Nicki Minaj has had a big year.
Not only did the Queen of Rap land the first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in her career when she hopped on the remix of Doja Cat's smash "Say So," but she also became a mother, welcoming a son with husband Kenneth Petty on Sept. 30. With such personal and professional highs, there's no doubt that she'll be counting her blessings as she celebrates her 38th birthday on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
While "Say So" marks a first on the Hot 100 for Minaj, it's the 19th single in the rapper's influential career to crack the chart's top 10. In honor of her special day, we thought we'd take a look at how the song stacks up against the 18 that came before it with a ranking of her most successful tracks ever. As we made our list, we were surprised by all that it was missing. You'll notice that bops like "Monster," "Moment 4 Life," "Feeling Myself" and "Truffle Butter," to name a few, are nowhere to be found in our tally. And that's because those tracks stalled out at 18, 13, 38 and 14 on the chart, respectively.
But enough about what's not there. Let's get to what is with our official ranking of Minaj's 19 top 10 hits!
19-18. "FeFe" (2018) and "Trollz" (2020)
Regardless of how these tracks performed on the chart—at No. 3 and 1, respectively—the collaboration with Tekashi 6ix9ine feels icky. Sorry, not sorry.
17. "Beauty and a Beat" (2012)
Minaj's verse on the collab with Justin Bieber, which peaked at No. 5, is most notable for the way she forced Selena Gomez's first name to rhyme with "wiener."
16. "Rake It Up" (2017)
Just seeing the title of this Yo Gotti track is enough to have its highly repetitive chorus stuck in our head all day.
15. "Till the World Ends (Femme Fatale Remix)" (2011)
Do we love this remix of the Britney Spears song off her album Femme Fatale, featuring a sick verse from Minaj and new vocals from co-writer Kesha? You betcha. Do we really consider it a Minaj track? No, we don't.
14. "Give Me All Your Luvin'" (2012)
The Queen of Rap first worked with the Queen of Pop when she joined Madonna (and M.I.A.) on this track off Madge's album MDNA, which brought them all to the stage of the Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show. It was that performance that helped the song peak at No. 10.
13. "Dance (A$$)" (2011)
Minaj's verse on the official remix of this Big Sean track definitely makes it worth listening to. But it's still just a feature added after the fact.
12. "Say So" (2020)
This smash hit off Doja Cat's album Hot Pink not only gave Nicki her first No. 1, but it also marked the first time a collab between two female rappers ever topped the Hot 100. But dare we say we love the disco-kissed delight more when Minaj's additions aren't in the mix?
11. "Hey Mama" (2015)
There a lot of cooks in the kitchen on this David Guetta song, with Minaj accompanied by Bebe Rexha vocals and additional production from Afrojack. That said, the rapper absolutely steals the show on the hard-hitting EDM track that peaked at No. 8.
10. "Turn Me On" (2011)
Guetta wisely let Minaj have sole billing on this track off his Nothing But the Beat album, allowing the rapper to show off her impressive singing chops as well as her usual sick flow. There's a reason this one hit No. 4 on the Hot 100. And that's because it's a damn good time.
9. "Bottoms Up" (2010)
Trey Songz can say whatever he wants about the role he played in Minaj's career with this track, but the truth is that without the rapper's iconic verse, this song would've never come anywhere near its peak at No. 6. Her feature is the reason anyone is still listening to this song a decade later.
8. "MotorSport" (2017)
In some alternate universe, this Migos song—which featured both Minaj and Cardi B—was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between two of the fiercest female MCs in the game right now. But, alas, that's not the world we're living in. We'll always have this song and their fire verses as a reminder of what could've been, though.
7. "Make Me Proud" (2011)
This track off Drake's album Take Care, which peaked at No. 9, felt like the Young Money star giving his labelmate and pal her flowers just as her career was exploding into the stratosphere. Telling her he's proud of her and then stepping aside to let her absolutely steal the show.
6. "Bang Bang" (2014)
We will fight anyone who doesn't still get all the way down to this absolute bop from Minaj, Ariana Grande and Jessie J. Not only does it still slap all these years later, but it brought Minaj into Grande's orbit, leading to one of pop's most fruitful partnerships in the last decade.
5. "Side to Side" (2016)
Speaking of that partnership, here's where it reached its pinnacle. This saucy track off Grande's Dangerous Woman album peaked at No. 4, delivering a killer music video and a fierce AF feature from Minaj.
4. "Starships" (2012)
This track off Minaj's second album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is the rapper at her absolute poppiest. It's a song and sound that she's distanced herself from in recent years, but we'd be lying if we said this one doesn't put the biggest smile on our face the second we hear that beat. The track, which peaked at No. 5, proved that the Queen of Rap could do everything those pop princesses do—and better.
3. "Anaconda" (2014)
This Sir Mix-a-Lot-sampling track off The Pinkprint saw Minaj move ever so slightly back to her hip-hop roots after her pop parlay and she was awarded for her efforts. The track catapulted to No. 2, becoming the highest-charting song in her career. It's filthy and fun, entirely unforgettable. And if we're being totally honest, it's not all that far removed from pop, proving just how blurry those lines have become thanks, in large part, to Minaj herself.
2. "Chun-Li" (2018)
The unfortunate Asian cultural appropriation notwithstanding, this pure rap track off Queen finds Minaj proving that the throne remains hers after a decade in the game. It's the sort of take-no-prisoners approach befitting the Street Fighter character the song's named after. It's a warning: Come for her kingdom at your own peril.
1. "Super Bass" (2011)
As the lead single off the deluxe re-release of her debut album Pink Friday and her first to crack the Top 10 (it would peak at No. 3), this is the song that we'd argue most people think of when they think of Minaj. And for good reason. It's full of the promise of everything she'd prove she's capable of, allowing her fierce femcee to co-exist alongside the pop powerhouse as a showcase of her unparalleled talent.