# Rock "samples" in rock songs

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 17, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560 "2015-09-17T14:32:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/1 "2015-09-17T14:32:06Z")

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Panic! At The Disco has a new song out that samples Chicago’s “Questions 67 & 68.” The song is [“Hallelujah”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxYyHHR0Q1c).

That’s not something you hear every day! It got me to thinking…what other non-rap/hip-hop songs have sampled or intentionally borrowed riffs from other rock songs?

Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight” samples The Ronnettes “Be My Baby.”

Barenaked Ladies lift riffs from Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” and “Spirit of Radio” in their song [“Grade 9.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLTZv2NFkLI)

Others? Please don’t link to articles/compilations/lists from the web.

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### Author: ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/2 "2015-09-17T14:35:26Z")

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I’m not sure if you’d call this a sample, but it’s not really a remix or a cover. They took the, um, melody (yeah, that’s the ticket) from Crazy Train and did their own song over it.

[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0Et1sW7hwFQ/hqdefault.jpg "Lil Jon - Lets Go (Crazy Train Remix) ft. Twista, Trick Daddy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Et1sW7hwFQ)

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### Author: ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/3 "2015-09-17T14:38:29Z")

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There’s a recent Fall Out Boy Song “Centuries” that samples that horrible “Tom’s Diner” song.

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### Author: ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/4 "2015-09-17T14:55:54Z")

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> [@Ponch8](#):
>
> There’s a recent Fall Out Boy Song “Centuries” that samples that horrible “Tom’s Diner” song.

They also have a song out (called Uma Thurman) that samples the Munsters theme.

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### Author: ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/5 "2015-09-17T14:57:02Z")

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[quote=“Joey\_P, post:2, topic:731560”]

I’m not sure if you’d call this a sample, but it’s not really a remix or a cover. They took the, um, melody (yeah, that’s the ticket) from Crazy Train and did their own song over it.

[/QUOTE]

That’s a hip-hop song, though. Kind of unremarkable, which is why I wasn’t looking for them 😉

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### Author: ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/6 "2015-09-17T15:14:58Z")

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**April Wine** ’s ‘_[I Like to Rock](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QyCkwAGoVChMI3vmP8a3-xwIVS5ANCh0y_AiS&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DYlcY_enzwmI&usg=AFQjCNHZ3VYqpCyRR26P7tLKFUrQz2bhcA)_’ has a piece at the end where one guitar plays ‘Daytripper’, another comes in with ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ and the 3rd Guitar plays the ‘I Like to Rock’ riff over the other 2.

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### Author: ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/7 "2015-09-17T15:16:54Z")

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I assume Kid Rock just paid rights to get Sweet Home Alabama, Werewolves, etc. for All Summer Long.

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### Author: ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/8 "2015-09-17T15:25:38Z")

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The guitar riff at the end of “The Ballad of John and Yoko” is a quote from “Lonesome Tears in My Eyes” by Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio.

David Bowie gratuitously inserted the line “I read the news today, oh boy” into “Young Americans”.

Roxy Music’s “Re-Make/Re-Model” quotes the riff from “Day Tripper”.

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### Author: ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/9 "2015-09-17T15:35:46Z")

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The Kinks’ song “Destroyer” re-uses the riff from their earlier hit “All Day and All of the Night.”

> [@cjepson](#):
>
> David Bowie gratuitously inserted the line “I read the news today, oh boy” into “Young Americans”.

And the Bangles inserted the line “You better hang on to yourself” into “Glitter Years” (with vocalist Michael Steele singing the line in her best Bowie impression).

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### Author: ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/10 "2015-09-17T15:44:27Z")

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Eddie Money didn’t “sample” the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” in the way that rappers “sample” old records. Rather, Eddie hired Ronnie Spector, the original vocalist, to sing a few of her old lines from that song on the new record.

I can think of many rock records in which someone plays a lick (or a bar) from a well-known song. For example, Sugarloaf copped the Beatles riff from “I Feel Fine” in their hit “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You.”

I can think of a few songs that feature snippets of the artists’ earlier recordings. For instance, King Crimson’s “The Devil’s Triangle” features a bit of their earlier song “In The Court of the Crimson King,” and Robert Plant’s “Tall Cool One” features snippets of Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean,” “Custard Pie,” " “Whole Lotta Love” and “Black Dog.”

But rock records that feature bits from earlier rock records by other artists? Hard to think of, though I’m sure some will come to mind after I close here.

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### Author: ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/11 "2015-09-17T16:13:05Z")

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Matthew Fisher’s “[Going for a Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhJgmb1osm0)” samples “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (at about 2:50) – or, at least, the organ riff, which Fisher played on the original (though at the time he didn’t claim to be the songwriter).

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### Author: ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/12 "2015-09-17T16:18:28Z")

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Big Audio Dynamite’s “The Globe” samples “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” from singer Mick Jones’ earlier band, The Clash.

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### Author: ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/13 "2015-09-17T16:20:22Z")

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Not rock, per se, but pop - Madonna’s “Hung Up” samples ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)”. IIRC, it’s almost unique in using an ABBA sample - they’re very very picky about who they let use their music, and she had to pay a LOT for it.

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### Author: ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/14 "2015-09-17T16:36:44Z")

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In PIL’s **Rise** , Steve Vai plays a riff from Led Zeppelin’s **Over the Hills and Far Away**.

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### Author: ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/15 "2015-09-17T16:50:52Z")

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Led Zeppelin’s opening to “Rock and Roll” references/pays homage (or “steals” if you want to be less charitable, but of all the Zep ripoffs, this one falls into “homage” category for me) to Little Richard’s [“Keep on Knockin’”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYr7I4gOSXk).

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### Author: ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/16 "2015-09-17T16:53:06Z")

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Gunter glieben glauchen globen

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### Author: ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/17 "2015-09-17T17:59:45Z")

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> [@astorian](#):
>
> Eddie Money didn’t “sample” the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” in the way that rappers “sample” old records. Rather, Eddie hired Ronnie Spector, the original vocalist, to sing a few of her old lines from that song on the new record.

Yeah, that’s why I put “sample” in quotes. Borrowed, used, embedded, riffed, had someone come sing a bit of the song, etc. That is also why I’m not looking for rap/hip-hop answers.

> [@](#):
>
> I can think of many rock records in which someone plays a lick (or a bar) from a well-known song.

Please share.

> [@](#):
>
> But rock records that feature bits from earlier rock records by other artists? Hard to think of, though I’m sure some will come to mind after I close here.

Whatever sort of sample you can think of, please share.

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### Author: ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/18 "2015-09-17T18:07:43Z")

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> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> The Kinks’ song “Destroyer” re-uses the riff from their earlier hit “All Day and All of the Night.”

And then there’s “Top of the Pops” from _Lola vs. Powerman and the Money-Go-Round Pt. 1_ – a satirical look at the music biz, it uses the riff from “Land of 1000 Dances” as background for the bit where the new star is being interviewed.

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### Author: ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/19 "2015-09-17T18:09:49Z")

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Cat Mother “Good Old Rock and Roll” is a series of quotations from oldies. Whole lotta Shakin, Party Doll, Chantilly Lace etc.

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### Author: ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-samples-in-rock-songs/731560/20 "2015-09-17T18:15:06Z")

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[This website](http://www.whosampled.com/genre/Rock-Pop/) is probably the best source of sampling information.

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