![[Column] The origins of sampling - 20 most sampled sound sources](/../assets/images/column-sample-origins.webp)
Prologue: Tracing the DNA of sound
Text: mmr｜Theme: Based on data such as WhoSampled, we will highlight the ““20 most sampled sound sources’’ and explore how each has been etched into music history.
Sampling is a technology that most directly embodies ““quotation” and ““reconstruction” in the history of music. From the early days of hip-hop in the late ’70s to today’s electronica, a single drum break, bassline, or scream has been transformed into hundreds or thousands of songs.
1. The Winstons – “Amen, Brother” (1969)
Commonly known as “Amen Break”. The six-second drum solo spawned countless genres, including hip-hop, jungle, drum and bass, and hardcore techno. Producers everywhere from N.W.A. and Public Enemy to Aphex Twin and The Prodigy carved out this break. Former drummer Gregory Coleman passed away without a reward, but the ““spirit of the groove’’ that dwells between the snare and the hi-hat continues to resonate.
2. Lyn Collins – “Think (About It)” (1972)
Produced by James Brown. A woman”s powerful shout and “Woo! Yeah!” break symbolize the golden age of hip-hop. Quotes include Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock”s “It Takes Two,” as well as Snoop Dogg and Beyoncé. Combining the strength of feminism and the dynamism of funk, it caused a “chain reaction of voices” on the club floor.
3. The Clash – “Straight to Hell” (1982)
The melancholy guitar and percussion resurface in M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes.” Lyrics about immigration, labor, and loneliness echo 21st century political hip-hop. The sampling of this song is not just a sound material, but has been passed down as a “gene of rebellion.”
4. Chic – “Good Times” (1979)
Bernard Edwards” bass line became famous on Sugarhill Gang”s “Rapper’s Delight.” As the “bridge” that connected disco and hip-hop, its importance in music history is immeasurable. “Recursive funk” that is similar to later Daft Punk and self-sampling by Nile Rodgers himself.
5. James Brown – “Funky Drummer” (1970)
Clyde Stubblefield’s drum break is the holy grail of sampling. Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Prince, Beastie Boys – every time that snare hit, the era was renewed. The ““nucleus of rhythm’’ has breathed life into the greatest number of works, from before hip-hop to after hip-hop.
6. Curtis Mayfield – “Move On Up” (1970)
A symbol of elation rediscovered by a younger generation with Kanye West’s “Touch the Sky.” Combining the spirit of hope and resistance, he transferred the spirit of soul to hip-hop. Curtis’ falsetto is an eternal message of “evolving black music.”
7. Bob James – “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” (1975)
The cowbell and bell sound of the drums was distinctive, and it was loved by Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys, Eric B. & Rakim, and others. Bob James is a symbol of smooth jazz, and the “hard break” that this song produced was deified in the sampling culture of the 1990s.
8. Incredible Bongo Band – “Apache” (1973)
A legendary break that Kool Herc used in two copies at a block party in the Bronx. This is why it is called the origin of hip-hop. It continues to live on as a “sacred scripture” for dancers and turntablists.
9. Melvin Bliss – “Synthetic Substitution” (1973)
Another famous break that formed the backbone of hip-hop. Frequently used by Naughty by Nature, J Dilla, De La Soul, and others. Although the melody is modest, the “space” between the snare and kick forms a golden ratio.
10. The Honey Drippers – “Impeach the President” (1973)
A drum break where political messages and grooves coexist. Quoted by Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., and even J. Cole. The reason why the title ironically resonates across time is because the ““aesthetics of resistance’’ engraved in the rhythm is universal.
11. The Charmels – “As Long As I”ve Got You” (1967)
The original melody used in Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” Sweet strings and melancholic vocals supported the poetry of the street. A famous material that symbolizes RZA’s “shade sampling philosophy”.
12. Joe Tex – “Papa Was Too” (1966)
A fusion of James Brown-style funk and comedic rhythms. Quoted by Fatboy Slim and the Beastie Boys, it became the key to translating the “talk” of funk into hip-hop.
13. The Isley Brothers – “Between the Sheets” (1983)
Famous for songs such as Notorious B.I.G.’s ““Big Poppa” and Jay-Z”s ““Ignorant Shit.” Sexy and melancholy mellowness is the origin of 90”s R&B. The smooth groove has a level of perfection that feels like it was written with the premise of being sampled.
14. Mountain – “Long Red” (1972)
The chant “You know what I mean!” was frequently used by Public Enemy and De La Soul during live performances. This is a great example of how a simple rock song becomes a hip-hop “part” through vocal sampling.
15. The Emotions – “Blind Alley” (1972)
Known for Big Daddy Kane”s ““Ain”t No Half-Steppin’’ and Mary J. Blige. Reconstructing the warmth of sweet soul with the hardness of the beat - this contrast was the essence of the Golden Age.
16. Edwin Birdsong – “Cola Bottle Baby” (1979)
Reconstructed into Daft Punk’s ““Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,’’ it became the cornerstone of 21st century electro-pop. The moment when the experimental funk of the 70s was reborn in the age of technology.
17. Dennis Coffey – “Scorpio” (1971)
A masterpiece of instrumental funk, LL Cool J and Public Enemy cited it as a breakout song. The distortion of the electric guitar symbolizes the roughness of the city.
18. Barry White – “I”m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby” (1973)
In the sampling world, it is a symbol of love. Quoted by The Dream and Kanye West, it straddles the line between soul and desire. The ““sustained sound’’ of sweet strings gave hip-hop a luxurious feel.
19. Tom Scott – “Today” (1973)
Used on Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s “They Reminisce Over You”. This song, which has themes of sadness and memory, showed that sampling can be an art of “memorial.”
20. The Soul Searchers – “Ashley”s Roachclip” (1974)
Used by The Roots, Eric B. & Rakim, Arrested Development, and more. The transparency and density of the drum break was inherited by the ““warm sampling aesthetic’’ of the 1990s.
Chronology: Evolutionary history of sampling
| Years | Events |
|---|---|
| 1960s | Soul/funk recording technology develops. The budding drum break culture. |
| 1973 | Kool Herc plays two copies of “Apache” at a block party. Birth of hip hop. |
| 1984 | Run-D.M.C. achieves first commercial sampling hit. |
| 1989 | Public Enemy’s ““Fear of a Black Planet’’ establishes multiple sampling techniques. |
| 1994 | Wu-Tang Clan, RZA’s “noise sampling” creates a new trend. |
| 2000s | Daft Punk and Kanye West turn soul samples into pop. |
| 2020s | Towards a new era of AI sampling and copyright issues. |
Diagram: Sampling chain
Conclusion: Rhythm is forever cyclical
Sampling is the act of borrowing someone else’s time to talk about a new era. Behind this is the breathing of nameless musicians, the noise of equipment, and the inheritance of culture. ““The same sound coming back again and again’’ is proof of the evolution of pop music, and is the most humane technology that connects the past and the future.
