Sample Source
1963–1980
Stevie Wonder's classic period from 1972 to 1976 — Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness' First Finale, Songs in the Key of Life — is among the most sampled bodies of work in music history. He played most instruments himself, wrote everything, and produced with an obsessive attention to sonic detail that makes these recordings useful at every level: drum patterns, keyboard textures, bass lines, vocal arrangements.
Dig the same crates
Random Funk / Soul records from the Discogs database — played instantly on YouTube.
Start Digging →"Pastime Paradise" (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) is one of the most sampled — Coolio interpolated it for "Gangsta's Paradise". "Living for the City" (Innervisions, 1973) is sampled for its drum pattern and cinematic structure. "I Wish" (Songs in the Key of Life) has one of the most sampled bass lines. "Sir Duke" and "As" are sampled across hip hop, R&B, and pop production.
Wonder wrote, arranged, and largely performed these records himself using early synthesisers (ARP, Moog, Roland), electric piano, drums, and bass — and recorded them at a period when analogue studio technology was at its most sophisticated. The result is recordings with enormous harmonic depth, unusual tonal variety, and a consistency of vision that makes them usable as a complete system rather than just a source of breaks.
Stevie Wonder recorded for Tamla (Motown) throughout his career. The classic period LPs — from Music of My Mind through Songs in the Key of Life — are well documented on Discogs with multiple pressing variants. Original US Tamla pressings are most valuable. The Tamla label is also worth exploring for his earlier work: the Motown 45s from 1963–1971 contain breaks and arrangements that producers overlook.