In 1981, approximately 7,000 fans attended a concert at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri, to witness the sensational rap group, The Sugarhill Gang, perform live. While their debut and sophomore albums were released during this time, one primary reason those eager fans wanted to see the group was to hear their hit single “Rapper’s Delight.”

“I said a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie/To the hip hip hop-a you don’t stop the rock/It to the bang-bang boogie, say up jump the boogie/To the rhythm of the boogie, the beat.”

Those are some of the most recognizable lyrics in rap history, as in the ’80s, ’90s and even early 2000s, the song could be heard during celebratory scenes in Black movies.

The single was released in 1979, the same year the group was formed, but it didn’t take over radio airwaves and charts until 1980. And when it did, the song made history. “Rapper’s Delight” is the single that paved the way for hip-hop artists to top the charts and kick down barriers that were placed to limit their craft’s potential worldwide impact.

It was the first hip-hop song to reach the Top 40 on Billboard’s Hot 100—peaking at No.36 and No.4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The hit brought attention to their self-titled debut album, Sugarhill Gang, which reached No.32 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was one of the first full-length releases in hip-hop history, according to Billboard.

“Rapper’s Delight” was The Sugarhill Gang’s only massive hit in the United States, but it will continue to impact hip-hop music forever.