2pac's 'California Love' Ranked as One of the Top 10 Pop Songs by Billboard

Tupac Shakur became one of the greatest rappers ever before his life and career were tragically cut short. But what you might not be aware of is that one of the Death Row Records star's final hits also earned recognition as one of the Best Pop Songs of All Time.

Released Dec. 3, 1995, "California Love" was 2Pac's comeback single after getting out of prison. The song, which featured Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman, spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1996, just two months before Shakur was murdered.

An all-time great pop song? Billboard thinks so

In 2023, Billboard released its list of the top 500 pop songs ever. Checking in at No. 9, possibly to the surprise of some, was "California Love," which the outlet called a "hook-filled hip-hop party-starter."

"Over an all-time Joe Cocker horn sample, the pair deliver a verse each full of instant quotables about why the Golden State knows how to keep it rockin,'" said Billboard's Katie Atkinson about Pac and Dre. "Roger Troutman's sing-along, talkbox-assisted chorus - borrowing both from Ronnie Hudson's celebratory staple "West Coast Poplock" and his own group Zapp's "Dance Floor" - brings the melody, and the pair of rap legends bring the attitude, making everyone honorary Californians for almost five sunny minutes while giving shine to little-name-checked Cali locales like Sacramento and Pasadena. After all, it's the whole state where you'll 'never find the dance floor empty.'"

Other accolades

"California Love" has also found itself on a number of "Best Songs" lists over the years, includingEntertainment Weekly's "100 Greatest Summer Songs," VH1's 100 "Greatest Songs of the 90's" and Rolling Stone's "50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time."

Additionally, following 2Pac's death, the song was posthumously nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 8:42 AM.