Behind The Sample

The stories behind the samples — where the past inspires today\u2019s hits

1977
Stayin’ Alive
Bee Gees
disco groove sampled
2022
Staying Alive
DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby

The Bee Gees’ 1977 disco anthem defined an era. In 2022, DJ Khaled wove that iconic groove into a new hit with Drake and Lil Baby — a 45-year leap that shows how the dancefloor classics keep shaping today’s charts.

1986
The Way It Is
Bruce Hornsby & The Range
sampled piano melody
1992
Changes
2Pac

Hornsby wrote about poverty and the American underclass over a melancholic piano progression. 2Pac recognised the same emotional weight could carry a new message — layering verses about racism, police violence, and hope for change over the unchanged melody.

1969
Amen, Brother
The Winstons
amen break sampled
1987
Think About It
LL Cool J

A 6-second drum break from a 1969 B-side became the DNA of drum and bass, jungle, and hip-hop. The 'Amen break' has been sampled in thousands of tracks — arguably the most important six seconds in recorded music.

1965
I Got You (I Feel Good)
James Brown
vocal & horn sample
1990
Gonna Make You Sweat
C+C Music Factory

James Brown's explosive shout and brass stabs gave C+C Music Factory the energy to build a defining early-90s dance anthem, bridging soul and club culture.