Henry Mancini: Sampled

Henry Mancini is one of pop music’s most quoted instrumental composers. His biggest hits are ubiquitous, like 1959’s surf-guitar–driven Peter Gunn theme, interpolated by The B-52's and Mr. Bungle. The textures in his arrangements, when repurposed as hip-hop and R&B samples, provide a gauzy atmosphere (Amber Mark’s “Generous”) or a sense of tropical luxury (Tyler the Creator’s “Hot Wind Blows”). Occasionally, his beats lend themselves to looping, like the 1976 Police Woman groove that The Chemical Brothers warp into a frenetic breakbeat on “Base 6".