Crank That (Soulja Boy) — Soulja Boy

"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy is a landmark in internet-to-mainstream success, ranking #3 for its pioneering yet polarizing legacy. Released in 2007, it spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over 6 million digital downloads, a figure 3x higher than "Who Let the Dogs Out" at #2. Despite this, the track was widely panned by hip-hop purists for its repetitive simplicity, failing to sustain a career—data from Nielsen shows no follow-up cracked the top 30. Cheaper than the typical rival production costs of $5,000, its minimalism underscores a one-hit wonder defined by viral velocity over musical depth.