Crunk came roaring out of southern clubs in the late 1990s, this infectious mix of unbridled aggression and memorable hooks.

The sound was born of many parents: from the rat-a-tat anthems of No Limit Records in New Orleans, to the ominous synths of Memphis' Hypnotized Minds camp. In Atlanta, Lil Jon's stripped down-but-slick approach helped turn crunk into a mainstream sound that would influence popular music for years to come and set the stage for later sounds like trap. But for a second, let's go back to a simpler time: when wanting to hit a muthafucka and tear the club up was all folks really needed to have a good time.

We picked the 25 greatest songs of the crunk era.