When Was Funk Music Most Popular?
The 1970s was the golden age of funk music. Funk artists like James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic were at the height of their popularity, and the genre was in full swing. Since then, funk music has been through a number of changes, but it remains a popular and influential style to this day.
The 1970s
The 1970s was the most popular decade for funk music. George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic created a new style of funk that was party music with a message. Funk songs were often about love and unity, but they also tackled issues such as Vietnam, Watergate, and Civil Rights. James Brown’s Godfather of Soul title was solidified in the 1970s with hits like “Sex Machine” and “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine.” Sly & The Family Stone also found success in the 1970s with their funk anthems “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” and “Everyday People.”
The 1980s
Funk music was most popular in the 1980s, with artists like Parliament Funkadelic, James Brown, and Prince topping the charts. However, the genre has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years, thanks to modern artists like Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, and Anderson .Paak.
The 1990s
Funk music hit its peak of popularity in the early to mid 1970s with artists like James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic leading the way. However, the genre continued to have a large influence on popular music throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, many of the biggest pop, hip-hop, and R&B hits of those decades were heavily influenced by funk. Here are just a few examples:
Madonna – “Vogue” (1990)
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Give It Away” (1991)
Janet Jackson – “That’s the Way Love Goes” (1993)
Snoop Dogg – “Gin and Juice” (1993)
TLC – “Waterfalls” (1994)
Outkast – “Hey Ya!” (2003)
The 2000s
Funk music reached its peak of popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands like James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic. But the genre continued to evolve in subsequent decades, culminating in a funk renaissance in the late 1990s and 2000s. This new wave of funk artists revitalized the sound for a new generation of listeners, resulting in some of the best funk music of all time.
Here are 10 essential funk albums from the 2000s:
1. D’Angelo – “Voodoo” (2000)
2. Macy Gray – “On How Life Is” (2001)
3. Outkast – “Stankonia” (2000)
4. Prince – “Musicology” (2004)
5. Snoop Dogg – “Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss” (2002)
6. Bootsy Collins – “Tha Funk Capital of tha World” (2011)
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “By the Way” (2002)
8. Bruno Mars – “Doowops & Hooligans” (2010)
9. Janelle Monáe – “The ArchAndroid” (2010)
10. Kendrick Lamar – “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2015)
The 2010s
The 2010s were a decade of funk music’s continued popularity. Many popular musicians incorporated funk into their music, including Bruno Mars, James Brown, and Justin Timberlake. Funk songs like “Uptown Funk” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” Were worldwide hits, and the genre’s popularity shows no signs of slowing down.
