Music from yesteryear often influences today’s biggest hits in ways that most listeners are unaware of. What’s old is new again, as some of the current hits on Billboard and the best songs of the past few years are heavily influenced by the past. This includes songs that borrow lyrics, instrumentals, interpolations, samples, and full-blown covers of other songs.
This is especially the case when readers consider the classic rock genre, which for many ranks among the most influential genres of music. Staples of the genre like The Eagles, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin still matter today as all-time great bands. They’re considered the greats because them and the classic rock genre still resurface in modern music.
“Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell Was Covered Counting Crows
Joni Mitchell is considered by some to be a controversial figure due to her blackface performances, as well as boycotting Spotify for hosting Joe Rogan. However, her skill level and impact on music are undeniable, to the point that she delivered the last album that Prince fully enjoyed. One of her biggest contributions is the song “Big Yellow Taxi.”
In its heyday, “Big Yellow Taxi” (also recognized by some as “Paved Paradise”) peaked at number 67 on the U.S. Billboard charts, and even higher in other countries. Over the years, “Big Yellow Taxi’s” legacy and popularity have only continued to grow, as exemplified by how her younger peers have chosen to emulate the song.
Most notably, in 2002, Counting Crows recorded a cover of “Big Yellow Taxi” for the Sandra Bullock vehicle, Two Weeks Notice. The continued cult following of the original Mitchell single helped the Counting Crows record to achieve even greater success than its predecessor. The remake peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Walk This Way” by Aerosmith Was Sampled by Run DMC’s “Walk This Way”
This might be the most famous example to be listed. “Walk This Way” was originally conceived as the second single from Aerosmith’s third album, Toys in the Attic. The song was an instant smash, peaking at number 10 on Billboard. As much as the song launched Aerosmith to superstardom, it helped revive their long-dead careers a decade after its release.
While “Walk This Way” turned Aerosmith into superstars in 1975, their careers had reached a stalemate by 1986. They were old news until rap group Run D.M.C. pumped new life into the band. That year, the trio sampled “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith for their own version of the same name.
Like with Aerosmith, the updated version was a mega-hit, except this time, the hip-hop version was able to chart even higher at number four. The rebooted record garnered attention from Aerosmith themselves, who were happy to co-sign and even perform alongside the rap version. This remains one of the defining moments of Run D.M.C.’s career.
“Dream On” by Aerosmith Was Sampled by Eminem’s “Sing for the Moment”
Aerosmith’s influence doesn’t just begin and end with Run D.M.C. The rock band has woven its way into countless records over the years, particularly in the rock genre. It’s easy to see why so many musicians have been compelled to latch onto Aerosmith’s appeal when songs like “Dream On” still resonate today.
“Dream On” by Aerosmith is a classic rock anthem that has achieved over one billion streams on Spotify, maintaining momentum decades after its debut. Any musician on the rise would want to replicate that same success for themselves. In 2003, Eminem was such a musician when the rapper sampled “Dream On” for “Sing for the Moment.”
The strategy was a smashing success for the Detroit native. In addition to reaching number 14 on the Billboard charts at the time of its release, the song remains one of Eminem’s highest-charting songs in his career. One 70s rock record proved iconic enough to validate a rapper’s dominating presence in the 2000s, 30 years later.
Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” Samples Two Rock Classics
On its own accord, “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd is largely considered to be the greatest classic rock song of all time despite never reaching number one on Billboard. It reached number eight upon release, so it was still a hit, but given its replay value, it’s a song that long exceeded its chart success.
The song has inspired imitators and replicators in every genre, but particularly in the country rock genre, where Kid Rock has left his stamp. In 2008, Kid Rock released “All Summer Long,” which samples not only “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, but also “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon.
While not as big as either song, “Werewolves of London” still reached the Top 40 for Billboard, peaking at number 21. The combination of that with “Sweet Home Alabama” allowed Kid Rock to achieve his first top 10 hit. “All Summer Long” peaked at number 23 and remains the biggest song of Kid Rock’s career.
“Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin Was Sampled for Diddy’s “Come with Me”
The crimes of Sean “Diddy” Combs have left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths and are undeserving of a co-sign in any way, shape, or form. That being said, there was a time when Diddy was a prevalent presence in pop culture. Love him or hate him, his presence remained prevalent across clothing lines, television and movie appearances, and music.
The Bad Boy Records founder let it be known just how much pull he singlehandedly had in the industry when he acquired the sampling rights to Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” Physical Graffiti, the album on which “Kashmir” premiered in 1975, officially turns 50 years old this year and doesn’t seem as if it has aged a day.
On the contrary, Diddy’s “Come with Me” feels like a dated product of the 90s. Actual rapping was never the producer’s strong suit, so his lyricism is admittedly weak. “Come with Me” still managed to peak at number four on Billboard, but pales in comparison to the success of “Kashmir,” which didn’t even need to chart to be timeless.
“Hotel California” by The Eagles Interpolates “Your Body” by Pretty Ricky
The Eagles and Pretty Ricky are two polar opposite groups that not many would think to compare or contrast on paper. One was The Eagles were a six-time Grammy-winning L.A.-based rock band from the 1970s who helped shape the genre, while Pretty Ricky was a fan-favorite 2000s R&B boy band from Miami that charted with gold and platinum hits.
Among those hits were “Your Body,” the second track and single from Pretty Ricky’s debut album, Bluestars. Fresh off the heels of the first single reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, “Grind with Me,” “Your Body” managed to chart at number 12. The Eagles and Pretty Ricky’s success seems unrelated until listeners learn how “Your Body” was conceived.
The production and instrumental team behind “Your Body” managed to emulate the guitar riffs from The Eagles’ classic “Hotel California” for an interpolation. “Hotel California” reached number one when it first came out and ended up winning Record of the Year at the Grammys, so it makes sense to interpolate what made the classic rock record such a hit.
“American Pie” by Don McLean is Borrowed for Madonna’s “American Pie”
More than just a karaoke favorite, Don McLean’s “American Pie” is one of the most influential records in American history. The song leans closer to soft rock than how most listeners think of classic rock (i.e. the bouncy hair era, heavy guitar riffs, etc.), but it’s classic in every sense of the word.
It also proved to be one of the most successful, as it remained in the number one spot for four weeks upon release. “American Pie” topped the charts globally. A true testament to a song’s staying power is how often one record is revisited over time by multiple artists. “American Pie” has had numerous cover songs, including one by Madonna.
This “American Pie” was produced for The Next Best Thing, an oft-forgotten movie starring her and Rupert Everett. What can’t be forgotten is how Madonna’s cover reached number 29 in the United States and number one in other countries. Madonna was then encouraged to include the soundtrack single on her next studio album, Music, because of its success.
“Bodies” by Drowning Pool is Sampled for “Bodies” by Offset
Without embodying the tone or sound of how most listeners define classic rock, 2000s nu metal can be considered the new definition of classic rock. “Bodies” is almost 25 years old, so it’s certainly old enough to be deemed a classic, especially when considering its success. What was a debut single has now become the definitive anthem of Drowning Pool.
Thanks particularly because it was heavily featured on WWE wrestling shows, “Bodies” peaked at number six on the Mainstream Rock charts for Billboard, and number three on the UK Rock and Metal charts. While not achieving Billboard Hot 100 success, it hit the Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts. Meanwhile, the song is still fondly remembered and replayed by loyalists today.
For the most recent example of the present borrowing from the past, Offset of Migos fame samples “Bodies” for a new single of the same name, released in preparation for his upcoming third album, Kiari. Currently, the song peaks at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, higher than the Drowning Pool record that preceded it.
