Drum breaks are a fundamental building block in hip hop and electronic music production. Here, we examine the 7 most famous drum breaks of all time and how they've been used in music production over the years.
Sampling is one of the most transformative technological developments in modern music history. Obtaining the ability to sample classic drum breaks from artists like James Brown was foundational for 80s synth pop, early hip hop, 90s jungle and a range of other styles that developed in the 80s and 90s.
Drum breaks from obscure funk and soul B-sides have become the basis of a dizzying number of drum and bass and hip hop tunes, with some of the most popular breaks being sampled thousands of times. dBs students in our BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production and BA (Hons) Music Production & Sound Engineering degrees will already be intimately familiar with using these breaks as tools for production, but, if you're interested in learning more about the ancestry of electronic music and hip hop, we'll take you through 7 of the most famous drum breaks in music history and how they've been used over the years.
What is a drum break in music production?
First of all, what is a drum break? A drum break is a short section of a track in which only the drums are playing. These short instrumental sections are popular in jazz, funk and soul songs and were initially used to build tension within the track.
As Akai samplers became affordable tools for music producers in the 80s and 90s, drum break samples became popular with hip hop, drum and bass and jungle producers because there were no vocals in the way, making them incredibly versatile and malleable.
The most famous drum break samples in history
The Amen Break - The Winstons
The 'Amen Break' holds the undisputed title of 'Most famous drum break' in music history. The four-bar drum solo (coming in at: 1.26) is the most sampled loop in recorded music and has been used way over 5,000 times by artists ranging from David Bowie and Amy Winehouse to N.W.A, Shy FX, Tyler, The Creator, Tessela, DJ Rashad and The Prodigy.
The sheer number of tunes that sample 'Amen, Brother', over a range of genres and spanning decades, is pretty staggering. For an obscure B-side that was barely noticed when it was released, it's become one of the most important tracks in modern music history.
Think Break - Lyn Collins
James Brown's "Yeah!" and Bobby Byrd's "Woo!" laid over the tambourine and skip snare loop are some of the most recognisable sounds in electronic music. The 'Think Break' is the backbone of an enormous amount of drum and bass and the variety of vocal chops means that an incredibly short section of the original can give producers a huge amount of mileage in the studio. James Brown drum breaks like the Think Break are a cornerstone of much of US hip hop and UK drum and bass.
The sample was routinely used in jungle and drum and bass in the 90s, but it's also become a vital hip hop drum break and the backbone of countless hip hop beats from the likes of J Dilla, RZA, Kanye West and DJ E-Z Rock. The Think Break is also popular with more left-field electronic music producers including Four Tet, Jamie XX, Aphex Twin and Squarepusher.
Hot Pants Break - Bobby Byrd
Like the 'Think Break, the 'Hot Pants Break' is also used in a vast number of drum and bass and jungle tunes. The tambourine and drum loop that rolls underneath the track is the bedrock for a huge amount of electronic music and hip hop.
Favoured by the more atmospheric, 'intelligent' drum and bass producers from the 90s, like LTJ Bukem with 'Music', as well as breakbeat hardcore - see The Prodigy with their debut single release Charly - the tune also features vocal chops at varying points that gives producers a full larder to work with in the studio.
Cold Sweat Break - James Brown
James Brown has his fingerprints over many of the best drum break samples used in hip hop and electronic music. Both the 'Think' and 'Hot Pants' breaks were written and produced by him, but the 'Cold Sweat Break' is the only break in this list that was written, produced and performed solely by James Brown.
The Cold Sweat drum break is hidden towards the end of the track, starting at 4.21. Although Funky Drummer is arguably the more famous of the James Brown drum breaks (more on that one later), the rolling hats in 'Cold Sweat' create a texture that inspired the rhythmic style of late-90s drum and bass producers. Bristol's Roni Size used this sample for his iconic Brown Paper Bag.
Apache Break - Incredible Bongo Band
Three of the most important names in the formation of early hip hop - DJ Kool Herc, The Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash - all used the Incredible Bongo Band's Apache sample while nurturing the sound that would later become hip hop.
Kool Herc pioneered the legendary 'Merry-Go-Round' technique, where he would mix between drum breaks on two turntables for people to dance to at block parties in South Bronx, New York. He's widely credited with first popularising the use of the Apache break during this period, making it foundational in the birth of the genre.
The 'Apache Break' is also widely used across the spectrum of drum and bass, most notably in Goldie's masterpiece 'Inner City Life' as well as the more 'intelligent' drum & bass of the mid '90s.
Do The Do Break - Kurtis Blow
The usage of the Kurtis Blow 'Do The Do' break (coming in at 2.29) differs from the rest of the breaks in this list, as it's one of the few instances of electronic music producers sampling a drum loop from a hip hop track, rather than going back to find the funk source material.
The track's popularity hit its height during the mid-1990s; it was used extensively by producers in that era, but not as frequently before or since. Adam F's 'Circles', LTJ Bukem's 'Horizons' and Sound of the Future's 'The Lighter' are the most famous examples of it being used and the shift from finding funk break samples to hip hop shows vividly how intertwined the two genres, which largely have their homes on either side of the Atlantic, are.
Funky Drummer Break - James Brown
When you’re looking at the best drum loops sampled in history, you can’t escape James Brown. The ‘Funky Drummer Break’ is one of the best drum breaks in hip hop history - the most famous of the James Brown drum breaks - and is matched only by The Amen Break for its influence and use.
The Funky Drummer Break is used in ‘Fight The Power’ by Public Enemy, ‘Fuck Tha Police’ by N.W.A, ‘Mathematics’ by Mos Def and ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ by LL Cool J (who came to visit us recently in our Manchester Campus) to name just a few.
If you've enjoyed learning about the music’s classic drum breaks, keep an eye on our blog for more insight into electronic music production processes, tips and techniques and information on our courses.
FIND OUT MORE:
Old tracks, new meanings: Exploring the evolving art of sampling
Listen like a producer: Exploring the art of active listening
Home studio or pro studio? 5 ways our facilities will make you a better producer
Interested in learning more about music production and how to become a music producer? Check out dBs Institute’s Music Production Courses, like BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production and BA (Hons) Music Production & Sound Engineering.
