TOP 20 80S-SAMPLING HITS
MINING THE PAST TO MAKE THE MUSIC OF THE FUTURE, THESE SINGLES USED 80S SOURCES TO FINE EFFECT
JON O’BRIEN
From the prominence of the Fairlight CMI and the rise in turntablism to the charttopping success of Paul Hardcastle’s era-defining N-n-n-n-nineteen, the 80s was essentially where sampling culture began to take shape. By the end of the decade every producer with an eye on the charts was throwingin looped drum breaks and manipulated vocal hooks like they were going out of fashion. It was also an era in which the hitmakers of the 90s and beyond would repeatedly dive back into for inspiration. Here’s a look at 20 chart smashes that have borrowed heavily, and wisely, from what had gone before.
20 JAMELIA
BEWARE OF THE DOG
Stomping electro-pop beats, attitudeladen female vocals and an instantly familiar 80s sample from an iconic British synth-based outfit – on this occasion the twanging bluesy guitars from Depeche Mode’s outlier Personal Jesus. The final of Jamelia’s 10 UK Top 40 hits took inspiration from the mid-00s banger at No.16 on this list.
Released just a few months later, Beware Of The Dog is arguably even more relentless in its production, exemplified by the promo in which the singer is whizzed around in a London taxi cab at breakneck speed.
19 PROFESSOR GREEN
I NEED YOU TONIGHT
Having barely caused a ripple with his The Streets-approved brand of Brit-hop, Professor Green made much more noticeable waves by going full-on pop. I Need You Tonight’s inspired sample – the irresistible guitar hook from INXS’s signature tune – undoubtedly played a major part in its No.3 peak. But the colourful rapper also stamped his own playful mark with some self-effacing rhymes (“My pride, I’m tryna find it/ But ain’t seen it, I’m an eejit”) about a girl that got away, in turn abandoning all pretence he was a Michael Hutchence-esque lothario.
18 2PAC
CHANGES