The History of the Orchestra Hit

In 1910, Russian composer Igor Stravinsky invented what would become known as the orchestra hit. Fast-forward to 1979, and Peter Vogel and partner Kim Ryrie would introduce the Fairlight CMI to the music world — and launch the orchestra hit into the pop music lexicon. The Fairlight was a synth with a built-in sampler, allowing musicians to record a sample and play it back at any pitch. The sampler would go on to become a mainstay of pop, from Peter Gabriel to Michael Jackson to Bruno Mars.