Song Clearance Sheet
5 sources citedPlanet Rock
Electro1980s127BPM
UnconfirmedKey
More around 130 BPM → · More “Cleared After Dispute” →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →
The verdict
Cleared After Dispute
The interpolation of Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” was resolved via a private settlement between Kraftwerk and Tommy Boy — a real, settled outcome.
reportedly open to sampling
Used by independents?
Yes — used by 2 Live Crew on Luther Campbell’s artist-owned independent Luke Skyywalker Records in 1986.
Quick Facts
Released1982
GenreElectro, Hip-Hop
LabelTommy Boy Records
ProducerArthur Baker
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The artist / producer — Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force (prod. Arthur Baker)
Music Fandom Hub → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — originally Tommy Boy Records; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Music Fandom Hub → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — a genre-founding electro anthem (#240 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs); the Kraftwerk interpolation was cleared via settlement.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; note the underlying Kraftwerk interpolation carries its own (settled) rights lineage — see Trans-Europe Express.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
The Kraftwerk track whose melody Planet Rock interpolated — settled out of court
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force (produced by Arthur Baker)
The Kraftwerk interpolationThe main melody was interpolated — recreated, not digitally sampled — from Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express,” with a drum pattern resembling their track “Numbers.” This led to an out-of-court settlement between Kraftwerk and Tommy Boy Records.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
The interpolation was settled with Kraftwerk
Rather than a digital sample, the melody was recreated from Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express”; the resulting dispute was resolved via an out-of-court settlement between Kraftwerk and Tommy Boy Records.
SPIN · read it →
The anthem of the Zulu Nation
It became the anthem of the Zulu Nation, the organization Bambaataa founded to steer Bronx youth away from gangs and toward hip-hop culture — DJing, breakdancing, graffiti and rapping.
Medium (12edit) · read it →
Bambaataa on the Kraftwerk influence, for balance
Bambaataa has genuinely acknowledged his debt to Kraftwerk, but separately said he feels that influence has been somewhat over-emphasized by commentators — worth noting rather than a flattened “he just copied them.”
Music Fandom Hub · read it →
A confirmed independent-artist sample
2 Live Crew sampled it on “2 Live Is What We Are…(Word)” (1986), the opener of their debut LP, on Luke Skyywalker Records — the artist-owned Miami label founded by Luther Campbell, one of the most successful truly independent (self-distributed) rap labels in the US.
WhoSampled · read it →
The Kraftwerk settlement covered BOTH songs jointly
The Kraftwerk dispute was one joint settlement, not two: Kraftwerk contacted Tommy Boy over the unlicensed use of both “Numbers” (the beat) AND “Trans-Europe Express” (the melody) together in “Planet Rock,” settling at $1 per record sold — with Tommy Boy raising the single’s retail price to offset the cost.
Songfacts (Numbers) · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
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Times sampled
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Covers
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First flip
Who to Contact
AB
Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force / Tommy Boy
The artist and production team (the Kraftwerk interpolation was settled)
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (SEO Batch)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass