A complete list of every rock song Kanye West has sampled
Kanye West is one of the most iconic and divisive contemporary musicians. His life and career are so storied that it is inevitable that long after we have departed this mortal coil, his often incomprehensible exploits will still be discussed with intrigue.
The king of the spectacle, as shown when he took up residence at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for 2021’s Donda, the question of whether he is the finest performance artist of all time or if he needs serious help has been on fans’ lips for a long time now, with it not going anywhere following his recent ‘White Lives Matter’ sloganeering at Paris Fashion Week.
Elsewhere, as of late, West has kept himself in the headlines with comments about comedian Pete Davidson, longtime partner Adidas, and seeing his Instagram account removed for sharing anti-semitic sentiments. In short, he’s a renegade, and this year he seems to have entered into a new era, one in which he appears to be alienating significant swathes of his fanbase. As for how this trend actually pans out, we will have to wait and see.
Kanye is clearly a complex character, whether authentic or contrived. When discussing West, people seem to forget one thing: before all else, he is a musician. Following this, many would argue that he is one of the finest rappers and artists of all time. Some of those who find themselves in this camp would also maintain that he’s a misunderstood genius, way too ahead of his time, and that his inconceivable behaviour will eventually start to make sense, as it’s all part of his grand scheme to make the world a better place. Again, the jury’s still out on that one.
However, I digress. Concentrating solely on his music, Kanye’s back catalogue speaks for itself. From his debut album, 2004’s The College Dropout, to his most recent title, this year’s Donda 2, West has invariably dropped records that push the boundaries of rap music and has effectively raised the standards of all of his contemporaries by doing so.
From the early cut ‘Gold Digger’ to the heady Jay-Z collaboration ‘No Church in the Wild’ and his more recent cuts such as ‘Life Of The Party’, Kanye West has produced an almost innumerable amount of highlights. He has influenced a range of contemporary legends, including Drake, Nicki Minaj, Lorde, Arctic Monkeys and James Blake, reflecting just how extensive his effect on popular culture has been.
One of the most notable aspects of Kanye’s oeuvre is the vast amount of samples he’s used. Drawing on everything from the funk of James Brown to obscure pieces of gospel as well as clips of figures such as Kamala Harris, the American rapper’s back catalogue is a great advert for the sample being used correctly. Aside from his voice, the sample is his main weapon, allowing him to craft multi-faceted tracks and bodies of work that keep us on our toes.
West’s use of rock tracks is part of this propensity to sample. From his debut record to Donda, he’s heavily leant on the medium of rock music to help bring his expansive creative vision to life, with Elton John, Can, Kurt Cobain, and even Black Sabbath featuring in his back catalogue.
Duly, we thought it was about time someone collated these tracks into a comprehensive list and playlist so that they can be enjoyed in their entirety.
Find the list and playlist below.
Every rock song Kanye West has sampled:
- The Dells – ‘Fonky Thang’ in ‘Family Business’ (The College Dropout, 2004)
- Blackjack – ‘Maybe It’s the Power of Love’ in ‘Never Let Me Down (The College Dropout, 2004)
- Elton John – ‘Someone Saved My Life Tonight’ in ‘Good Morning’ (Graduation, 2007)
- Steely Dan – ‘Kid Charlemagne’ in ‘Champion’ (Graduation, 2007)
- Mountain – ‘Long Red’ in ‘Barry Bonds’ and ‘The Glory’ (Graduation, 2007)
- Can – ‘Sing Swan Song’ in ‘Drunk and Hot Girls’ (Graduation, 2007)
- Tears for Fears – ‘Memories Fade’ in ‘Coldest Winter’ (808s & Heartbreak, 2008)
- Jon Anderson / Mike Oldfield – ‘In High Places’ in ‘Dark Fantasy’ (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010)
- The Turtles – ‘You Showed Me’ in ‘Gorgeous’ (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010)
- King Crimson – ’21st Century Schizoid Man’ in ‘Power’ (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010)
- Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – ‘You Are, I Am’ in ‘So Appalled’ (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010)
- The Mojo Men – ‘She’s My Baby’ in ‘Hell of a Life’ (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010)
- Tony Joe White – ‘Stud Spider’ in ‘Hell of a Life’ (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010)
- Black Sabbath – ‘Iron Man’ in ‘Hell of a Life’ (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010)
- Bon Iver – ‘Woods’ in ‘Lost in the World’ (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010)
- Phil Manzanera – ‘K-Scope’ in ‘No Church in the Wild’ (Watch the Throne, 2011)
- Spooky Tooth – ‘Sunshine Help Me’ in ‘No Church in the Wild’ (Watch the Throne, 2011)
- Brenda Lee – ‘Sweet Nothin’s’ in ‘Bound 2’ (Yeezus, 2013)
- Il Rovescio della Medagli – ‘Mi Sono Svegliato E… Ho Chiuso Gli Occhi’ in ‘Famous’ (The Life of Pablo, 2016)
- Section 25 – ‘Hit’ in ‘FML’ (The Life of Pablo, 2016)
- Johnny “Guitar” Watson – ‘Give Me My Love’ in ‘No More Parties in LA’ (The Life of Pablo, 2016)
- Rare Earth – ‘(I Know) I’m Losing You’ in ‘Fade’ (The Life of Pablo, 2016)
- Kurt Cobain – ‘Burn the Rain’ in ‘Cudi Montage’ (Kids See Ghosts, 2018)
- Two Door Cinema Club – ‘Costume Party’ in ‘Use This Gospel’ (Jesus Is King, 2019)
- Liquid Liquid – ‘Bellhead’ in ‘God Breathed’ (Donda, 2021)
