3. The Winstons, “Amen, Brother” (1969)

3. The Winstons, “Amen, Brother” (1969)

Quite possibly the most sampled drumbeat ever, the so-called “Amen break” was laid down by G.C. Coleman as part of the B-side to the 1971 single “Color Him Father.” While The Winstons never hit as big commercially as some of their funk and soul contemporaries, it can be argued that the band made an impact as large as Sly And The Family Stone or The Miracles through the legacy of this singular six-to-seven-second piece of music. Innumerable producers have built songs around the “Amen break” over the last 40 years. Among the more notable examples include “Straight Outta Compton” by N.W.A., “I Desire” by Salt-N-Pepa, “D’You Know What I Mean” by Oasis, and the theme song to the television show Futurama. A recent GoFundMe campaign managed to raise £24,000 for “Amen, Brother” composer Richard L. Spencer, who had never seen a cent out of the song’s use before; Coleman died broke and homeless in 2006.