The Best of Funk: Chunk Music
The Best of Funk: Chunk Music is a blog that discusses the history, theory, and practice of funk music.
Introduction to Funk
When you think of funk, you think of thick, groovy basslines, syncopated rhythms, and often times, a touch of silliness. Funk is a style of music that is often overlooked but has had a large influence on modern music. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the history of funk and some of the best funk artists.
Defining Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the United States in the early 1970s. It has its roots in African-American music, including blues and R&B, and also draws influences from other genres such as jazz, rock, and Latin music. Funk is characterized by a groove-oriented sound and by a variety of musical elements such as bass lines, horn riffs, and percussion.
The term “funk” can be used in a number of different ways. It can refer to the style of music itself, as well as to specific songs or performers. The word is also sometimes used to describe a general feeling or mood, especially one that is positive and upbeat.
If you’re interested in learning more about funk music, there are a number of excellent resources available. One good place to start is The Best of Funk: Chunk Music, a compilation album that features some of the genre’s most iconic songs.
The Origins of Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-1960s when African American musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of soul, jazz, and rhythm and blues (R&B). Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground.
The word funk initially referred to a strong, foul odor. It is derived from the Latin word for stink, fumigare. The earliest use of the word in music was in reference to a style of African American dance music from Louisiana in the early 1900s called the funk. This early funk was a blend of blues, jazz, and boogie-woogie.
In the 1960s, James Brown’s band The JBs helped to popularize the term with their song “Pass the Peas”, which includes the line “We want the funk”. Later George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic group (which he led from 1967 to 1983) also popularized funk with psychedelic tracks like “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)” and “Flash Light”. In college radio stations across America, DJs began playing this new kind of music, which acquired various names such as “chocolate rock”, “boogie”, “pigfoot”, and finally “funk”.
The Best Funk Songs
In the world of funk, there are many great songs that have been composed over the years. However, some of these songs stand out above the rest. In this article, we will take a look at the best funk songs of all time.
“Superstition” by Stevie Wonder
“Superstition” is a song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released on October 24, 1972, as the lead single from his fifteenth studio album, Talking Book. The song was written by Wonder and produced by him with Jeff Beck.
The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for seven weeks from January 20 to March 10, 1973. It peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart and Wonder became the first artist to have a US and UK number-one hit with the same song. “Superstition” also stayed atop of the USA’s R&B Singles chart for eight weeks. In 2003, “Superstition” was ranked number 74 on Rolling Stone list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. In 2005, Pitchfork Media placed it at number 18 on their list of “The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1970s”. In 2009, it was ranked at number 1 on About.com’s Funk Songs Top Ten List.’
“Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” by James Brown
James Brown’s “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” is one of the most famous and influential funk songs of all time. The song was released as a single in 1970 and later appeared on the album Funk Power 70, which is considered one of the cornerstones of the funk genre. The song is built around a simple, catchy guitar riff and features some of Brown’s trademark vocal histrionics. It became one of Brown’s signature tunes and has been covered by hundreds of artists over the years.
“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 that was released in 1976. The song was written by George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell. It was released as a single from Parliament’s album Mothership Connection. The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Soul Singles chart.
“Flash Light” by Parliament
“Flash Light” is a 1977 song by Parliament. The song became the group’s first top-40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 16, and topped the Hot Soul Singles chart for four weeks. It was certified Gold by the RIAA. The single was also a big hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
“Ain’t It Funky Now” by James Brown
“Ain’t It Funky Now” is a 1969 hit single recorded by James Brown. It reached #1 on the Hot R&B Singles chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart. The song’s lyrics refer to the whole funk genre and its stylistic elements. The opening line, “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all”, is often quoted.
The Future of Funk
Funk music has long been a staple in the music industry, with its unique sound and catchy rhythms. However, in recent years, funk has seen a decline in popularity. But that doesn’t mean it’s gone for good. In fact, there’s a new subgenre of funk that’s becoming increasingly popular: chunk funk.
The Evolution of Funk
The soul music of the 1970s was deeply rooted in the funk of James Brown and Sly Stone. But as the decade progressed, the sound of funk began to change. Funk bands began to experiment with longer, more complex jams, and the influence of psychedelic rock and jazz began to be felt. This new style of funk became known as “chunk music.”
Chunk music is defined by its long, complicated jams, often featuring extended solos from all members of the band. The groove is still paramount, but it takes a backseat to the musical dexterity of the players. This new style of funk was pioneered by bands like Parliament-Funkadelic, Funkadelic, and Bootsy’s Rubber Band.
While chunk music was never as commercially successful as the earlier styles of funk, it did have a significant impact on the evolution of hip hop. Many early hip hop tracks sampled chunk music extensively, and the genre would go on to be a major influence on artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Outkast.
The Influence of Funk
Funk has been a style of music for over 50 years, and it has been influential in many other genres including soul, R&B, disco, pop, hip-hop, and rock. The word “funk” originally meant a bad smell, but it came to be used as a term for music in the 1960s. Funk is a style of music that is characterized by a strong groove and often contains elements of jazz and R&B. Some of the most famous funk artists include James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, and Prince.
