Surely it has happened to you at some point that you were listening to a song and something was sounding very familiar and you couldn't identify why. You stop for a second, think, and chew your brain for a long time until you reflect that what you were hearing could be a samples. And yes, indeed, many of the songs of our daily life are samples from much older ones. It is something very common in music today, and even in the 50s, that is why today we tell you What are the 10 most sampled songs in history?.
What is a “sample”? Origin and history of sampling
A samples or musical “sampling” It is the way in which an artist takes a part or a “sample” from an existing recording; It can be a fragment of drums, a voice, a loopetc., and reuses it in a new song. That portion can be kept as is or manipulated: change its tempoits tone, trim it, repeat it, alter effects, etc.
The use of sampling It has very deep historical roots. Since the middle of the 20th centurywith the first audio recording devices, there was already the idea of manipulating pre-existing recordings. Later, with the rise of vinyl, turntables and DJ culture, and especially with the arrival of hip-hop and electronic music in the 70s and 80s, the sampling became a central technique: it allowed reusing groovesrhythms, loopsvoices, atmospheres… and give new life to sounds of the past.
WECB
WECB
Not always sampling is equivalent to plagiarism; When used legally, with proper permissions, it can become a legitimate form of homage, reinterpretation or creation.
Ultimately, the samples They are small pieces of the past that, reused, build new musical milestones.
The 10 most sampled songs in history
Although there are many different opinions, there is a consensus that certain songs have been reused thousands of times, laying foundations in genres such as hip-hophe funkhe junglehe drum'n'bass or electronics.
According to the specialized site WhoSampled, these would be the 10 most sampled songs:
- “Amen, Brother” – The Winstons
- “Think (About It)” – Lyn Collins
- “La Di Da Di” – Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick
- “Funky Drummer” – James Brown
- “Change the Beat (Female Version)” – Beside
- “Impeach the President” – The Honey Drippers
- “Synthetic Substitution” – Melvin Bliss
- “It's a New Day” – Skull Snaps
- “Hot Pants (Bonus Beats)” – Bobby Byrd
- “Apache” – Incredible Bongo Band
The crown is taken Amen, Brother: Gregory Coleman's six-second drum solo became the foundations of hip-hop, jungle, drum'n'bass and many more. It has been sampled thousands of times by voices like those of NWA, The Prodigy or even Oasis. With Apache The same thing happens, because sometimes it is called the national anthem of hip-hop. This theme was essential in street parties and DJ battles. Missy Elliott, Nas or Sugarhill Gang They have been some of the artists who sampled this anthem.
The art of sampling is a form of musical heritagean invisible bridge that unites eras, styles and generations. Every time a producer or artist rescues a fragment of the past and transforms it, he or she not only creates something new, but also keeps alive the memory of those who came before him.
