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The Morning Show - With Jill Riley

Coffee Break: Sampled songs -

Coffee Break: Sampled songs

A turntable playing a record. Samples can be pulled from old vinyl LPs.
A turntable playing a record. Samples can be pulled from old vinyl LPs.MPR Photo/Bill Alkofer

by Jill Riley and Rachel Frances

September 29, 2022

Yesterday, rapper, producer and actor Coolio passed away at the age of 59. Coolio is best known for his hit song, “Gangsta’s Paradise”, which became the number one biggest-selling single of 1995. The song interpolates Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” off the 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life.

 

Grammy award-winning “Gangsta’s Paradise” is one of many hits over the years that has sampled or interpolated other songs. A sample of a classic song can elevate a track and allow an artist to add their own flare to an established tune. “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons, “Funky Drummer” by James Brown, and “Bring the Noise” by Public Enemy are among the world’s most sampled songs. For today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs that have been sampled in other songs do you want to hear?


Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played:
Lakeside – Fantastic Voyage
Camille Yarbrough – Take Yo’ Praise
Chic – Good Times
Imogen Heap – Hide and Seek
Dick Hyman – The Moog and Me
Funkadelic – (Not Just) Knee Deep
Wire – Three Girl Rhumba (Bonus Track!)