With an increase of 10% more samples on popular albums and a steady number of samples in 14% of the songs in Billboard’s Hot 100 charts (2020: 13% | 2019: 15%), it’s safe to say that samples are still very present in the sound of today’s popular music. Most notably in hip-hop: 48% of the songs on the Grammy-nominated releases for Best Rap Album include samples. Throughout 2021, songs by DJ Khaled, J. Cole, Kanye West, Tyler, the Creator, Pop Smoke, and Drake have dominated the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

This year clearly established “The New Nostalgia,” an emerging trend spearheaded by a new generation of producers who sample sounds from the 90s and early noughties—particularly classic hip-hop and R&B hits. But as shown by our stats, sampling 70s soul continues to keep coming in and out of fashion as well.

However, one of this year’s most intriguing trends takes place outside of the charts: there seems to be a much higher sense of awareness around sampling—even among a new, younger generation. Millennials and Gen Z get schooled on sampling through popular videos on TikTok (which according to our research, account to well over 500 million views). People’s reactions to news surrounding Timbaland’s sample usage, Olivia Rodrigo versus Paramore, Daft Punk’s sampling of Eddie Johnson “One More Time,” among other examples, show deep engagement and involvement when it comes to sampling. For the good and the bad: from viral praise for old originals to cancel culture-fueled backlash.

The state of sampling is a steady one, but newly-fueled awareness indicates that there’s a generational shift in sampling happening, too.

Below are some key findings from Tracklib’s 2021 State of Sampling report. Read the full analysis here: Tracklib’s 2021 State of Sampling Report.

• STAT: 14 % of the songs which charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 during 2021 sampled from other previously released songs.

• STAT: More than half (54%) of the albums that charted on Billboard during 2021 contains samples from other previously released songs.

• STAT: 48% of the songs on the 5 albums nominated for Best Rap Album of 2021 sampled from other previously released songs.

• STAT: The average year to sample (for the sampled songs that charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 during 2021) is 1992.

• TREND: There’s a clear trend to sample older songs this year with the average year being 1992. 2020’s average was 1999 and 2019’s average was 1998.

• TREND: Sampling the 70s is officially back in fashion — being 122% more popular to sample (for the sampled songs that charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 during 2021) compared to last year.

• RECORD: The oldest sample (among the sampled songs that charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 during 2021) of the year can be found in Justin Biebers’ controversial album opener “2 Much”, sampling from Martin Luther King Jr’s famous 1963 speech.

• RECORD: The newest sample (among the sampled songs that charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 during 2021) of the year can be found in Drake’s hit “Fair Trade”, sampling Charlotte Day Wilson’s “Mountains” released just 2 months prior.

• RECORD: Drake’s album “Certified Lover Boy” is the most sample-based album of all Billboard charting albums in 2021, with 15 samples in an album containing 21 previously released songs.

• FUN FACT: There were only 2 drum break samples found in all songs which charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 during 2021. Both sampled by Tyler The Creator for his album “Call Me If You Get Lost”. Seems Tyler is the last drum-break-sampling man standing.

• FUN FACT: The opening sound of Drake’s album “Certified Lover Boy”, “Champagne Poetry” has quite the sampling history. In 1965 The Beatles released “Michelle” in their album “Rubber Soul”, in 1972 that song was covered by The Singers Unlimited in an A Capella album, in 2017 that cover was sampled and chopped up by Masego for his track “Navajo”, and these chops are the ones sampled to create the opening of “Certified Lover Boy”.

About Tracklib

Tracklib is the world’s first and only digital service for clearing samples, finally solving a huge problem in the music industry and levelling the playing field by making sample clearance accessible and affordable. Their catalog consists of over 100k all-original recordings from over 400 record labels/publishers around the world. The catalogue includes everything from Isaac Hayes to Mozart and Jazz artists Bob James, whose music has been sampled in 1000s of songs. Samples from Tracklib have been used in major songs from artists like J. Cole, Phantogram, Mary J. Blige, Lil’ Wayne, DJ Khaled and BROCKHAMPTON.