# Is \[the William Tell Overture\] the most sampled piece of music of all time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 6, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694 "2011-08-06T04:24:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/21 "2011-08-07T13:09:14Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > And I’d say “God Save the King/Queen” (aka “My Country Tis of Thee”) pops up in movies a lot more than our national anthem. Movies, maybe, but I was thinking about all the sports events that begin with the national anthem. Probably more in one year than all the movies ever made. But I concede that the Wedding March would be up there, too. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/22 "2011-08-07T13:25:45Z")
No one has mentioned Gershwin’s [Rhapsody in Blue](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U40xBSz6Dc). ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/23 "2011-08-07T13:45:35Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > No one has mentioned Gershwin’s [Rhapsody in Blue](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U40xBSz6Dc). I’d bet the Beer Barrel Polka is played five times as often. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/24 "2011-08-07T14:14:51Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Hey, what do you know? [It works.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVJMYo2aqE4) Now that’s _really_ disturbing to watch. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/25 "2011-08-07T15:42:44Z")
> [@brocks](#): > > Movies, maybe, but I was thinking about all the sports events that begin with the national anthem. Probably more in one year than all the movies ever made. The word “sampling” suggests that the music is used in a context _other_ than its original intention, which rules out ballgames and weddings and “Happy Birthday” in Real Life full-length uses of those pieces. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/26 "2011-08-07T16:36:14Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > The word “sampling” suggests that the music is used in a context _other_ than its original intention Great, because I’m pretty sure that Mendelssohn was writing for the concert hall, and not for Aunt Sadie’s wedding. And the music for “The Star Spangled Banner” was, IIRC, an old drinking song. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/27 "2011-08-07T17:11:33Z")
I doubt a piece of classical music was the most sampled. Most likely it was a drum break because you can create lots of new songs on top of it. My vote is for the drum break at 3:30 in [“Ashley’s Roachclip”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfymVPOdMwk) by Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers. It was used in lots of hits in the late 80s.This page has a partial listing: [Ashley's Roachclip - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley%27s_Roachclip) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/28 "2011-08-07T18:33:39Z")
**Jragon** asked about the sense of “sampled” meant, but mentioning the Overture makes it clear **OscarGold** isn’t thinking of breaks. (I mentioned “Funky Drummer” as a small joke.) Consider the question in terms of _excerpting_ and _referencing_. **cmyk** has given several good contenders in this sense. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/29 "2011-08-07T19:19:42Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > **Jragon** asked about the sense of “sampled” meant, but mentioning the Overture makes it clear **OscarGold** isn’t thinking of breaks. (I mentioned “Funky Drummer” as a small joke.) Consider the question in terms of _excerpting_ and _referencing_. **cmyk** has given several good contenders in this sense. It seems like **OscarGold** starts threads but does not return to them. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/30 "2011-08-07T19:33:27Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Consider the question in terms of _excerpting_ and _referencing_. **cmyk** has given several good contenders in this sense. If we go with that interpretation of the question, then I agree with **Zebra** that it is probably Pachelbel’s Canon. This is extraordinary: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/31 "2011-08-07T23:09:06Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > My Mother used to tell me the lyrics of the William Tell Overture could be remembered as where the Lone Ranger takes his garbage. > > To the Dump, > To the Dump, > To the Dump, Dump, Dump I heard it was the music that played in his favorite strip bar. Tiddy-Rump, Tiddy-Rump, Tiddy-Rump,Rump, Rump. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/32 "2011-08-08T03:10:26Z")
After 2001: A Space Odyssey, every other commercial on TV featured cars, disposable razors, tampons, etc slowly revolving to _Thus Spake Zarathustra_. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/33 "2011-08-08T03:44:14Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > I heard it was the music that played in his favorite strip bar. > > Tiddy-Rump, > Tiddy-Rump, > Tiddy-Rump,Rump, Rump. How to tell when someone has you on ‘ignore’. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/34 "2011-08-08T04:35:06Z")
Here’s an admirably complete listing of them: > **[Standard Snippet - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StandardSnippet)** > > Typically appearing in works that employ a score with non-original elements, these are brief segments of recognizable songs — like classical music that doesn't involve paying royalties — as themes for various types of scenes or … ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/35 "2011-08-08T05:20:19Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > If we go with that interpretation of the question, then I agree with **Zebra** that it is probably Pachelbel’s Canon. This is extraordinary: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM) That’s the best! Time to post that to Facebook… ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694/36 "2011-08-08T17:12:27Z")
I’ve heard that the definition of “Class” is when you can listen to the “William Tell Overture” and not think of the Lone Ranger… 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-william-tell-overture-the-most-sampled-piece-of-music-of-all-time/591694.md?page=1)