9 Sicknasty Songs That Sample the Pulp Fiction Soundtrack (And One Black Eyed Peas Track)

Universal Music Group

Twenty years ago today, a little movie called Pulp Fiction hit theaters. And in the fall of 1994, if there was anything more ubiquitous than talk about the movie, it was the soundtrack. For a lot of teens and young adults, that album was the first time they’d heard funk classics like Kool & the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie,” or surf-rock staples like Dick Dale’s “Misirlou,” and their listening tastes were forever changed. But the soundtrack’s sonic imprint didn’t stop there: musicians found a whole new trove of sample fodder, and leveraged the selections (and the movie’s dialogue) into all kinds of new creations. Obviously, most of these songs were already well known in their own right—Cypress Hill sampled “Son of a Preacher Man” more than a year before the soundtrack dropped—but the legacy of the collection is undeniable. To that end, we’re dedicating this week’s playlist to the soundtrack’s children: 10 of those songs that sampled Tarantino’s selections or the cast’s unforgettable dialogue. (Sorry about The Black Eyed Peas, but c’mon: almost no one samples Dick Dale!)

The Tracks:

Black Eyed Peas, “Pump It” (samples Dick Dale and His Del-Tones, “Misirlou”)

EPMD, “You Gots to Chill” (samples Kool & The Gang, “Jungle Boogie”)

Little Brother, “Light it Up” (samples Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together”)

Cypress Hill, “Hits From the Bong” (samples Dusty Springfield, “Son of a Preacher Man”)

DJ Muggs vs. GZA, “General Principles” (samples “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” [Jerome Richardson version])

Charles Hamilton, “Tacos” (samples The Revels, “Comanche”)

Big L feat. Shyheim, “Furious Anger” (samples Julius’ “Ezekiel 25:17″ rant)

Death Grips, “Rumble” (samples Link Wray and His Ray Men, “Rumble”)

Yelawolf, “Get Away” (samples The Brothers Johnson, “Strawberry Letter #23”)

Strong Arm Steady, “Klack or Get Klacked” (samples The Marketts, “Out of Limits”)