The 808 is arguably the most iconic drum machine ever made. Even if you’ve never heard of it, you’ve definitely heard it. It’s in dozens of hit songs -- from Usher to Marvin Gaye, Talking Heads to The Beastie Boys -- and its sounds have quietly cemented themselves in the cultural lexicon. In this episode, we try to understand how that happened and follow the unlikely path of the 808. Featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and Paul McCabe from Roland. 

Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound, and hosted by Dallas Taylor. 

Follow the show on Twitter & Facebook.  

Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. 

If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. 

Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/808 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices