diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Beatmaps/TaikoBeatmapConverter.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Beatmaps/TaikoBeatmapConverter.cs
index caf645d5a2..d324441285 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Beatmaps/TaikoBeatmapConverter.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Beatmaps/TaikoBeatmapConverter.cs
@@ -167,13 +167,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Beatmaps
 
                 default:
                 {
-                    bool isRim = samples.Any(s => s.Name == HitSampleInfo.HIT_CLAP || s.Name == HitSampleInfo.HIT_WHISTLE);
+                    bool isRimDefinition(HitSampleInfo s) => s.Name == HitSampleInfo.HIT_CLAP || s.Name == HitSampleInfo.HIT_WHISTLE;
+
+                    bool isRim = samples.Any(isRimDefinition);
 
                     yield return new Hit
                     {
                         StartTime = obj.StartTime,
                         Type = isRim ? HitType.Rim : HitType.Centre,
-                        Samples = obj.Samples,
+                        Samples = samples,
                         IsStrong = strong
                     };
 
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHit.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHit.cs
index d2671eadda..d332f90cd4 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHit.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHit.cs
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 // See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
 
 using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Linq;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Game.Audio;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Scoring;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects.Drawables.Pieces;
@@ -47,6 +49,37 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects.Drawables
             ? new SkinnableDrawable(new TaikoSkinComponent(TaikoSkinComponents.CentreHit), _ => new CentreHitCirclePiece(), confineMode: ConfineMode.ScaleToFit)
             : new SkinnableDrawable(new TaikoSkinComponent(TaikoSkinComponents.RimHit), _ => new RimHitCirclePiece(), confineMode: ConfineMode.ScaleToFit);
 
+        protected override IEnumerable<HitSampleInfo> GetSamples()
+        {
+            // normal and claps are always handled by the drum (see DrumSampleMapping).
+            var samples = HitObject.Samples.Where(s => s.Name != HitSampleInfo.HIT_NORMAL && s.Name != HitSampleInfo.HIT_CLAP);
+
+            if (HitObject.Type == HitType.Rim && HitObject.IsStrong)
+            {
+                // strong + rim always maps to whistle.
+                // TODO: this should really be in the legacy decoder, but can't be because legacy encoding parity would be broken.
+                // when we add a taiko editor, this is probably not going to play nice.
+
+                var corrected = samples.ToList();
+
+                for (var i = 0; i < corrected.Count; i++)
+                {
+                    var s = corrected[i];
+
+                    if (s.Name != HitSampleInfo.HIT_FINISH)
+                        continue;
+
+                    var sClone = s.Clone();
+                    sClone.Name = HitSampleInfo.HIT_WHISTLE;
+                    corrected[i] = sClone;
+                }
+
+                return corrected;
+            }
+
+            return samples;
+        }
+
         protected override void CheckForResult(bool userTriggered, double timeOffset)
         {
             Debug.Assert(HitObject.HitWindows != null);
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableTaikoHitObject.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableTaikoHitObject.cs
index 1be04f1760..90daf3950c 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableTaikoHitObject.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableTaikoHitObject.cs
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects.Drawables
             return base.CreateNestedHitObject(hitObject);
         }
 
-        // Normal and clap samples are handled by the drum
-        protected override IEnumerable<HitSampleInfo> GetSamples() => HitObject.Samples.Where(s => s.Name != HitSampleInfo.HIT_NORMAL && s.Name != HitSampleInfo.HIT_CLAP);
+        // Most osu!taiko hitsounds are managed by the drum (see DrumSampleMapping).
+        protected override IEnumerable<HitSampleInfo> GetSamples() => Enumerable.Empty<HitSampleInfo>();
 
         protected abstract SkinnableDrawable CreateMainPiece();