Where Our Childhood Anthems Come from

Graphic by Sofia Giarrusso

by Heather Thorn

“Windows Down” by Big Time Rush samples “Song 2” by Blur

Nickelodeon-based boy band Big Time Rush knew they’d bless our ears when they released “Windows Down” on June 25, 2012. The song’s hook samples Britpop group Blur’s “Song 2,” which reached number two on the United Kingdom’s singles chart. Both songs carry a sense of freedom and wildness – the type that can only come from youth – and “Windows Down” actually comes from an early demo by glittery pop star Kesha. Originally called “Woo Hoo,” “Windows Down” is just as much of an earworm as “Song 2” and will satisfy any need for nostalgia.

"TiK ToK" by Kesha samples “Five Minutes of Funk” by Whodini

Before we spent hours scrolling through TikTok, we spent hours listening to Kesha, the rebellious bombshell that ruled the early 2010s. Perhaps best known from her discography is the hit song “TiK ToK,” a classic house party song. But, did you know the song contains samples from Whodini’s 1994 song “Five Minutes of Funk”? Kesha’s infamous line “Now, the party don't start 'til I walk in” is borrowed from Whodini’s opening lyrics: “Now the party didn’t start till I walk in.”

“Live While We’re Young” by One Direction uses the guitar riff of “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash

The British invasion continues with One Direction’s lead single from their second album Take Me Home (2012). Soon becoming a top ten hit in fifteen countries, the success of “Live While We’re Young” is hardly a surprise; the opening guitar riff bears a striking resemblance to legendary English punk band The Clash’s song “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” from their fifth album Combat Rock (1981). Although One Direction got backlash for the striking similarities between the two guitar riffs, “Live While We’re Young” went on to peak at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, continuing the legacy of The Clash’s frontman Joe Strummer.

“Paper Planes” by M.I.A. uses the beat from “Straight to Hell” by The Clash

Another single from The Clash’s Combat Rock was transformed into an iconic and essential 2000s song: “Straight to Hell.” The song criticizes injustices and inequalities regarding immigration with lyrics such as “There ain't no need for ya / Go straight to hell, boys / Go straight to hell, boys.” Produced and co-written with Diplo, British artist M.I.A. continues the theme of immigration in her hit song “Paper Planes,” released on February 11, 2008. More than a song that you’re sure to hear at any party with solo cups, “Paper Planes” paints a satirical picture of Americans’ perception of Third World immigrants with its lyrics: “I fly like paper, get high like planes / If you catch me at the border, I got visas in my name.” Although M.I.A.’s cannabis mentions and sound effects of gunshots resulted in the song’s censorship, “Paper Planes” proved an ultimate commercial success and reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. Any fan of the Clash can recognize the song’s sample of “Straight to Hell,” whose beat is used in “Paper Planes.”

“Pump It” by Black Eyed Peas heavily incorporates "Misirlou" by Dick Dale and His Del-Tones

If “Pump It” by the Black Eyed Peas sounds familiar, it’s because it is. The Black Eyed Peas’s song “Pump It” released in 2005 is not only an iconic staple of 2000s music but samplesa song from the 1960s. The Black Eyed Peas’s top-20 single on the US Billboard Hot 100 heavily incorporates Dick Dale’s surf version of “Miserlou,” released in 1962. Dick Dale’s song is known for its feature in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction, which widely popularized the song to audiences worldwide. However, the original song was being played as early as the 1920s as a folk song from the Eastern Mediterranean region, with the song’s author unknown.

"Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna samples “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” by Michael Jackson

Recorded as a single for Rihanna’s third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad in 2007, “Don’t Stop the Music” is a legendary dance song that captivated all of our ears upon the first listen. There’s a reason for that besides Rihanna’s compelling and sultry vocals: Michael Jackson’s 1983 song “Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'” is sampled in it. Music journalists praised the song’s sampling of the hook “Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-koosa” and Rihanna ended up getting a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. While Jackson received songwriting credits for “Don’t Stop the Music,” both Jackson and Rihanna were sued by Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango, who declared his 1972 song “Soul Makossa” to be the origin of the hook.