For part-time potheads, 4/20 is a holiday that comes but once a year. But for the steadfast stoner, you can celebrate 4:20 every day (twice a day is possible, but inadvisable).
Regardless of how deep your love for the leaf runs, everyone knows that marijuana and music are peas in a pod. We’ve previously rounded up 25 toking tunes, an editorial playlist that encompasses Cypress Hill, Afroman, Miley Cyrus, Bob Dylan, Peter Tosh, Wiz Khalifa and, of course, Snoop Dogg.
This list ain’t that. Looking at biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits of all time, we decided to round up the highest hits in the chart’s history. For purposes of this list, we’re casting a bloodshot eye toward songs with a title that includes “smoke,” “puff,” “high,” “stoned,” “burn,” “drug,” “toke,” “weed” or some variation. If the song’s title doesn’t tip to something along those lines, it’s out. (That means songs such as Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & #35” aren’t eligible; we’re sure he’ll get over it.)
We are also discounting songs where weed-adjacent words are in the song title but are clearly not referring to drugs or intoxication. For example: We include Sean Paul’s “We Be Burnin’” but not Usher’s “Burn.” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” isn’t here because The Platters weren’t singing about hotboxing the dance floor, but “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” is eligible. Sure, most folks assume cigarettes are what Brownville Station and/or the Crüe were puffing at school, but we don’t know for sure, so we’re giving that one the benefit of the dank doubt.
Anyone who’s a fan of mind-altering substances should know that truth is subjective, man, and this list is no exception. While the selections – and the order in which they appear – are culled from the biggest hits in Hot 100 history (more on that below), editorial decisions were made on what to include on this list. Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” isn’t here because it’s about a love that is above (i.e., better than) others; “I Want to Take You Higher” is eligible, however, because you can (and probably should) interpret “higher” as substance adjacent.
Also included: The many songs that refer to love as a drug, as well as songs that use “stoned” for a general sense of intoxication. If it’s about a mind-altering state brought about by romance, booze or whatever, it’s in.
Don’t like the criteria? Sounds like you need to chill out, catch a cool buzz and hit play on one (or all) of these songs and just follow the vibe where it takes you. Responsibly, of course.
This ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.
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Afroman, “Because I Got High” (2000)
Hot 100 peak: No. 13
Peak date: Sept. 8, 2001
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Ray Charles, “Let’s Go Get Stoned” (1966)
Hot 100 peak: No. 31
Peak date: July 16, 1966
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Kodak Black feat. XXXTENTACION, “Roll in Peace” (2017)
Hot 100 peak: No. 31
Peak date: Feb. 3, 2018
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Future, “Puffin on Zootiez” (2022)
Hot 100 peak: No. 4
Peak date: May 14, 2022
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Sly & the Family Stone, “I Want to Take You Higher” (1969)
Hot 100 peak: No. 38
Peak date: June 27, 1970
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Redman & Method Man, “How High” (1995)
Hot 100 peak: No. 13
Peak date: Sept. 2, 1995
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Ike & Tina Turner & the Ikettes, “I Want to Take You Higher” (1970)
Peak date: No. 34
Peak date: Aug. 29, 1970
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The Chi-Lites, “Stoned Out of My Mind” (1973)
Hot 100 peak: No. 30
Peak date: Sept. 22, 1973
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Roxy Music, “Love Is the Drug” (1975)
Hot 100 peak: No. 30
Peak date: March 20, 1976
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The Byrds, “Eight Miles High” (1966)
Hot 100 peak: No. 14
Peak date: May 21, 1966
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Justin Timberlake, “LoveStoned” (2007)
Hot 100 peak: No. 17
Peak date: Oct. 6, 2007
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Roddy Ricch feat. Mustard, “High Fashion” (2019)
Hot 100 peak: No. 19
Peak date: Feb. 1, 2020
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Silk Sonic, “Smokin Out the Window” (2021)
Hot 100 peak: No. 5
Peak date: Nov. 27, 2021
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Mötley Crüe, “Smokin’ In the Boys Room” (1985)
Hot 100 peak: No. 16
Peak date: Sept. 7, 1985
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Brewer & Shipley, “One Toke Over the Line” (1970)
Hot 100 peak: No. 10
Peak date: April 10, 1971
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Musical Youth, “Pass the Dutchie” (1982)
Peak position: No. 10
Peak date: Feb. 26, 1983
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Travis Scott, “Highest In the Room” (2019)
Hot 100 peak: No. 1
Peak date: Oct. 19, 2019
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Survivor, “High on You” (1984)
Hot 100 peak: No. 8
Peak date: March 23, 1985
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Sean Paul, “We Be Burnin'” (2005)
Hot 100 peak: No. 6
Peak date: Nov. 12, 2005
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Jim Stafford, “Wildwood Weed” (1974)
Hot 100 peak: No. 7
Peak date: Aug. 24, 1974
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Huey Lewis & The News, “I Want a New Drug” (1984)
Hot 100 peak: No. 6
Peak date: March 24, 1984
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Tove Lo, “Habits (Stay High)” (2013)
Hot 100 peak: No. 3
Peak date: Nov. 8, 2014
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Kesha, “Your Love Is My Drug” (2010)
Hot 100 peak: No. 4
Peak date: June 12, 2010
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Brownsville Station, “Smokin’ In the Boys Room” (1973)
Hot 100 peak: No. 3
Peak date: Jan. 19, 1974
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The 5th Dimension, “Stoned Soul Picnic” (1968)
Hot 100 peak: No. 3
Peak date: July 27, 1968