8th Wonder is the second album by the American rap group the Sugarhill Gang.[1] The album was released in 1981 for Sugar Hill Records and was again produced by Sylvia Robinson and James Cullimore. Though not as successful as the group's previous album, the album did feature the minor hits "8th Wonder" and "Apache" and featured an appearance by another Sugar Hill Records rap group, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five on "Showdown".

8th Wonder
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 25, 1981
Recorded1980–1981
Genre
LabelSugar Hill
Producer
The Sugarhill Gang chronology
Sugarhill Gang
(1980)
8th Wonder
(1981)
Rappin' Down Town
(1983)
Singles from 8th Wonder
  1. "8th Wonder"
    Released: 1980
  2. "Apache"
    Released: November 1981

Commercial performance

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The album debuted at number 66 on Billboard's Soul LPs chart on January 16, 1982.[2]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
Robert ChristgauB[4]

The Globe and Mail advised: "Don't expect anything new—there's still a lot of stuff about how great it is to be a member of The Sugarhill Gang and how the ladies fall for it."[5] Robert Christgau noted that "professional is as good as they get, and in the absence of vaguely interesting words the singing tracks are funktional dance music at best."[4]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Funk Box"8:05
2."On the Money"5:25
3."8th Wonder"3:56
4."Apache"6:09
5."Showdown" (with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five)5:41
6."Giggalo"3:51
7."Hot Hot Summer Day"3:27

Charts

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Chart (1982) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[6] 50
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] 15

References

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  1. ^ Bradley, Adam; DuBois, Andrew Lee (2010). The Anthology of Rap. Yale University Press.
  2. ^ "Billboard Soul LPs" (PDF). Billboard. January 16, 1982. p. 57.
  3. ^ Cook, Stephen. "The Sugarhill Gang - 8th Wonder". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Sugarhill Gang". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  5. ^ Lacey, Liam (10 Apr 1982). "8th Wonder The Sugarhill Gang". The Globe and Mail. p. F6.
  6. ^ "Sugarhill Gang Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  7. ^ "Sugarhill Gang Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2018.