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Taylor Swift's 2017 Hit Rated No. 1 of Songs You Didn't Know Were Samples

By Nicole Weaver Parade - Entertainment Stories

Updated May 9, 2026 4:27 PM

A well-used sample could outperform the original version of the song. When that happens, listeners are surprised that the hit isn't completely new.

There is a ranking of the best songs that you didn't know were samples. Taylor Swift came out on top.

MsMojo released a video of the top 10 songs that used samples. Gwen Stefani was at the bottom of the list with "Hollaback Girl," which used "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen in a clever way.

It nods to the rock song with "That's right, I'm the last one standing/Another one bites the dust." The sample is also used with the 2004's melody.

Swift, 36, placed number one with "Look What You Made Me Do." She is known for her pen work, but she's also not against sampling.

"The effortlessly cool melody interpolates English band Right Said Fred's pop song, 'I'm Too Sexy,' which was a hit in its own right," explained the video's narrator. The duo, Richard Fairbrass, Fred Fairbrass, and songwriter Rob Manzoli, were given a writing credit for the song.

It's an odd collaboration at first. Swift's hit was all about revenge, and the English band's song has playful, boastful lyrics about being too sexy to wear clothes. Right Said Fred wore muscle shirts in their music video. Swift is glamorous while being in dangerous situations. But it's the "Look what you made me do" part of the number that parallels the "too sexy" song.

"Thank you Taylor Swift, what a marvellous reinvention!" the twitter account for Right Said Fred quoted in response to her sharing promotion for the single.

The song was on her Reputation album and fits its vindictive tone. People were more focused on references to her feud with Kim Kardashian than the samples. The other credited writers and producers are Swift andJack Antonoff, and most people wouldn't suspect there are more.

This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 4:15 PM.