3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1970s You Didn’t Know Were Sampled by Other Songs

When producers and beat makers go about creating new music for their tracks, they often look to the past for lively, recognizable samples. And the further back they go, the more nostalgic their music gets. That’s never a bad thing.

Here below, we wanted to highlight three songs from back in the day that found themselves in newer, more modern tracks. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1970s you didn’t know were sampled by other songs.

“Black Betty” by Ram Jam from ‘Ram Jam’ (1977)

This buzzy rock tune from 1977 was made famous again by the 2001 film, Blow, and its soundtrack. But a few decades later, the offering was sampled by the performer Pitbull for his tune, “Get Ready“, which also features country music star Blake Shelton. In fact, it’s Shelton who sings the chorus just like vocalist Bill Bartlett of Ram Jam might. It’s a trip hearing the 2020 tune today, but it sticks in your head just like the original.

“My Sharona” by The Knack from ‘Get The Knack’ (1979)

One of the greatest rap songs from the 1980s sampled The Knack. But the band didn’t love that at first. In fact, they filed a lawsuit against Run-D.M.C. The two parties later settled out of court. And it’s a good thing, too. Because Run-D.M.C.’s track “It’s Tricky“, which borrows some buzzy chords from The Knack, is an all-time tune. Music fans would have lost out on a lot had the musical artists not found common ground. Thankfully it’s all water under the bridge now!

“Ring My Bell” by Anita Ward from ‘Songs Of Love’ (1979)

This late 1970s disco hit from Anita Ward is still part of pop culture today. You can say the phrase “ring my bell” to 10 people and half of them would just start singing Ward’s chorus. It has always been this way. In fact, in 1991 DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince sampled Ward for their song “Ring My Bell“. You can hear her sweet voice in the chorus as rapper Will Smith delivers his charming lyrics.

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