Classic rock is no exception. Many musicians have incorporated elements of old guitar tunes into their music, with Queen and Led Zeppelin being among the most sampled artists of all time. Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks” has been sampled by the Beastie Boys and Beyoncé, and even Death Grips incorporated a Pink Floyd number into their catalog.

Filled to the brim with iconic riffs and sing-along-worthy choruses, classic rock is ripe for sampling, but there’s one track that has proven particularly appealing to samplers. According to Who sampledMountain’s “Long Red” is the most sampled classic rock song of all time, with nearly 900 uses by other artists.

Released in the summer of 1969, “Long Red” first appeared on Mountain frontman Leslie West’s debut album, Mountainpreceding one of his outings with the group. “The long red that runs through my mind,” West sang in the opening moments, “Dream here, dream there, two pieces all the time…” A few years later, Mountain performed the track at Woodstock, delivering a performance that would earn them hundreds of samples.

The performance included rocking guitars and a drum part that would soon become iconic, the latter of which found its way into hundreds of other songs in the decades that followed. The song was first released in 1986, when Eric B covered it for “Eric B Is President”. Since then, hundreds of other artists have followed suit, finding something in “Long Red” worth bringing back into fashion.

Some of the best-known artists who have sampled “Long Red” include pop icon Lana Del Rey, who borrowed West’s track on her 2011 single “Born to Die,” and Jay-Z, who included the drum part on his 2003 single track “99 Problems”. From mainstream rap to brooding pop to modern psych, the track has consistently found its place in modern music for decades now.

“Long Red” has amassed an impressive 877 samples since its release in the late 1960s, which according to Who sampledmakes it the 11th most sampled track of all time. However, the top ten is largely made up of old folk and soul songs, heavily supported by rap and hip-hop artists. This leaves “Long Red” as the most sampled classic rock song of all time.

While 877 already represents a truly impressive sample set, it looks like that number is destined to continue to rise. “Long Red” will still be present on the airwaves for years to come.

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