- Where did those iconic drum breaks in your favorite hip-hop songs come from?
- Who were the drummers who originally played them?
- We’re counting down the 13 most famous drum breaks of all time.
The great drummers of the past had no way of foreseeing that technology would arise someday, allowing a few seconds of a drum break to be sampled and used as the beat for new songs. But these short drums-only orchestration sections became hip-hop artists’ treasure trove when sampling was invented.
A drum break is a short section of a song where the band abruptly stops, and the drums continue playing the beat without soloing. The drum break can also occur at the beginning of a song.
This article will count down the 13 most famous drum breaks of all time. The ratings will not be solely based on the number of times each break was sampled but also on the fame of the artists that used the samples and the impact of the songs in which the samples were used.
The Most Famous Drum Breaks of All Time
- “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons
- “Funky Drummer” by James Brown
- “Impeach The President” by The Honey Drippers
- “Apache” by Incredible Bongo Band
- “Apache” by Incredible Bongo Band
- “Synthetic Substitution” by Melvin Bliss
- “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” by Bob James
- “Papa Was Too” by Joe Tex
- “Funky President” by James Brown
- “Hihache” by Lafayette Afro Rock Band
- “Think (About It)” by Lyn Collins
- “Ashley’s Roachclip” by The Soul Searchers
- “When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin
1. “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons (1:25)
Gregory C. Coleman is the man who played drums on this track. Little did he know he was laying down a beat that would be revered for decades to come.
Back when people were still using turn tables, they had these little records called 45s, which had one hit song on side A, and a filler song on “the B Side.” “Amen Brother” was the B-side filler to The Winstons’ song “Color Him Father.”
Salt-N-Pepa, N.W.A, Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, Oasis, and countless others have used this six-second sample in their songs.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 5971 songs, making it the most sampled drum break in history.
2. “Funky Drummer” by James Brown (5:21)
A recipient of an honorary doctorate in fine arts, drummer Clyde Stubblefield toured and recorded with James Brown from 1965 to 1970.
His medical bills after bladder cancer were nearly $100,000.00. The artist, Prince, paid the bill in full and asked the gesture to remain private.
The drum break in Funky Drummer has been used in recordings by Prince, Public Enemy, N.W.A, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and The Beastie Boys, just to name a few.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 1773 songs.
3. “Impeach The President” by The Honey Drippers
The intro to this song is one of the most sampled drum breaks in history, and no one remembers the drummer’s name. This protest song was a push to impeach the President of The United States, Richard Nixon.
It was released in 1973 and has been used by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Bobby Brown, Janet Jackson, and many other artists.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 808 songs.
4. “Apache” by Incredible Bongo Band
With Jim Gordon and Kat Hendriks on drums and King Errisson on percussion, history was made with the intro of this track.
The song was recorded in the early 70s and remained practically unknown until DJ Kool Herc developed the technique of taking two records of the same song and cueing each one to the drum break.
He would play the break on one turn table while cueing the other up to the beginning of the break. Playing them back to back without skipping a beat allowed him to keep the drum break going as long as the crowd was dancing.
This approach, which he called “The Marry-Go-Round,” became a staple for all early DJs.
Being sampled and used by Jay-Z and Kanye West, MC Hammer, Young MC, and hundreds of others, The Apache Break comes in at number 3.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 738 songs.
5. “Synthetic Substitution” by Melvin Bliss
Bernard Purdie, who has played with Steely Dan, Joe Cocker, Cat Stevens, Bette Midler, Hall & Oates, and the list goes on and on, laid down the drums on this track.
The half-time shuffle played by Jeff Porcaro on Toto’s “Rosanna” is known as “The Purdie Shuffle.”
Synthetic Substitution is another B-side song that was lost to obscurity until DJs and hip-hop artists started sampling the drum break and using it in their songs.
This sample has been used by Naughty by Nature, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, LL Cool J, and hundreds more.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 858 songs.
6. “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” by Bob James
Andrew Smith is responsible for this ten-second drum break.
Bassist Bob Babbitt, who is so prolific that his bass lines are being played on some radio station right now, referred to Andrew as “a young genius” at sixteen.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 459 songs.
7. “Papa Was Too” by Joe Tex
Clyde Williams was not only the drummer on this track, but he was also the band leader. In fact, the band was often times billed as “The Clyde Williams Orchestra”.
Artists who have used this drum break include Big Daddy Kane, Madonna, Beastie Boys, and Ice Cube.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 310 songs.
8. “Funky President” by James Brown
Allan Schwarzberg is the drummer here, and he has played with Barbra Streisand, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and many others.
United States President Gerald Ford is the intended target of this song. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 and Gerald Ford, who was the leader of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, was appointed president. That makes him the only president in history who was not elected. I’d say that’s pretty funky.
This drum break has been used by Kanye West, Naughty by Nature, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, and many other artists.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 939 songs.
9. “Hihache” by Lafayette Afro Rock Band
Ernest “Donny” Donable was the drummer responsible for this gem.
This is yet another band that would have never received very much fame had it not been for their breaks being sampled in hundreds of songs.
The sample has been used by De La Soul, Coolio, Biz Markie, LL Cool J, and many others.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 259 songs.
10. “I’m Glad You’re Mine” by Al Green
Howard Grimes played this cool cross-stick intro that was eventually sampled by nearly two hundred artists. He was a session drummer who gave his first public performance at twelve years old.
The Notorious B.I.G., Kanye West, and Lil’ Kim are among those who have used this sample.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 188 songs.
11. “Think (About It)” by Lyn Collins (1:21)
Sometimes referred to as “The Loop of 88”, this drum break has been featured in over three thousand songs.
Drummer Jabo Starks who drummed with The Funkmasters, B.B. King, and Bobby Bland played this track. He also co-authored an instructional book/DVD with Clyde Stubblefield called Soul of the Funky Drummers. You’ll recall that Clyde Stubblefield has already appeared on our list.
Among the lineup of artists who have used this break are Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, Snoop Dogg, Beyoncé, and Fergie.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 3305 songs.
12. “Ashley’s Roachclip” by The Soul Searchers (3:29)
Kenneth Scoggins was the drummer on this track and is only accredited with playing for The Soul Searchers. His drum break, however, has been sampled by hundreds of artists. Milli Vanilli, Run-DMC, Duran Duran, and Mick Jagger, to name a few.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 476 songs.
13 “When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham is known as one of the greatest drummers of all time. He influenced many drummers, including Neil Pert of Rush, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers. His famous intro to the song “When the Levee Breaks” has been sampled by Beastie Boys,
Beyoncé, Eminem, and many more.
According to WhoSampled, this drum break was used in 231 songs.
For more on Led Zeppelin check out:
- The Forbidden Riff: Why Stairway Is Banned In Guitar Stores
- Led Zeppelin vs. Spirit Lawsuit: Theft Or Fair Play?
- 8 Bands That Sound Like Led Zeppelin: New & Old
Final Words
The drum break was typical in Motown and soul music of the 60s and 70s. If artists like James Brown or Joe Tex had never yelled to the band, “break it down!” the world of sampling may have turned out very differently.
But don’t worry, people. In the twenty-first century, the drum break is alive and well.
