Radio LBB: An (Ironic) Ode to Stock Music
The team at amp sound branding Germany takes us on a journey through the golden age of stock music with latest playlist
Image: Roberto Garcia
We’ve all heard it before—brands relying on stock music that sounds like it was pulled from the same dusty shelf: generic, uninspired, and utterly forgettable. Sure, it’s free or cheap on the surface, but it often comes at a hidden cost: filling your audience’s ears with bland music that leaves no impression and adds no character. So, it begs the question: Has it always been this bad?
The truth, like most things in life, is more nuanced. Once upon a time, stock music—or more accurately, library music—wasn’t the creative dead zone we now associate it with. In fact, from the 1960s through the 1980s, library record labels were producing some of the most innovative, forward-thinking, and downright funky instrumental music around. Labels like KPM, and De Wolfe Music weren’t just fulfilling broadcast briefs; they were building catalogs of sound that would go on to influence generations of musicians and producers.
Fast-forward to the 1990s, and these forgotten gems found new life in the hands of Hip-Hop producers and collectors, always on the hunt for obscure samples that hadn’t already been picked over. What was once utilitarian music for TV, radio, and film became raw material for some of the most iconic beats of the era and continues to influence a wide range of artists today.
Our playlist is a journey through that golden age—a celebration of the unsung heroes of the music world who worked in anonymity but left a lasting mark. It’s proof that functional music doesn’t have to be boring, and that even the most overlooked sounds can become timeless when put in the right context.
Dedicated to music lovers who spend way too much time on whosampled.com!
