Top 10 Songs You Didn't Know Used Samples

#10: “Hollaback Girl” (2005)

Gwen Stefani

This chart-topping song dominated the aughts. Although some critics bashed the lyrics, fans knew them by heart. Stefani specifically went with a cheerleading theme for the track because of Courtney Love, who reportedly once called her a cheerleader in a seemingly disparaging sense. Given this theme, it makes sense that “Hollaback Girl” interpolates “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen. The rock hit has been a go-to hype anthem at sporting events for years, meant to discourage the opponent. Here, Stefani apparently aims it at the “Sid and Nancy” actress. Despite lacking the grit of the Queen song, “Hollaback Girl” manages to be sassy enough to make us want to stomp and clap along.

#9: “Paper Planes” (2008)

M.I.A.

The British rapper delivered a timeless hit with this one. “Paper Planes”, which peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, is a political satire criticizing the U.S. immigration system. Through the lyrics, M.I.A. challenges what she sees as the distorted perception Americans have of immigrants while exposing the reality of their day-to-day struggles. The song was inspired by the musician’s own experience of coming to the States for work, which was far from easy. While making the song, Diplo, who co-wrote and produced it, suggested they sample “Straight to Hell” by The Clash. Notably, the punk rock anthem also tackles political themes like immigration and societal injustice. So, it worked perfectly for “Paper Planes”, both musically and thematically.

#8: “Hypnotize” (1997)

The Notorious B.I.G.

The release of this track was a defining moment in hip-hop. “Hypnotize” was a hit on the U.S. airwaves and was even nominated for a Grammy. Music lovers were quick to notice that the hook of the song was interpolated from “La Di Da Di” by Doug E. Fresh and MC Ricky D a.k.a Slick Rick. The instantly recognizable rhythmic pattern of “La Di Da Di” added to the chantable lyrics of “Hypnotize” created a whole new level of catchiness. However, this is not the only song that echoes the 80s hit. Robbie Williams’ “Rock DJ” directly quotes “La Di Da Di” (xref 1). Even pop star Miley Cyrus sampled the song for her party anthem “We Can't Stop” (xref 2). It’s just that iconic!

#7: “Stan” (2000)

Eminem

One of the most highly used modern slang terms is derived from this song. We’re talking about ‘stan’, of course, which today means a super fan, but has its roots in the Eminem song of the same name. The rapper used it to refer to a fan who has a toxic obsession with him. The record is one of Eminem’s darkest in content, and the musician sets the mood for it by opening it with a sample of Dido’s “Thank You”. The English singer even appears in the music video for the track. Although Dido once pursued legal action against Eminem, alleging unpaid royalties, the popularity of “Stan” undoubtedly translated into major success for her.

#6: “Hotline Bling” (2015)

Drake

This song was a phenomenon in its own right. It was commercially successful, critics mostly loved it, and it even bagged two Grammys! The music video was parodied left and right, spawning memes that are used to this day, and the lyrics were painfully relatable to many. Most of all, the melody was downright addictive. Turns out, “Hotline Bling” gets its instrumental from Timmy Thomas’s progressive soul and R&B song “Why Can't We Live Together”. It was written as a response to the casualties of the Vietnam War. Though Drizzy turned it into a heartbreak anthem, Thomas isn’t mad about it. In fact, he is grateful for the attention the song brought his way.

#5: “Stronger” (2007)

Kanye West

Only Ye could combine hip-hop, electronica, and Nietzschean philosophy into one song and climb to the top of music charts across the world with it. “Stronger” is a Grammy-winning track that probably wouldn’t have been made if West hadn’t heard the song “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” by Daft Punk. His determination to sample the French house banger drove him to make “Stronger”. He built the beat and worked on his bars for months. The final version of “Stronger”, which features a vocal sample of the Daft Punk track, has the duo’s stamp of approval.

#4: “Uptown Funk” (2014)

Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

This song had the whole world grooving to its beat. By blending old-school funk and disco with contemporary pop, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars had a smash hit on their hands. However, their success was partly overshadowed by a mountain of legal trouble over copyright issues. Listeners noticed that “Uptown Funk” had striking similarities to The Gap Band’s 1979 bop “Oops Up Side Your Head”. Recognizing the parallels, the original songwriters, Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, keyboardist Rudy Taylor, and producer Lonnie Simmons, were eventually given songwriting credits for “Uptown Funk”.

#3: “Bad Romance” (2009)

Lady Gaga

The Grammy and Oscar winner is a classically trained musician who studied at the prestigious Collaborative Arts Project 21 conservatory in New York City. It is not surprising that she is heavily influenced by classical music. One of her most successful and career-defining hits, “Bad Romance”, borrows from the “Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 869” from “The Well-Tempered Clavier”. The composition by Johann Sebastian Bach dates back to the 1700s, but in Gaga’s hands, it transforms into a sleek, ultra-modern precursor to the singer’s ode to toxic love. This might just be our favorite use of a sample in a Lady Gaga song, though we have to give a shoutout to “Abracadabra”, which draws from “Spellbound” by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

#2: “Gangsta's Paradise” (1995)

Coolio feat. L.V.

The hip-hop pioneer turned to Stevie Wonder for one of his greatest creations. “Gangsta's Paradise” interpolates the legendary musician’s highly underrated track “Pastime Paradise”, giving it a cinematic proportion. You may have noticed that Coolio doesn’t utter a single swear word in the song. That’s because Wonder demanded the rapper keep things clean if he wanted to work with “Pastime Paradise”. After the lyrics – which originally contained some profanity – were reworked, the “Superstition” singer was on board and even thought Coolio’s song was ‘incredible’. “Gangsta's Paradise” went on to win a Grammy, among other accolades.

#1: “Look What You Made Me Do” (2017)

Taylor Swift

Tay Tay made sweet revenge sound chic in this song, which topped charts and went multi-platinum across the world. The effortlessly cool melody interpolates English band Right Said Fred’s pop song “I'm Too Sexy”, which was a hit in its own right. Days before T-Swizzle was set to drop her song, Right Said Fred members Richard and Fred Fairbrass were asked if they would be alright with a, quote, ‘big, contemporary female artist’ incorporating part of their song in an upcoming track. Judging from how things worked out, they probably didn’t have any complaints. Besides, Taylor made sure to give them and their fellow writer, Rob Manzoli, songwriting credits. It was a win-win!

Do you prefer these songs to the originals or vice versa? Tell us in the comments!