Sampling is the backbone of hip hop music. The best DJs & producers dig in crates to find the best songs to rework on their latest tracks. The worst producers just take worn out samples that everyone else has already picked through.
The hit songs on this list are all great, but they're just a little overplayed. Even though the sampled songs are some of the best songs everyone loves - they've been, literally, played out. Vote up the songs you think have been sampled too many times.
http://www.ranker.com/list/popular-songs-that-have-been-sampled-too-much/josh-heller,
Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love
This synthy art rock song was recorded while hip hop was being birthed in New York City. It's loop became fodder for Warren G, Public Enemy, 2pac, Redman, and many more to rap over. It was the foundation of Mariah Carey's 1995 no. 1 hit "Fantasy."
Billy Squier - The Big Beat
This sort of random rocker is responsible for creating the backbone of so many hip hop songs. These pounding drums have been used on so many classic records like Run-D.M.C.'s "Here We Go," Big Daddy Kane's "Ain't No Half Steppin'" & Jay-Z's "99 Problems" just to name a few.
Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express
"TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS. TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS. " --robots
Afrika Bambaata took Kraftwerk's austere ode to German highways and made it irreversibly funky on seminal electro track Planet Rock, which itself has been used by many artists.
James Brown - Funky Drummer
This is the single most influential breakbeat in hip hop history. From Public Enemy to Nicki Minaj, everyone has rapped over Clyde Stubblefield's funky drum beat.
Cymande - Bra
This British Funk group created one of the most recognizable samples in hip hop history. It has been used by Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and De La Soul, but it seems like you hear it a few times a week.
Kool & the Gang - NT
The funk on this song is undeniable, and so many record producers couldn't resist not playing around with this sample. It's been on tracks by Boogie Down Productions, A Tribe Called Quest, NWA, and strangely enough a cut off the Men in Black soundtrack.
Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight
The song starts out very slow and ambient then builds to an epic drum breakdown. This track has called out to producers who've put the sample on Nas' "One Mic," 2Pac's "Letter to the President," and Ke$ha's "Love Into the Light."
Queen - Under Pressure
I feel bad about this one, because it's like the main criticism of sampling. Everytime you hear the opening of this song, you automatically cringe because you think it's going to be Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby." Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't. Too cold, too cold...
Bob James - Nautilus
Jazzy instrumentalist Bob James's sample has been used throughout the history of hip hop. Most famously as the melodies on Slick Rick's "Children's Story" but also on dozens of tracks by artists like Lupe Fiasco, Ghostface Killah, and Murs.
The Incredible Bongo Band - Apache
This instrumental is both hugely influential to hip hop and electronic music. With hip hop pioneers like The Sugar Hill Gang and Kool Herc using the bongo break early on. Techno artist Moby and drum & bass originator Goldie have also used the sample in their compositions.