The most sampled song in history is one you've never heard of
But chances are, you've never heard the original song.
In 1969, a now-obscure American soul group called The Winstons released a B-side titled Amen, Brother.
Buried within it — at around the 1.26 mark — is a six-second drum solo that would become the most sampled audio clip in music history.
Known as Amen Break, the beat has appeared in more than 6,000 tracks — and continues to be sampled more than five decades later.
From hip hop to jungle, drum and bass and breakcore, Amen Break has not only formed the rhythmic backbone of entire genres, but also traced the evolution of sampling and the blurred lines of musical ownership.
A beat born from turntables
For artist and producer Alexander Burnett — the frontman of Sparkadia and the creative force behind records by Thelma Plum, Hayden James and Flight Facilities — Amen Break's appeal goes beyond nostalgia.
'In the early '80s, DJs started to use two turntables to loop the same drum sections from records — which created a groove for MCs to rap over,' he told 7NEWS.com.au.
'These drum loops or 'breaks' were used as a tool to create a new musical work with new lyrics and melody over the top.'
Amen Break — played by the late drummer Gregory Coleman — became a go-to for crate-digging producers thanks to its explosive snap and gritty texture.
'It has the right swing, energy and grit,' Burnett said.
'If you drop it into a session sped up, the song already sounds like UK jungle or drum and bass. If slowed down, it becomes '90s hip hop.'
From underground to global chart domination
The break's earliest high-profile use came in the 1980s, with inclusion in tracks by pioneers such as Mantronix and N.W.A.
N.W.A's title track Straight Outta Compton is renowned for heralding the arrival of West Coast hip hop and Dr Dre's signature sound; a blueprint still emulated today.
From there, the sample exploded across the UK rave scene of the '90s.
Producers like Goldie, Roni Size and Shy FX chopped and flipped the beat into high-energy soundscapes that defined jungle and drum and bass.
It has since popped up in everything from Mantronix's King Of The Beat to David Bowie 's Little Wonder and Oasis 's D'You Know What I Mean?. It's also featured in TV shows Futurama and Top Gear and the the video game Grand Theft Auto.
Originality, ownership and the sampling debate
Despite its ubiquity, Amen, Brother's creators saw almost no financial return.
Neither frontman and copyright holder Richard L. Spencer nor drummer Gregory C. Coleman received royalties or sample clearance fees during their lifetimes. Coleman died in 2006, never seeing compensation for the solo that would define entire genres. Spencer, who called the sample's use 'plagiarism', chose not to pursue legal action; but fans didn't forget.
In 2015, British DJ Martyn Webster launched a crowdfunding campaign titled The Winstons Amen Breakbeat Gesture, urging fans to give back. It raised more than £24,000 ($45,600), which was presented to Spencer in a public show of thanks.
'Copyright has historically been about melody and lyrics rather than rhythm,' Burnett said. 'That being said, the drum break has created so many incredible new works, so there should be compensation.'
'On the other hand, many of the original artists who sampled it may not have had the means to use the break if they had to pay compensation up front. I'd like to think we have the technology to address this issue moving forward in 2025.'
A legacy beyond one track
While Amen Break is the most famous, it's not the only revered loop.
The Incredible Bongo Band's Apache (1973) delivered a tribal, bongo-heavy groove that became a hip hop staple, sampled by everyone from Sugarhill Gang to Missy Elliott, Nas and M.I.A.
James Brown's Funky Drummer (1970), featuring Clyde Stubblefield's solo, has been looped in classics like Public Enemy's Fight The Power, Dr Dre's Let Me Ride and George Michael's Freedom! '90.
But Amen Break stands alone: a six-second mistake-turned-masterpiece from a forgotten B-side, now the most sampled piece of music ever recorded.
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