Music facts with sources

#1“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” began with an idea Keith Richards recorded while half-asleep. According to the best-known story, he woke up, taped the riff on a cassette, and later found it followed by several minutes of snoring.

#2“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” was released by The Rolling Stones in 1965. Keith Richards’ riff became one of rock’s most recognizable hooks.

#3“Hey Jude” was originally called “Hey Jules.” Paul McCartney wrote it with Julian Lennon, John Lennon’s son, in mind during his parents’ separation.

#4“Hey Jude” was released as a single in 1968 and was not originally part of a Beatles studio album. It was one of the first releases on Apple Records.

#5Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was The Beatles’ eighth studio album. Released in 1967, it is often cited as one of rock’s first major concept albums.

#6Abbey Road was the last album The Beatles recorded together, although Let It Be was released later. Abbey Road came out in 1969.

#7“Something” and “Come Together” were released as a double A-side single from Abbey Road. The single also reached number one in the United States.

#8Michael Jackson released Thriller in 1982 as his sixth studio album. It was produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson.

#9Thriller won eight Grammy Awards in one night. That achievement helped establish Michael Jackson as a dominant figure in global pop.

#10Bad, released in 1987, produced five number-one hits. They included “Bad” and “Man in the Mirror.”

#11Invincible was the tenth and last studio album Michael Jackson released during his lifetime. It came out in 2001.

#12Purple Rain was Prince’s sixth studio album and also served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. It was released in 1984 with The Revolution.

#13The basic track for “Purple Rain” was recorded live at First Avenue in Minneapolis in 1983. Overdubs and studio edits were added later.

#14Nevermind was Nirvana’s second studio album and their major-label debut. It was released in 1991 by DGC.

#15Nevermind was the first Nirvana album with Dave Grohl on drums. The record helped bring grunge into the mainstream.

#16Britannica describes Nevermind as the first alternative rock album to achieve mass popularity with a mainstream audience.

#17“Smells Like Teen Spirit” was the single that massively boosted Nevermind. Britannica identifies it as the central hit behind Nirvana’s global breakthrough.

#18Dookie marked Green Day’s big move to a major label. Released in 1994, the album helped bring pop punk to a mass audience.

#19Back to Black was Amy Winehouse’s second and final studio album. Released in 2006, it was produced mainly by Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi.

#20Back to Black was strongly inspired by Amy Winehouse’s turbulent relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil.

#21Adele released 21 in 2011 as her second album. The record includes “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You.”

#22“Someone Like You” was written by Adele with Dan Wilson. The song is about the end of a relationship and trying to accept that the other person has moved on.

#23Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” samples “Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)” by The Chi-Lites. That is why Eugene Record received a songwriting credit.

#24Kanye West’s “Stronger” samples Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” The song appears on the 2007 album Graduation.

#25Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” uses a sample of Edwin Birdsong’s “Cola Bottle Baby.”

#26The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” samples Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit.” It was Biggie’s first single from Ready to Die.

#27Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit” reached number one on Billboard’s R&B chart in 1983. It later became an important sample source in hip hop.

#28Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” samples Leon Haywood’s “I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You.”

#29A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?” uses the bassline from Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” The song was released as a single in 1990.

#30Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” samples the bassline from Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” Bowie and the members of Queen received credits after the controversy.

#31Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” uses the famous vocal chant from Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” That chant is also connected to Manu Dibango’s “Soul Makossa.”

#32M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” samples The Clash’s “Straight to Hell.” The song appears on Kala and was released as a single in 2008.

#33“Paper Planes” was later sampled by T.I., Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne on “Swagga Like Us.”

#34Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” uses elements of Billy Squier’s “The Big Beat,” Mountain’s “Long Red,” and Wilson Pickett’s “Get Me Back on Time.” The track was produced by Rick Rubin.

#35The hook of “99 Problems” comes from an earlier Ice-T song also called “99 Problems.”

#36Kendrick Lamar’s “King Kunta” contains an interpolation of Mausberg’s “Get Nekkid.” It also includes musical references to Michael Jackson, James Brown and Ahmad Lewis.

#37Eminem’s “Stan” samples Dido’s “Thank You.” That sample also helped boost the popularity of Dido’s original song.

#38Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” samples Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman.” Jamie Foxx sings an interpolation, partly because he had played Ray Charles in the film Ray.

#39Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” uses a sample of Nine Inch Nails’ “34 Ghosts IV.” That is why Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross appear in the credits.

#40Dua Lipa’s “Break My Heart” interpolates the rhythm guitar from INXS’s “Need You Tonight.” Because of that similarity, Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence received credits.

#41“Bohemian Rhapsody” was released by Queen in 1975 as part of the album A Night at the Opera. It was written by Freddie Mercury.

#42A Night at the Opera was Queen’s fourth studio album. At the time, it was reported as one of the most expensive albums ever recorded.

#43“Bohemian Rhapsody” does not follow a traditional pop structure. It is made of several sections, including a ballad, an opera section, hard rock and a final coda.

#44Pink Floyd’s “Money” appears on the 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. It is known for its loop of coin and cash-register sounds.

#45The loop in “Money” was built from sounds of coins, paper, a cash register and a counting machine. Roger Waters assembled the sequence as part of the song’s rhythmic identity.

#46Chic’s “Good Times” was one of the most important foundations for recorded hip hop. Its bassline was recreated in The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight.”

#47The “Amen break” comes from The Winstons’ “Amen, Brother,” released in 1969. The drum break lasts about seven seconds and was played by Gregory Coleman.

#48The “Amen break” is one of the most used samples in history. It was crucial for hip hop, jungle, drum and bass and electronic music.

#49James Brown’s “Funky Drummer” contains one of the most sampled drum breaks in popular music. The break was played by Clyde Stubblefield.

#50Lyn Collins’ “Think (About It)” contains the famous “Woo! Yeah!” break. That vocal fragment and its drum break have been sampled thousands of times in hip hop and dance music.

#51MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” came out in 1990 and appears on the album Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em. The song samples the main riff from Rick James’ “Super Freak.”

#52The “Super Freak” sample in “U Can’t Touch This” led to a legal dispute. Rick James was added to the songwriting credits and received royalties for the riff.

#53Rick James’ “Super Freak” returned to the mainstream through Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl.” Minaj’s 2022 single directly samples the Rick James track.

#54Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” came out in 2014 as a single from The Pinkprint. The song prominently samples Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.”

#55Big Sean’s “Dance (A$$)” samples “U Can’t Touch This.” Because “U Can’t Touch This” already sampled “Super Freak,” it is a good example of a sample chain.

#56Will Smith’s “Men in Black” was his first solo single after DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Released in 1997, it samples Patrice Rushen’s “Forget Me Nots.”

#57Patrice Rushen’s “Forget Me Nots” was sampled by Will Smith in “Men in Black.” It was also interpolated by George Michael in “Fastlove.”

#58Madonna’s “Hung Up” was the lead single from Confessions on a Dance Floor in 2005. Its foundation samples ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight).”

#59Madonna had to personally request permission to use the ABBA sample in “Hung Up.” Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus were not known for easily approving ABBA samples.

#60Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” came out in 2021. It was the lead single from the collaborative album The Lockdown Sessions.

#61“Cold Heart” works like a medley of Elton John songs. It combines elements of “Rocket Man,” “Kiss the Bride,” “Sacrifice” and “Where’s the Shoorah?”

#62Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was released on April 12, 2024. It appears on the album Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going.

#63“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” incorporates elements of J-Kwon’s “Tipsy.” That is why it connects contemporary country-pop with a 2004 hip hop hit.

#64“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” tied the record of 19 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It matched the historic mark set by “Old Town Road.”

#65Latto’s “Big Energy” interpolates Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love.” That same melodic foundation is also famous for its use in Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy.”

#66The “Big Energy” remix with Mariah Carey closes the sample circle. Latto uses “Genius of Love,” and Mariah appears because “Fantasy” was also built on that classic.

#67Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” samples Nine Inch Nails’ “34 Ghosts IV.” Because of that sample, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross appear in the credits.

#68Lil Nas X bought the beat for “Old Town Road” for 30 dollars. Producer YoungKio had used the Nine Inch Nails sample in an online beat.

#69Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” came out in 1995 and interpolates Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise.” Stevie Wonder is credited because of that musical connection.

#70“Gangsta’s Paradise” was connected to the film Dangerous Minds. Its video was directed by Antoine Fuqua and featured Michelle Pfeiffer.

#71Eminem’s “Stan” samples Dido’s “Thank You.” Dido’s voice is used in the song’s hook.

#72The success of “Stan” helped Dido’s “Thank You” and the album No Angel gain greater mainstream visibility.

#73Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” samples Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman.” Jamie Foxx appears on the track, recreating the vocal spirit of Ray Charles.

#74“Gold Digger” won the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. It was also nominated for Record of the Year.

#75Eminem’s “My Name Is” samples Labi Siffre’s “I Got The...” Siffre initially objected to part of the lyrics but eventually approved the use after hearing a clean version.

#76Sting was the vocalist, bassist and main songwriter of The Police. He fronted the group from 1977 until the band’s breakup in 1986.

#77Sting’s real name is Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner. “Sting” began as a nickname before becoming his public identity.

#78Phil Collins was first Genesis’ drummer and later became their lead singer. He also had a highly successful solo career.

#79Phil Collins wrote and performed songs for Disney’s animated film Tarzan. “You’ll Be in My Heart” won the Oscar for Best Original Song.

#80Prince changed his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993. He did it during a contractual dispute with Warner Bros.