# Five songs that were given new life by samples

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/five-songs-that-were-given-new-life-by-samples/
- Published: 2026-11-01T12:00:19+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-01T13:19:13+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/five-songs-given-new-life-by-samples/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Sampling can give older songs a new audience.
- Basement Jaxx revived a Gary Numan riff.
- ‘Paper Planes’ drew on The Clash and was sampled again.

## Summary

Sampling gives older recordings new audiences by reworking recognisable fragments into fresh compositions. The article describes how the technique grew from musique concrète in the 1940s and became especially prominent in hip hop, while arguing that successful sampling needs more than nostalgia.

Basement Jaxx’s 2001 hit ‘Where’s Your Head At’ reused synth riffs from Gary Numan’s ‘ME’ and ‘This Wreckage’, bringing attention to a lesser-known track from Numan’s 1979 album. M.I.A.’s ‘Paper Planes’ sampled The Clash’s 1982 B-side ‘Straight to Hell’, connecting their shared themes of immigration; Jay-Z and T.I. later sampled ‘Paper Planes’ for ‘Swagga Like Us’ in 2008. The supplied article text ends partway through its list of five songs.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.