Quick! Sample This

Kanye West have did it. Rihanna have did it. And so have the Queen of Pop - Madonna. This above-mentioned group of people have been acclaimed for their success in sampling other people's music in their songs, which leads on to hitting the top of the charts and increased record sales worldwide.

Music sampling - which refers to a small part of a song taken from a CD or record and use it in a new song - was first popularised in the 70s by The Sugarhill Gang, who then sampled disco group Chic's "Good Times" in their "Rapper's Delight". Ever since, samplings are becoming more common in the music industry, especially in the Hip Hop and R&B genres.

Today we shall take a look at the list of successful sampling artistes and the sampled songs.


Hung Up (2005) - Madonna
Samples: Abba's 1979 hit "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ( A Man After Midnight)".

- Madonna almost never make it with this single, as ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus have a strict "no sample" policy. She reportedly approached Andersson and Ulvaeus by sending her emissary to Stockholm with a letter and the record, begging and imploring them telling how much she worship their music and saying it was a homage to them. Andersson and Ulvaeus eventually gave permission for Madonna to sample their song primarily because they liked the song themselves.


S.O.S. (Rescue Me) (2006) - Rihanna
Samples: "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (1981).

Through The Wire (2004) - Kanye West
Samples: Chaka Khan's "Through The Fire"

- The one irritating song which made Chaka Khan's voice sounds like a chipmunk.

Touch The Sky (2006) - Kanye West
Samples: Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up" (1971).

Lonely (2005) - Akon
Samples: "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton (1964).

- Another song which uses chipmunk voice, but got more cute factor than that of Kanye West's.


Pump It (2005) - The Black Eyed Peas
Samples: "Misirlou" by Dick Dale and his Deltones.

Ooh Wee (2003) - Mark Ronson
Samples: "Sunny" by Boney M. (1977)