Lauryn Hill is viewed as one of the greatest and most influential artists of all-time. She broke out with the Fugees and their diamond-selling The Score album in 1996. During that time, everyone wanted a full-length album from her. Two and a half years later, she released her debut, solo joint. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was the name and it was released 25 years ago today. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill went on to sell over ten million albums. The album has been mentioned by many artists as one of their favorite albums ever. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time. It has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and still counting. The list of accolades have continued to grow over the years. It is the best-selling album ever by a female rapper. Unfortunately, this masterpiece is the only solo album from Lauryn Hill.

The album was the first in the history of XXL to receive a perfect “XXL” rating. In 2007, the album was placed on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 200 Definitive Albums. In 2017, Harvard University selected it as one of the first batch of hip hop albums to preserved in the Loeb Music Library. That same year, the album was ranked in second place on the NPR list of ‘150 Greatest Albums Made by Women’. Doo Wop (That Thang) was the first single from the album. The gold-selling single was a dope track about uplifting women. The single won two awards: Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Ex-Factor was her next single and despite it not garnering a plaque it was still a great record. It won the Best R&B/Soul Single – Female award at the 2000 Soul Train Music Awards.

Everything is Everything was the third and final single from the album. The single went gold and was viewed as one of her best songs. In 2008, About.com ranked it at number 66 on their “100 Greatest Rap Songs” list. In 2018, Complex ranked the song at number two on their list of the 20 greatest Lauryn Hill songs. In 2022, American Songwriter ranked the song at number four on their list of the ten greatest Lauryn Hill songs. In honor of the iconic album, Lauryn Hill has announced a tour honoring its 25^th anniversary. This is one of those albums that gets better as you get older. Below are my top 5 tracks, track listing and stream link for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Top 5 Tracks: Nothing Even Matters, When It Hurts So Bad, Ex-Factor, Everything is Everything and Every Ghetto, Every City

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Track Listing

1. Intro
2. Lost Ones
3. Ex-Factor
4. To Zion ft. Carlos Santana
5. Doo Wop (That Thing)
6. Superstar
7. Final Hour
8. When It Hurts So Bad
9. I Used to Love Him ft. Mary J. Blige
10. Forgive Them Father
11. Every Ghetto, Every City
12. Nothing Even Maters ft. D’Angelo
13. Everything is Everything
14. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
15. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
16. Tell Him