The Best Funk Music You’ve Ever Heard
Contents
The Best Funk Music You’ve Ever Heard is a blog dedicated to bringing you the best funk music around. We’ll keep you up to date on the latest and greatest funk tunes, and let you know where you can find them.
Intro
They say that good things come in threes, and in the case of George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell, that adage couldn’t be more true. The three musicians were the key figures in two of the most influential bands in music history: Parliament-Funkadelic and the P-Funk All-Stars. Not only did they completely redefine what funk could be, but they also had a hand in shaping the sound of R&B, hip-hop, and dance music as we know it today.
George Clinton is a living legend, plain and simple. His unique blend of R&B, soul, psychedelia, and afrofuturism has influenced everyone from Prince to Kendrick Lamar. Bootsy Collins is one of the funkiest bass players to ever live, and his contributions to Parliament-Funkadelic are immeasurable. And Bernie Worrell was a true pioneer of synthesizer technology, helping to bring electronic music into the mainstream with his groundbreaking work on tracks like “Flash Light” and “One Nation Under a Groove.”
If you’re looking for some truly mind-bending funk music, look no further than this list. It’s got everything from classic tracks by Parliament-Funkadelic to contemporary hits by LCD Soundsystem and D’Angelo. So turn up the bass, crank up the volume, and get ready to groove.
The Best Funk Music You’ve Ever Heard
Are you looking for the best funk music you’ve ever heard? Look no further than the music of George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. This band has been influential in the development of funk music since the 1970s, and their unique blend of R&B, soul, and rock and roll is sure to get you moving.
Parliament-Funkadelic
Formed in the early 1970s, Parliament-Funkadelic was a groundbreaking collective of musicians that blended elements of R&B, soul, and psychedelic rock to create a wholly unique and influential sound. Over the course of their career, Parliament-Funkadelic produced some of the most iconic and influential funk songs of all time, helping to redefine what funk could be in the process.
If you’re looking for the best funk music you’ve ever heard, look no further than Parliament-Funkadelic. From their classic hits like “Flash Light” and “One Nation Under a Groove” to deep cuts like “Maggot Brain” and “Free Your Mind (And Your Ass Will Follow),” this is a band that truly changed the game.
Bootsy’s Rubber Band
Formed in the early 1970s by bassist Bootsy Collins, Bootsy’s Rubber Band was one of the most influential funk bands ever. With their mix of R&B, soul, and funk, they created a new sound that would influence generations of musicians. Collins’ powerful bass playing was the anchor of the band’s sound, and he was backed up by some of the best musicians in the business, including guitarist Catfish Collins, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and drummer Frank Waddy. The band released a series of ground-breaking albums in the 1970s, including “Stretchin’ Out in Bootsy’s Rubber Band” and “Bootsy? Player of the Year.” They also collaborated with other legends of Funk, including George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, James Brown, and Maceo Parker. If you’re a fan of funk music, you need to check out Bootsy’s Rubber Band.
The Meters
The Meters are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band recorded and performed with a variety of artists, including Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Dr. John, Paul McCartney, and Willie Nelson. The Meters are credited with being one of the originators of new Orleans funk and helped to pioneer the use of the syncopated New Orleans second-line beat in popular music.
James Brown
James Brown was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and bandleader. The founder of the musical genre of funk, he is often referred to as the “Godfather of Soul”. His career spanned six decades, and he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Georgia and achieved success leading his own group, the Famous Flames,
in the mids.
With the help of bandleader and arranger Lorenzo Hampton, Brown recruited some of the best musicians from across the country to join him in a original sound that was a precursor to funk music.
The Famous Flames had a string of hits throughout the early sixties including “I’ll Go Crazy”, “Baby You’re Right”, and their signature song “Please, Please, Please”.
In , Brown’s hit single “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” signaled a change in direction for funk music. This new style combined elements of gospel and rhythm and blues to create a sound that was both danceable and spiritual.
“Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” won Brown his first Grammy Award and is widely regarded as one of the most influential songs ever recorded.
Brown continued to experiment with funk throughout the late sixties and early seventies with hits like “Cold Sweat”, “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine”, and “The Payback”.
By the mid-seventies, Brown’s health began to decline due to years of substance abuse. He retired from touring in but continued to record sporadically until his death in
Outro
And that’s a wrap! We hope you enjoyed our list of the best funk music you’ve ever heard. What’s your favorite funk song? Let us know in the comments below!