“First Class,” the second single from Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow’s album Come Dwelling The Children Miss You, is without doubt one of the greatest songs of 2022 to this point, reaching No. 1 on the Sizzling 100 twice since its April launch. One cause for the fast ascent: the familiarity of the refrain, which samples Fergie’s vocals from “Glamorous,” which additionally topped the Sizzling 100 again in 2007.
Since Billboard started publishing the Sizzling 100 in 1958, 9 songs have topped the chart greater than as soon as by completely different artists, like Little Eva’s 1962 unique “The Loco-Movement” and Grand Funk Railroad’s 1974 cowl. However as hip-hop started to take over the charts within the Nineteen Nineties, sampling previous hits has change into probably the most notable technique of reviving pop’s previous. And in recent times, interpolations with replayed parts of previous hits have kicked up a little bit controversy and courtroom drama. Right here’s a glance again at 10 chart-toppers that sampled or interpolated different No. 1s.
Kris Kross’s “Leap” (1992)
The pattern: The Jackson 5’s “I Need You Again” (1969)
Lots of the hottest hip-hop songs are constructed on acquainted pop hits, courting again to The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” which featured replayed parts of Stylish’s chart-topper “Good Instances.” And when hip-hop artists lastly started reaching No. 1 themselves within the ‘90s, they usually received a lift from a well-recognized loop – Vanilla Ice sampling Queen, P.M. Daybreak sampling Spandau Ballet, and so forth. However the first No. 1 that sampled a No. 1 got here from the kiddie rap duo Kris Kross.
Producer Jermaine Dupri stuffed “Leap” with a dense patchwork of samples, together with early hip-hop staples by James Brown, the Honey Drippers, and the Ohio Gamers. However the piano loop from the Jackson 5’s first single “I Need You Again” helped the tune attain one other historic chart benchmark. Kris Kross, each round age 13, turned the youngest rappers on a No. 1, simply as an 11-year-old Michael Jackson was the youngest individual to sing lead on a No. 1.
The Infamous B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize” (1997)
The pattern: Herb Alpert’s “Rise” (1979)
Within the mid-‘90s, Unhealthy Boy Information introduced hip-hop to new heights of business dominance partly by shrewdly sampling a few of the greatest ’70s and ’80s hits. The Infamous B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize,” launched per week earlier than the rapper’s loss of life in March 1997, turned his first posthumous No. 1. And the observe’s iconic bass line got here from “Rise,” trumpeter Herb Alpert’s second chart-topper.
Whereas Unhealthy Boy’s 1997 hit parade usually looped probably the most well-known elements of classics by David Bowie, Kool & The Gang, and Grandmaster Flash & The Livid 5, “Hypnotize” dug a little bit deeper. Probably the most recognizable ingredient of Biggie’s tune will be the temporary, echoing guitar line plucked from the disco instrumental.
Puff Daddy’s “I’ll Be Lacking You” (1997)
The pattern: The Police’s “Each Breath You Take” (1983)
When the Infamous B.I.G. was shot and killed days after the discharge of “Hypnotize,” producer and mentor Puff Daddy determined to file a tribute to his fallen good friend. And in true Unhealthy Boy custom, that tune, nevertheless heartfelt, derived most of its melody and emotion from a well-recognized supply. With a rewritten model of the refrain from The Police’s 1983 blockbuster “Each Breath You Take” and a pattern of the tune’s iconic Andy Summers guitar riff, “I’ll Be Lacking You” dominated the summer season of 1997.
Main label hip-hop artists had change into extra diligent about clearing samples and getting artist approval following a historic 1991 copyright case during which Gilbert O’Sullivan sued Biz Markie. Remarkably, although, Puff Daddy rush-released “I’ll Be Lacking You” with out getting permission to make use of the Police pattern, and Sting reportedly sued for one hundred pc of the Puff Daddy observe’s songwriting royalties. All in all, “Each Breath You Take” topped the Sizzling 100 for eight weeks, and “I’ll Be Lacking You” went to No. 1 for a further 11 weeks, making it maybe the most well-liked melody in modern pop historical past.
Monica’s “The First Night time” (1998)
The pattern: Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover” (1996)
Georgia R&B singer Monica Denise Arnold hit No. 1 on the Sizzling 100 thrice, and every tune got here from her second album, The Boy Is Mine, launched when she was simply 17. These chart-toppers have been the title observe with Brandy, the ballad “Angel of Mine,” and “The First Night time,” a sassy tune concerning the prospect of first-date intercourse that sampled Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover.”
Ross’ disco period was ripe for reclamation by ‘90s producers – Puff Daddy, in spite of everything, had turned “I’m Coming Out” into the Infamous B.I.G.’s “Mo’ Cash, Mo’ Issues.” Jermaine Dupri sampled “Love Hangover,” Ross’ first actual disco single, for Monica’s tune. However he truly utilized the slower intro groove, earlier than the tune kicks into high-gear disco.
Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West” (1999)
The pattern: Stevie Surprise’s “I Want” (1977)
Stevie Surprise was sampled on various ‘90s rap hits, together with Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and 2Pac’s “So Many Tears.” The observe that went to No. 1 twice, nevertheless, is “I Want,” the lead single from his masterpiece Songs within the Key of Life.
Will Smith’s title tune for his 1999 movie, Wild Wild West, was a mashup of types, combining the music of “I Want” with the hook from the 1988 tune “Wild Wild West” by Kool Moe Dee, who additionally visitors on the Smith tune. Surprise was additionally one of many many superstar cameos within the “Wild Wild West” video.
Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Traces” (2013)
The interpolation: Marvin Gaye’s “Obtained to Give It Up” (1977)
Right here’s the place we get into the stickier topic of interpolations. A pattern is the usage of one tune’s grasp recording in a brand new tune, which is normally simply confirmed or disproven. However an interpolation, during which a musical or lyrical ingredient of 1 tune is replayed in a distinct tune, is commonly extra open to debate. And in recent times, interpolations have been topic of nice debate and even court docket instances, together with most famously the Marvin Gaye property’s 2014 lawsuit towards Robin Thicke over the similarities between his “Blurred Traces” and Gaye’s “Obtained to Give It Up.”
“Blurred Traces” doesn’t comprise the identical melody or lyrics as “Obtained to Give It Up” and isn’t even on the similar tempo. However it all the time felt clear that Thicke and producer Pharrell Williams have been in all probability paying homage to Gaye with the tune’s total sound: the descending bass strains, the celebration chatter ambiance, the falsetto “woo!” advert libs. Prefer it or not, although, a jury discovered the similarities substantial sufficient, awarding Gaye’s household tens of millions of {dollars} and appending Gaye’s identify to the official songwriting credit.
Ed Sheeran’s “Form of You” (2017)
The interpolation: TLC’s “No Scrubs” (1999)
Within the aftermath of the “Blurred Traces” court docket determination, hitmakers have been a little bit extra accommodating about sharing songwriting credit score when a similarity is discovered between their observe and an older tune. Simply final 12 months, Olivia Rodrigo credited Paramore on her hit “Good 4 U” for some pretty broad resemblances to their “Distress Enterprise.” And in 2017, Ed Sheeran credited the authors of TLC’s “No Scrubs” on his blockbuster “Form of You,” seemingly attributable to an analogous vocal cadence within the tune’s pre-chorus part.
Sheeran’s camp reportedly reached out to the “No Scrubs” writers, Xscape members Kandi Burruss and Tameka Cottle and producer Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs, earlier than the discharge of “Form of You.” However an settlement wasn’t reached that added the trio to the songwriting credit till shortly after Sheeran’s tune started its long term on the pop charts.
Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” (2017)
The interpolation: Proper Mentioned Fred’s “I’m Too Attractive” (1991)
The lead single from Taylor Swift’s 2017 album, Popularity, featured a staccato spoken chorus of its title that bore a slight resemblance to Proper Mentioned Fred’s saucy 1991 dance hit. Swift’s camp reached out to the British duo per week earlier than her tune’s launch, though they didn’t initially verify which main artist was in search of approval of an interpolation.
Proper Mentioned Fred have been a bit much less organized about clearing the interpolation within the unique “I’m Too Attractive.” “I wasn’t conscious our guitarist, Rob Manzoli, had performed the riff from Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Third Stone from the Solar’ on ‘I’m Too Attractive’ till a lot later,” Fred Fairbrass instructed The Guardian in 2017. “[B]ut the Hendrix property was very cool about it and simply requested for a writing credit score and a charitable donation.”
Drake’s “Means 2 Attractive” (2021)
The pattern: Proper Mentioned Fred’s “I’m Too Attractive” (1991)
In a reasonably unusual flip of occasions, the campy one hit wonders Proper Mentioned Fred wound up again on the prime of the Sizzling 100 through two completely different singles by trendy pop superstars previously few years. Nonetheless, “Means 2 Attractive,” Drake’s Licensed Lover Boy hit with Future and Younger Thug, is a way more overt riff on “I’m Too Attractive” than Taylor Swift’s tune, truly that includes a pattern of Richard Fairbrass’ voice from the unique.
Jack Harlow’s “First Class” (2022)
The pattern: Fergie’s “Glamorous” (2007)
Though Jack Harlow topped the Sizzling 100 final 12 months together with his visitor spot on Lil Nas X’s “Business Child,” he lately netted his first solo No. 1 with “First Class.” And the tune’s pre-release buzz after he previewed it on TikTok, spotlighting Harlow’s playful call-and-response with Fergie’s vocal from “Glamorous,” had lots to do with its speedy success.
“Glamorous,” the third single from Fergie’s 2006 album, The Dutchess, truly had its origins in one other prime 40 hit. Producer Polow Da Don created a remix of Gwen Stefani’s “Luxurious” that includes a visitor verse by Ludacris, however she reportedly determined to make use of the unique album combine. Sensing they’d a success on their fingers, Polow and Ludacris repurposed their elements of the remix for a brand new tune on the Black Eyed Peas singer’s solo debut, and it sailed to the highest of the charts.
