Iconic samples in music
and where they came from

Sampling is somewhat like collage art in a musical format. By taking snippets of older recordings and rearranging them, producers can create something entirely new while paying homage to the past. Some samples are instantly recognizable, while others are warped, stretched, and chopped beyond recognition. Classic hip hop, epic pop, and electronic anthems alike have been built around carefully chosen samples.

In this article, we’re exploring ten of the most iconic samples in music history, breaking down where they came from, and how they were processed.

Jump to these sections:

• What is sampling in music?
  • Who wrote the most sampled song of all time?
• Iconic samples in music
  1. Nas – “N.Y. State of Mind”
  2. Kendrick Lamar – “Money Trees”
  3. Eminem – “My Name Is”
  4. MF DOOM – “Rapp Snitch Knishes”
  5. Carl Cox – “I Want You (Forever)”
  6. Madonna – “Hung Up”
  7. Daft Punk – “One More Time”
  8. Fred again… – “adore u”
  9. Burial – “Archangel”
  10. Massive Attack – “Teardrop”

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What is sampling in music?

Sampling is a technique used by music producers, where a recorded sound is taken and recontextualized into a new track. This is often called “flipping.”

Producers use drum breaks, vocal phrases, instrumental riffs, and more when sampling. This has been a driving force in music production for decades. Some of the most iconic samples in music come from unexpected places, like jazz, funk, and soul records.

Who wrote the most sampled song of all time?

Let’s address a common question: What is the most sampled song of all time? This is undoubtedly “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons. This 1969 track contains the “Amen Break.”

You may have heard of that before. It’s a short drum loop that has been sampled thousands of times across hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, and other genres. It’s one of the most definitive sounds in modern music.

Watch out for the inclusion of the Amen Break in the list below.

Iconic samples in music

If you’ve ever wondered “what popular song is made from samples?” Here are a few from across the genre spectrum to show off this technique. There are thousands of brilliantly sampled productions, but here are ten that we feel stand out.

1. Nas – “N.Y. State of Mind”

Nas’s “Illmatic” is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made, and “N.Y. State of Mind” is one of its most cinematic moments. The haunting piano loop that runs through the track comes from Joe Chambers’ “Mind Rain”, a jazz fusion track from 1978.

Producer DJ Premier paired the piano loop with saturated boom bap drums, giving it a darker, more brooding character. We’re left with an eerie atmosphere that captures Nas’ evocative lyrics.

Listen to the original here:

2. Kendrick Lamar – “Money Trees”

Kendrick Lamar has always had a sharp ear for the best hip hop samples, and “Money Trees” is one of his most creative flips. The track is built around a dreamy moment from Beach House’s “Silver Soul,” an indie rock song from 2010.

DJ Dahi chopped a small section of the intro and looped it throughout the track. The result is a trippy loop that accompanies Kendrick’s storytelling.

Listen to the Beach House track here:

3. Eminem – “My Name Is”

“My Name Is” shows off the formidable combined creative power of Eminem and producer Dr. Dre. The track features a jazzy Rhodes riff, which Dr. Dre loops to brilliant effect.

The result is a playful-sounding track that compliments Eminem’s edgy humor.

Listen out for the sample below:

4. MF DOOM – “Rapp Snitch Knishes”

MF DOOM’s idiosyncratic production style is built around obscure jazz, soul, and funk samples. “Rapp Snitch Knishes” is a perfect example of his work. The track’s guitar loop comes from a jazz-fusion cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, performed by David Matthews.

MF DOOM’s version loops a small section of the track as he raps his stream-of-consciousness lyrics over it. This style of sampling with cerebral lyrics has influenced a whole generation of alternative hip hop musicians.

The original guitar solo can be heard here:

5. Carl Cox – “I Want You (Forever)”

We mentioned the Amen Break earlier, and the list wouldn’t be complete without including it in an entry.  Carl Cox made full use of the signature drum sound in his track “I Want You (Forever)”. The break’s high-energy shuffle and dirty snares became a defining sound of early electronic music.

Cox slowed and looped the break to create an infectious layer under his drum machines. This is one of the tracks that make up the legend of one of the most famous samples of all time.

Listen to the influential original drum pattern here:

6. Madonna – “Hung Up”

Madonna’s “Hung Up” shows that sampling very much belongs in pop music too.

The track borrows the iconic synth riff from ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)”, and gives it a second life as another dance anthem years later.

This one isn’t too hard to spot, and can be heard here:

7. Daft Punk – “One More Time”

Daft Punk’s iconic “One More Time” is an instantly recognizable dance track, and its signature horn section chop comes from a disco track by Eddie Johns called “More Spell On You.”

The sample was chopped and reversed in a rhythmic, almost “robotic” way, and was one of the tracks that made Daft Punk the legends that they are.

You can hear the horn section that was sampled in Eddie Johns’ track:

8. Fred again… – “adore u”

Fred again.. is known for blending emotional samples with future garage production – a style which he shows off in this song.

He takes the vocals from Obongjayar’s “I Wish It Was Me” and adds gentle dance elements into the production.

The sample was sliced and sped up to match the dancefloor tempo of Fred again…’s bouncy beats.

You can listen to the original below:

9. Burial – “Archangel”

Burial’s “Archangel” is a haunting, bleak track, and its ghostly vocals come from an unlikely source — Ray J’s R&B hit “One Wish.”

The sample was time-stretched, detuned, and layered with static and noise, giving it a distant, ethereal quality that defines Burial’s signature sound. Famously, Burial used rudimentary sampling software to create this flip.

Listen to “One Wish” below.

10. Massive Attack – “Teardrop”

Innovative trip-hop act Massive Attack took sampling to a new realm with their signature broody downtempo style of writing.

The iconic beat in “Teardrop” comes from “Sometimes I Cry”, a 1970s jazz track by Les McCann.

In the context of modern production, using a drum loop from another track may not seem particularly innovative. But in the 90s, Massive Attack were at the forefront of pioneering this technique.

You can hear the drum loop in the track below:

Start sampling with powerful software

Sampling is a musical art form unto itself. It shows the power of musical transformation and recontextualization. The right sample at the right moment can give your track a reason to stand out.

Komplete Start gives you a free suite of instruments, loops, and samplers to start experimenting with today, including Kontakt – one of the most powerful and flexible samplers available. Download it now, use tried and tested techniques, and start flipping your own iconic samples.

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