop100of.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  121. ^ "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  122. ^ "Single Top 100 – eladási darabszám alapján – 2022" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  123. ^ "2022 metų klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  124. ^ "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  125. ^ "Ultratop Nineties 500: 1-50". Ultratop (in Dutch). Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  126. ^ Mayfield, Geoff (December 25, 1999). "1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  127. ^ "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  128. ^ "The UK's biggest selling singles of all time". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  129. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  130. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Coolio – Gangsta's Paradise" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  131. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1996". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  132. ^ "Danish single certifications – Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  133. ^ "Germany: Movie Synergy Moves Units". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 47. November 23, 1996. p. 40. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  134. ^ "French single certifications – Multi-Artistes – Gangsta's Paradise" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  135. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Coolio; 'Gangsta's Paradise')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  136. ^ "Italian single certifications – Coolio feat. L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  137. ^ "Dutch single certifications – Coolio – Gangsta's Paradise" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Gangsta's Paradise in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  138. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Coolio feat. LV – Gangsta's Paradise". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  139. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  140. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Coolio – Gangsta's Paradise" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  141. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Coolio / L.V. – Gangsta's Paradise". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  142. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Gangsta's Paradise')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  143. ^ "British single certifications – Coolio ft LV – Gangsta's Paradise". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  144. ^ Shawnee, Smith (August 30, 1997). "Coolio Stays True To Sound of His 'Soul'". Billboard. p. 10. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  145. ^ "American single certifications – Coolio – Gangsta's Paradise". Recording Industry Association of America.
  146. ^ "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International)" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
[edit]