The video titled "the most sampled sounds in music" by Synthet explores several of the most iconic and frequently used audio samples in music history, tracing their origins, how producers manipulated them, and the famous songs they appear in.
Below is a detailed breakdown of the featured sounds, their origins, and key examples discu
ssed in the video:
Summary of Iconic Samples
Sample Name Original Source Track Artist / Origin Key Characteristics & Impact Notable Songs Using It
Jetset Hit "Shangri-La" (1978) Launda A disco breakdown sample popularized by Fatboy Slim in a 1992 sample pack; also featured in the video game Jet Set Radio.
• Steam
• Me, Myself and I
[01:57]
Poison Hit "Modern Popcorn" (1969) James Brown Chopped and pitched down eight steps; heavily used in 90s R&B and hip-hop. • Poison (Bell Biv DeVoe) [02:13]
Impeach the President Drum Loop "Impeach the President" (1973) The Honey Drippers A loose, slightly sloppy drum intro by drummer Morris "My" Manus used in over 800 track
s.
• The Bridge [03:33]
• Janet Jackson tracks [04:28]
• The Notorious B.I.G. [03:49]
The "H" / Cash Paint Vox Max Female 5 (Sample Pack) Various / Pharrell A short vocal tag/exclamation widely adopted in swag beats and hip-hop.
• "That Girl" (Pharrell / Fard) [07:00]
• Tracks by Cash Paint [08:04]
Hot Pants (I'm Coming) Drum Bre
ak "Hot Pants I'm Coming" (1971) Bobby Bird Recorded by James Brown's keyboardist; forms the backbone of over 1,000 songs and breakbeat tracks.
• The Stone Roses [09:25]
• Daft Punk (Thomas Bangalter) [09:38]
• Mario Kart Wii (Rainbow Road theme) [09:48]
Darkest Light Saxophone Riff "Darkest Light" (1974) Lafayette Afro Rock Band
(feat. Leroy Gomez) An iconic, growling solo saxophone riff played by "hired gun" Leroy Gomez, sampled over 180 times.
• Public Enemy [09:59]
• J. Cole [11:10]
• Ice Cube [11:14]
• Tiesto [11:20]
UFO Guitar / Atmospheric Noise "UFO" (1981) ESG A haunting, minimalist guitar/instrumental filler sound used for atmosphere in over 600
hip-hop tracks.
• Public Enemy [13:05]
• J Dilla [13:14]
• Miles Davis [13:30]
Detailed Breakdown by Section
1. Orchestra Hits and the Jetset Hit [00:18]
Orchestra Hits: Quick tonal blasts found in numerous genres. Examples include the orc five hit (sampled from Stravinsky) and the Philly hit (sampled from James Brown's "Get Up")
.
Jetset Hit: Originates from the 1978 obscure disco track "Shangri-La" by Launda [01:14]. Fatboy Slim included it in a 1992 DJ sample pack, cementing its place in electronic music and video games like Jet Set Radio [00:48].
2. The Poison Hit [01:57]
Derived from James Brown's "Modern Popcorn" (1969) [02:28].
Producers chopped and p
itched the audio down eight steps [02:33] to create the signature intro for Bell Biv DeVoe's 90s hit "Poison" [02:13].
3. "Impeach the President" Drum Loop [02:54]
Originally a 1973 Watergate protest track by The Honey Drippers [03:09].
Bandleader Roy C noted that their drummer, Morris "My" Manus, was an amateur who tended to speed
up over time [04:57]. Despite the loose feel, producer Marley Marl famously chopped the intro drums for "The Bridge" [03:26], sparking its use in over 800 hip-hop and pop records.
4. The "H" / Cash Paint Vox [06:42]
A brief vocal exclamation derived from a sample pack called Max Female 5 [07:16].
Popularized in early 2000s tracks by
Pharrell Williams [07:00] and later adopted heavily into "swag beats" and electronic music [08:23].
5. Hot Pants Break [08:32]
Played by Bobby Bird (James Brown's keyboardist) on the track "Hot Pants I'm Coming" (1971) [08:58].
Utilized in over 1,000 songs [08:39], ranging from alternative rock (The Stone Roses) [09:25] to house mu
sic (Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk) [09:38] and video game soundtracks (Mario Kart Wii) [09:48].
6. "Darkest Light" Saxophone Riff [10:25]
Created by the Lafayette Afro Rock Band featuring saxophonist Leroy Gomez [10:35].
The distinct "growl" sound is produced by blowing a humming noise directly into the saxophone while playing [12:
30]. Despite being sampled in over 180 tracks by artists like Public Enemy, J. Cole, and Ice Cube, Gomez originally received only credit and no performance royalties as a "hired gun" [11:58].
7. ESG's "UFO" Atmospheric Noise [12:35]
Released in 1981 by the American band ESG [12:45].
Rather than acting as a lead melody, the haunting
guitar noise is primarily used as an ambient filler to create atmosphere and make sparse instrumentals feel complete [14:03]. It has appeared in over 600 songs by J Dilla, The Notorious B.I.G., and Miles Davis [12:43].
Watch the full video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMfl5kRGXdM
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