"Block Rockin' Beats" is a song by English big beat

Big beat

Big beat is a term employed since the mid-1990s by the British music press to describe much of the music by artists such as The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, and Propellerheads typically driven by heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns in...

 duo The Chemical Brothers

The Chemical Brothers

The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...

. It was released as the second single from their second album, Dig Your Own Hole

Dig Your Own Hole

Dig Your Own Hole is the second studio album by British electronica duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 7 April 1997. It features Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Beth Orton as guest vocalists...

, in March 1997. It reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

, and number 40 on the American Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also received a Grammy award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance

There are two different edits of "Block Rockin' Beats" available; one is the version found on Dig Your Own Hole, which has an intro, and the other version begins with the bassline. The B-side "Morning Lemon" is also available on the second disc of the limited edition Singles 93–03.

It was used in the 2003 Ongoing History of New Music

The Ongoing History of New Music

The Ongoing History of New Music is a Canadian radio program, produced by Corus Entertainment's ExploreMusic division in Toronto. The program, hosted by Alan Cross, is syndicated to several other radio stations, mostly but not exclusively Corus-owned, across Canada.The Ongoing History chronicles...

episode "Alt-Rock's Greatest Instrumentals".

Samples

The drums are sampled from "Them Changes" by Bernard Purdie

Bernard Purdie

Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie is an American session drummer, and is considered an influential and innovative exponent of funk...

. The vocals, "Back with another one of those block rockin' beats" is a sample from American rapper Schoolly D

Schoolly D

Jesse B. Weaver Jr. , better known by the stage name Schoolly D, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.- Career :...

's 1989 song "Gucci Again".

It is claimed that the track uses (without compensation) the bassline from the track "Coup" by 23 Skidoo. The bassline resembles the one heard at the beginning of the Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...

 song "Let There Be More Light

Let There Be More Light

"Let There Be More Light" is the opening track on Pink Floyd's second album A Saucerful of Secrets. It was also released in edited form as the fourth US single by the group. A rare US-only single release contains edited mono versions of this song and "Remember a Day". The single did not chart...

", while the bass sound is believed to be sampled from The Crusaders song "The Well's Gone Dry".

"Morning Lemon" opens with a vocal sample of a man singing "morning lemon", and ends with a sample of Ice Cube

Ice Cube

O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...

 saying "take that, motherfuckers!" (from his song "What They Hittin' Foe?").

CD 1

1. "Block Rockin' Beats" – 5:00
2. "Prescription Beats
   Only 4 the K People
   "Only 4 the K People" is a bilingual paperback biography/single from The Chemical Brothers. The book features a discography, black-and-white photos, and a single titled "Terminal Tower". "Terminal Tower" is actually "Prescription Beats" from The Chemical Brothers' "Block Rockin' Beats" single,...
   
   " – 5:13
3. "Morning Lemon" – 4:35

CD 2

1. "Block Rockin' Beats" – 5:00
2. "Block Rockin' Beats (The Micronauts
   The Micronauts
   The Micronauts are a Paris-based dance music act. They formed when Christophe Monier met Canada-born George Issakidis whilst working at the Parisian music fanzine eDEN....
   
   Remix)" – 9:55
3. "Block Rockin' Beats (The Micronauts Bonus Beats)" – 3:49
4. "Block Rockin' Beats (Radio Edit)" – 3:24

US edition

1. "Block Rockin' Beats" – 5:00
2. "Prescription Beats" – 5:12
3. "Morning Lemon" – 4:36
4. "Block Rockin' Beats (The Micronauts Remix)" – 9:55