【コラム】サンプリングの源流 ─ 最もサンプリングされた音源20選

Column en Hiphop Vinyl

28 Oct 2025

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'' andreconstruction’’ 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'sIgnorant 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 often 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.

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

graph TD A["1969: Amen, Brother"] --> B["1970s Funky Drummer"] B --> C["1980s Hip-Hop Golden Age"] C --> D["1990s Soul Sampling"] D --> E["2000s Digital Revival"] E --> F["2020s AI Sampling Era"]

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.

Reference

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