• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer, June 26, 2026

Talk about willingness to wade into a culture war: Sprite has teamed up with Genius, the song lyric site that reaches 100 million people each month, to create "The Living Tracklist," which it claims features the 50 greatest hip-hop songs of all time.

The brand is bringing the list to life with limited-edition collectible packaging, plenty of original content, and an immersive digital experience.

Sprite says it is well prepared for plenty of the inevitable "How could you have left out…?" pushback. "The Living Tracklist was designed to act as a starting point for conversation around the songs that have shaped the culture across generations and regions," the company tells CPG Insider via email. It's "intended to evolve beyond that initial selection."

Unlike a traditional, static "greatest songs list," the idea is to approach hip-hop as a dialogue. It's inviting fans to weigh in with their own opinions, objections and perspectives, "reflecting our belief that hip-hop is a living canon continuously shaped by community and conversation. The word 'living' was very intentional."

The initial list was pulled together by a seven-member Cultural Authority Panel, made up of industry voices, journalists and data experts: Angie Martinez, Speedy Morman, Scottie Beam, Nyla Symone, Genius’ own Rob Markman, Josh Peas, and Frazier Tharpe. It is being introduced with a full 40-minute social episode airing at launch.

Driven by decades of musical and athletic connections, Sprite is one of the most popular brands with Black and multicultural consumers. Collage Group, a research company that evaluates brands by cultural influence, routinely places Sprite in the Top 10 of Black consumers' favorite brands, beaten only by Walmart, YouTube and Lysol in its latest ranking.

That loyalty has real commercial consequences. In 2024, Coca-Cola resurrected Sprite’s "Obey Your Thirst" campaign, introducing a '90s-era slogan to a whole new generation. It paid off. By early 2025, the brand had muscled Pepsi out of third place in the U.S., claiming an 8.03% share. (Coca-Cola is No. 1; Dr Pepper is second.)

The company says the Living Tracklist is "a new expression of that commitment and creates a platform for active participation."

The collection includes 26 designs on both Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles and cans, available starting next month and on shelves through September. Among the featured songs: "Rapper's Delight" (1970s), "Me, Myself and I" (1980s), "Crush on You" (1990s), "Drop It Like It's Hot" (2000s), "March Madness" (2010s), and "TGIF" (2020s).

Using QR codes, fans can access digital content including lyric annotations, storytelling and exclusive Cultural Authority Panel commentary,  as well as the chance to enter a sweepstakes.

Genius is amplifying the partnership with Complex, the entertainment publisher, which developed custom co-branded social content. Sprite is also supporting the Living Tracklist with out-of-home, audio, retail, digital and social advertising.