The 20 most sampled songs of all time
Image credit: Yomex Owo
Ever wondered which tracks have been sampled the most? Discover the 20 most sampled songs of all time, from the iconic “Amen Break” to beyond.
Music is an ever-evolving art form that has always paid homage to the past. Whether that’s the melodies that inspired future songwriters’ own progressions or the interpolations and covers that show direct influence.
In the 21st century, musicians pay tribute to the music that has come before with even more directness. Sampling, popularised in early hip-hop and now used across all genres, is the art of taking and reworking a recording into a new context, breathing fresh life and a different approach into an older piece of music.
Thanks to the encyclopaedic data of WhoSampled, we’re able to explore the songs that have been sampled, chopped, and reworked more than any other in history.
What is music sampling?
First, let’s clear up our terminology. Music sampling is the act of taking a piece of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument, element, or section in a new song. The process became more accessible with the launch of digital samplers like the Akai MPC in the 1980s. Now, thanks to computer production sampling is easy and commonplace.
However, sampling can also be a legal minefield. Samples must be cleared (permission gained from the copyright holder) for use in new tracks. If artists don’t legally clear their samples, they can face serious copyright infringement issues.
Artists must ensure their samples are either cleared with the copyright owner or are sourced from royalty-free libraries in which they can freely use samples commercially.
RouteNote Create offers a huge library of high quality, royalty free samples that span genres. RouteNote Create offers a hassle-free solution to artists, providing them with the confidence to use samples and commercially release their music.
The 20 most sampled tracks in history
According to WhoSampled, these are the 20 tracks sampled by other artists the most.
1. The Winstons – Amen, Brother – (sampled 6,873 times)
The undisputed king of samples, this track could easily have been forgotten to history. Amen, Brother was a B-side to a single by The Winstons which is itself now forgotten. This song contains a 6-second drum solo by G.C. Coleman that is now know as the “Amen Break”.
The sample was popularised in 80s hip-hop and has been legacied by its sped up use in later music genres. The Amen Break has formed the rhythmic basis for entire genres, like drum and bass and jungle, been used in TV commercials, and is even used in the theme from Futurama.
You’ve heard it in: N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton, The Prodigy – Firestarter, and thousands of drum and bass tracks
2. Lyn Collins – Think (About It) – (sampled 3,984 times)
With an iconic drum groove, generational woops, and a brass-powered melody, there’s a lot to take from this song. The song’s most iconic sample comes from Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s It Takes Two, which took entire vocal hooks for their song.
The song’s drum groove has become a favourite of producers and is still being used today by artists like Jamie XX and JPEGMAFIA. Meanwhile Collins’ iconing “Woo! Yeah” has been sampled famously as a break.
The sample found significance in the 16th volume of the Ultimate Breaks and Beats compilation series in 1986.
You’ve heard it in: Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – It Takes Two and Snoop Dogg – Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None) (feat. Nate Dogg, Kurupt, and Warren G)
3. Beside – Change the Beat (Female Version) – (sampled 2,949 times)
This is an unusual one. Once again, we have a B-side that ends up totally overshadowing the Side-A single. The original version is by Fab 5 Freddy, but the B-side features vocals from Frenc artist Beside.
The closing of the track features a voice spoken through a vocoder saying “Ahhhh, this stuff is really fresh”. This line has become one of the most widely used samples, largely for how it sounds when it is scratched, producing that really nice iconic record scratching sound.
Producer Bill Laswell and manager Roger Trilling claim they recorded the sample to mock a record executive who would respond with “this stuff is really fresh!” when he heard a new song that he liked. Roger Trilling recorded the imitation through a vocoder and it was attached to the end of this B-side.
You’ve heard it in: Eric B. & Rakim – Paid in Full, Herbie Hancock – Rockit, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz)
4. James Brown – Funky Drummer – (sampled 1,987 times)
We have one of the most iconic drum breaks of all time here. It contains a drum break improvised by Clyde Stubblefield. Stubblefield likely had no idea as they drummed out a solo in the moment from the top of his dome that it would be immortalised as the backing to hundreds of tracks.
The break is most famous for its notorious use in hip-hop, especially in ths 90s. However, it can be found in some unexpected places like The Powerpuff Girls theme and used by pop musicians like George Michael and Ed Sheeran.
You’ve heard it in: N.W.A. – Fuck Tha Police, Public Enemy – Fight the Power, and Dr. Dre – Let Me Ride (feat. Snoop Dogg, Jewell, and RC)
5. Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick – La Di Da Di – (sampled 1,230 times)
This is an interesting one as it features Doug E. Fresh performing a beatboxed backing instrumental behind Slick Rick (then called MC Ricky D) performing vocals. La Di Da Di is a bit of an outlier, as it has largely been interpolated rather than directly sampled, meaning that the vocals have been reproduced by other artists.
Despite lacking the punch of a real drum kit to sample, the song has been reused loads either taking Slick Rick’s vocals and reworking them, interpolating the lyrics, or genuinely using the beatboxed beat (as is the case for I Wanna Sex You Up by Color Me Badd).
You’ve heard it in: Beastie Boys – Hold It Now, Hit It, Color Me Badd – I Wanna Sex You Up, and Vengaboys – We Like to Party!
6. Public Enemy – Bring the Noise – (sampled 1,100 times)
Bring the Noise is a perfect example of sampling culture. The track itself contains samples of 10 songs, including James Brown’s Funky Drummer from earlier. It uses funk samples, a speech sample from Malcom X, drum machines, scratching, and then samples other sound effects.
Bring the Noise then passes the torch of influence forward, having been sampled in over 1,000 songs. Largely, other artists have taken Chuck D’s vocals to use in their own tracks, sampling his lines like “here we go again”, “once again, back, it’s the incredible”, and an iconic “yeah boy!”.
You’ve heard it in: Kanye West – Everything I Am (feat. DJ Premier), Simon Harris – Bass (How Low Can You Go), Ludacris – How Low, and Rakim – Guess Who’s Back
7. James Brown – Funky President (People It’s Bad) – (sampled 1,069 times)
James Brown makes his second appearance in the list with Funky President, referring to Gerald Ford who succeeded Richard Nixon in 1974. Brown’s song represents his feeling that with the changing of U.S. presidents, he felt no hope for societal change, particularly for black Americans.
Ten seconds into the song, Jeanette Washington says: “Hey! Listen to the man.” This is the most commonly sampled element of this song and has been reused and manipulated into a bunch of different songs, favoured especially by hip-hop artists.
You’ve heard it in: Kanye West, Big Sean, & Jay-Z – Clique, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince – Summertime, and Rick Ross – Live Fast, Die Young (feat. Kanye West)
8. Run-DMC – Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse) – (sampled 1,002 times)
Another song that samples in two directions, Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse) features 5 samples. That pales next to the more than 1,000 songs which have since sampled the song. From hip-hop legends like J Dilla to K-Pop superstars like BTS, Run-DMC’s classic persists mostly from an iconic “ah yeah!”.
You’ve heard it in: Isaiah Rashad – Headshots (4r Da Locals), BTS – 호르몬 전쟁 War of Hormone, and Will Sparks – Ah Yeah!
9. Melvin Bliss – Synthetic Substitution – (sampled 972 times)
Once again, what was once a random B-side ends up with an iconic legacy. Synthetic Substitution was a “throwaway B-side” to Bliss’s single Reward. The song failed to chart and could easily have faded into obscurity.
However, Synthetic Substitution was picked up for sampling by the Ultramagnetic MCs, beginning a journey into hundreds of tracks. The song’s drum intro features an iconic groove that has been used in iconic hip-hop songs.
You’ve heard it in: Wu-Tang Clan – Bring Da Ruckus, Ultramagnetic MC’s – Ego Tripping, Danny Brown – Die Like a Rockstar, Naughty by Nature – O.P.P.
10. Bobby Byrd – Hot Pants (Bonus Beats) – (sampled 942 times)
Something about hot pants has inspired songs by James Brown and a number of his associates. It’s Bobby Byrd’s version however that has found musical influence in generations since the 1971 recording was released.
Not just used by hip-hop artists, Hot Pants by Byrd has been used by rock bands and pop artists for it’s funky beat. It’s immediately recognisable in The Stone Roses’ Fools Gold, but you can hear it in a spectrum of popular songs from the nineties and noughties.
You’ve heard it in: The Stone Roses – Fools Gold, Madonna – Frozen, Spice Girls – Wannabe, and Big Daddy Kane – Raw
11. Mountain – Long Red – (sampled 895 times)
Now we’re in the bottom half, it’s easy to think that perhaps being sampled less than 900 times is not much – particularly when the Amen Break nears 7,000 samples. But trust us that 900 recorded samples is still an astonishing amount, especially when you consider how big some of songs it’s been sampled in are.
Beginning with isolated drums, the track was naturally picked up for the blueprint of track’s beats. It’s not just its drum sample but vocal calls, such as the “louder” that can be heard across tracks from A$AP Rocky to Lana Del Rey.
You’ve heard it in: Jay-Z – 99 Problems, Snoop Dogg – Gin and Juice (feat. Daz Dillinger), Drake – Lord Knows (feat. Rick Ross)
12. The Mohawks – The Champ – (sampled 847 times)
Released in 1968, this song failed to chart and largely disappeared. That is until the 1980s when hip-hop came to the rescue for The Mohawks. After being sampled by numerous iconic acts like Eric B. & Rakim, Afrika Bambaataa, Salt-n-Pepa, Beastie Boys, Eazy E, and many more, the song finally carted on a re-release in 1987.
With an iconic vocal yell of “tramp!”, a driving drum beat, and a funky synth line, the song’s intro has fuelled sampling producers for decades. The song remains a favourite among sampling artists, continuing to be used by artists like Frank Ocean, Migos, Logic, Anderson .Paak, and Nicki Minaj.
You’ve heard it in: KRS-One – Step Into a World (Rapture’s Delight), Frank Ocean – Nikes, and Eric B. & Rakim – Eric B. Is President
13. The Honey Drippers – Impeach the President – (sampled 824 times)
Something about president-critical songs seem to resonate both with 70s funk artists and songs that enjoy being sampled. Impeach the President by The Honey Drippers is a portest song, calling for the impeachment of U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1973.
The song’s drum parttern was taken from Funky Drummer by James Brown, which you’ll recognise from earlier in the list. The drum from Impeach the President was used by Marley Marl for MC Shan’s The Bridge in 1986. It’s claimed that Marley Marl’s sample of this track made him “the first hip-hop producer to sample and reconfigure a recorded drum break”.
You’ve heard it in: J Cole – Wet Dreamz, The Notorious B.I.G. – Unbelievable, Nas – The Message, and Doja Cat – Can’t Wait
14. Incredible Bongo Band – Apache – (sampled 808 times)
The original song Apache was recorded by English guitarist Bert Weedon in 1960 to reasonable success and a number of versions by other artists. The 1973 version by the Incredible Bongo Band has been described as “hip-hop’s national anthem”.
Apache features a long percussive break and found new success in sampling by Afrika Bambaataa, The Sugarhill Gang, L.L. Cool J, The Roots, and Nas. The song has spanned genres, being used variably in electronic and alternative music by Moby, Goldie, J Majik, and The Future Sound of London.
You’ve heard it in: Sugarhill Gang – Apache, Nas – Made You Look, Jay-Z & Kanye West – That’s My Bitch, and Aphex Twin – Xtal
15. ESG – UFO – (sampled 616 times)
The female fronted ESG have inspired countless acts, from the sampling potential of their songs to their refreshing punk approach. UFO wasn’t necessarily ever supposed to have been recorded and released, but with 3 minutes left on their master tape during a recording session recording engineer Martin Hannett encouraged the band to perform it.
That chance recording produced one of the most sampled songs in history, favoured for its surreal soundscape. The song is inspired by the ending of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, where the U.S. government communicate with aliens through music. The band received no compensation for samples of their song for roughly two decades, leading them to title their 1992 EP ‘Sample Credits Don’t Pay Our Bills’.
You’ve heard it in: The Notorious B.I.G. – Party and Bullshit, J Dilla – Geek Down, MF DOOM – Yessir! (feat. Raekwon), and Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack
16. Funk, Inc. – Kool Is Back – (sampled 612 times)
Kool & the Gang released the first version of this song in 1969 titled Kool’s Back Again. It got picked up and remade by a number of bands and Funk, Inc.’s notorious version named Kool Is Back has been picked up by hundreds of artists, particularly for a drum break and the horn that hits just before the drum break.
You’ve heard it in: Jay-Z – The Story of O.J., Yes – Owner of a Lonely Heart, Jeru the Damaja – Come Clean, and Beastie Boys – The New Style.
17. Skull Snaps – It’s a New Day – (sampled 594 times)
Another iconic drum break that you can tell raised sampler’s eyebrows within seconds of the track beginning. Whilst the record cover might suggest some gothic punk, what the record actually contains is some groovy funk with a driving drum beat.
Once again, the break here didn’t only inspire hip-hop records but found life in electronic music and even in Nu-Metal with use by Linkin Park in their record Cure for the Itch.
You’ve heard it in: The Prodigy – Poison, The Pharcyde – Passin’ Me By, and Mobb Deep – Give Up the Goods (Just Step) (feat. Big Noyd)
18. The Soul Searchers – Ashley’s Roachclip – (sampled 556 times)
This instrumental track provides one of the most widely recognised and used drum breaks of all time. At 3:30 there’s a drum break performed by Kenneth Scoggins that has been featured in tracks by a number of the most renowned early hip-hop acts and saw a legacy in the music of artists like Moby and Mac Miller.
You’ve heard it in: Eric B & Rakim – Paid in Full, Slick Rick – Hey Young World, Duran Duran – Come Undone, and Run-DMC – Run’s House.
19. Sly & the Family Stone – Sing a Simple Song – (sampled 522 times)
One of the few songs on the list that was also a hit in its own right. Sing a Simple Song was released as the B-side to #1 hit Everyday People. It became a signature song of the band and has been covered by numerous artists, as well a reaching sample stardom.
Once again, it’s an iconic drum break that has been taken and used as the beat for numerous songs.
You’ve heard it in: Dr. Dre – Deep Cover (feat. Snoop Dogg), 2Pac – Temptations, KRS-One – Sound of Da Police, and Loop It and Leave it – JPEGMAFIA
20. Bob James – Take Me to the Mardi Gras – (sampled 514 times)
This song’s iconic intro features a bell-and-drum pattern than has been incoporated in to become one of hip-hop’s most iconic break beats. In fact, Bob James has recorded a number of tracks that have been favoured by artists for sampling including Nautilis, used by Eric B & Rakim, Run-DMC, Ghostface Killah, and many more.
You’ve heard it in: N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton, Run-DMC – Peter Piper, A$AP Rocky – Max B (feat. Joe Fox), and Beastie Boys – Hold It Now, Hit It
The Legacy of a Sample
These 20 tracks are more than just old songs; they are the shared language of modern producers. They represent a cultural shift where technology allowed musicians to physically build upon the work of those who came before them, creating a rich tapestry of sound that spans decades and genres.
Feeling inspired? Whether you’re chopping up royalty-free breaks or creating your own unique sounds from scratch, the next step is sharing your creation with the world. At RouteNote, we help artists get their music onto all the major platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and more, for free.
Join the conversation of music. Upload your tracks with RouteNote today and make your mark.