The 5 Most Famous Funk Songs of All Time

Are you a fan of funk music? If so, check out this blog post highlighting the 5 most famous funk songs of all time.

Introduction

Funk is a genre of music that was popularized in the 1970s. It is a style of music that is characterized by its use of strong bass lines, grooves, and often features guitars and other instruments playing syncopated rhythms. Funk songs are often danceable and have a positive or celebratory atmosphere.

Here are five of the most famous funk songs of all time:

1. “Super Freak” by Rick James
2. “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5
3. “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine” by James Brown
4. “Flash Light” by Parliament-Funkadelic
5. “Pick Up the Pieces” by Average White Band

“Super Freak” by Rick James

“Super Freak” is a 1981 single produced and performed by Rick James. The song was written by James and Alonzo Miller, and released from the album Street Songs.

The funky bassline, which was played on a Moog synthesizer, was performed by James’ then-bassist Nathan Watts. The guitar riff was played by Leroy Emmanuel. The song also features keyboardist Greg Phillinganes.

The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, as well as number three on the Hot Soul Singles chart. In Canada, it peaked at number two on the RPM national singles chart.

“Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” by James Brown

“Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” is a song recorded by James Brown and written with Bobby Byrd. Released in 1970, it reached No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song features a guest appearance by saxophonist Maceo Parker. It is ranked as the sixth greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.

“Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” was originally written as an instrumental entitled “Get It Together”, which was recorded by James Brown and his band in August 1969. The instrumental version was released as a single, reaching No. 4 on the R&B chart and No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1970. The song’s success led to Brown recording vocals over the instrumental track, which were added by engineer, Barry Feldstein.

The lyrics to “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” are based on an experience Brown had at a New York City nightclub when he was propositioned by a woman who told him that she wanted to have sex with him. Brown’s response to the woman was to tell her that he was “a sex machine ready to reload”. The song is also notable for its use of the word “motherfunker”, which helped popularize the term “motherfucker”.

“Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” has been covered by many artists, including George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Parliament-Funkadelic, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Duran Duran, James Taylor Quartet, and Joss Stone. The song has also been used in numerous films and television shows including Pulp Fiction, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother, and Spider-Man 2.

“Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)” by Parliament

“Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)” is a song by Parliament. It was released as a single in 1976 and became one of Parliament’s most famous and popular songs. The song is often credited with being one of the first funk songs to crossover to mainstream popularity.

“Flash Light” by Parliament

“Flash Light” is a song by Parliament that was released in 1977 on the album Funkadelic. The song was written by George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell. “Flash Light” is one of Parliament’s most well-known songs and is considered to be one of the greatest funk songs of all time.

The song features a simple, yet catchy bassline by Bootsy Collins that has been sampled numerous times by other artists. The song also features a signature talk box solo by Bernie Worrell. “Flash Light” was one of the first funk songs to use a talk box and it popularized the use of the talk box in funk music.

“Flash Light” peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song has been certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies.

Conclusion

After reading about and listening to the 5 most famous funk songs of all time, it’s easy to see why this genre of music is so popular. The groove is contagious, the beats are catchy, and the overall feeling is just plain fun. If you’re looking for something to get your feet moving, funk is definitely the way to go.