Green Onions was recorded in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s and released on Stax Records, becoming one of the most famous instrumentals ever made. The track's bluesy Hammond organ riff has been sampled, covered and licensed countless times across film, TV and advertising. Online, louder and bass-boosted versions became a meme staple, often paired with tough-guy entrances, mafia edits and 'aura' moments. Decades after its release, the riff remains a universal shorthand for effortless cool.