Which group released “Rapper’s Delight,” hip hop’s first commercially successful single, in 1979?

The Sugarhill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979, helping bring hip hop to a mass audience.

The song was built over an interpolation of Chic’s disco hit “Good Times,” performed by Sugarhill Records’ house band. Its long, party-oriented rap verses introduced many listeners outside New York to the emerging culture of MCing, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti.

“Rapper’s Delight” is often called the first commercially successful hip hop single, although it was not the first rap record ever released. Earlier recordings included “King Tim III (Personality Jock)” by the Fatback Band and several independent New York releases.

The group is sometimes confused with the artists who pioneered hip hop’s live Bronx scene, such as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The Sugarhill Gang’s importance was their role in translating that underground style into a widely distributed hit.