The Funk of the 1980s: Music That Makes You Move

The 1980s were a decade of big hair, big shoulder pads, and big sounds. The funk of the 1980s was all about making people move, and it’s still just as catchy and danceable today. From Prince to Michael Jackson, George Clinton to Chaka Khan, the 1980s funk scene was truly something special.

The Funk of the 1980s

The Funk of the 1980s: Music That Makes You Move is a 1991 compilation album of funk songs released by Rhino Records. It peaked at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at number thirty-seven on the Billboard 200.

The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on May 27, 1992.

Music That Makes You Move

The music of the 1980s was all about having fun and moving your body. The beats were catchy and the lyrics were often easy to sing along to. This was the era of Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Whitney Houston. These artists and many others created a sound that was both unique and timeless.

The Birth of Funk

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a unique style of African-American music began to emerge that would come to be known as funk. James Brown’s “Sex Machine” (1970) is often cited as the first funk song, but the genre truly began to take shape with the release of Parliament’s debut album, Funkadelic (1970). Funk combined elements of soul, R&B, and psychedelia with a driving bassline and aggressive rhythm guitar to create a sound that was both danceable and politically charged.

While Parliament and Funkadelic were the pioneers of funk, it was George Clinton’s third band, Parliament-Funkadelic spinoff group Bootsy’s Rubber Band, that truly perfected the sound. Their 1976 album The One Giveth, The Two Taketh Away is widely considered to be one of the greatest funk albums of all time. Other important funk bands of the 1970s included Ohio Players, Kool & The Gang, Curtis Mayfield’s Super Fly soundtrack (1972), and Sly & The Family Stone.

The 1980s saw the continued popularity of funk with hits like Prince’s “Kiss” (1986), Madonna’s “Lucky Star” (1984), and Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” (1984). Funk also heavily influenced hip hop music; many early hip hop tracks sampled funk songs or used funk basslines as their foundation. As hip hop became more popular in the 1980s, artists like Afrika Bambaataa and Run-DMC began to incorporate more overtly political themes into their music, drawing further inspiration from 1970s funk bands like Parliament and Funkadelic.

The Evolution of Funk

The 1970s saw the rise of disco and the beginnings of electronic music, but it was the 1980s that really saw these genres come into their own. Funk, in particular, evolved and changed throughout the decade, producing some of the most iconic and influential songs of all time.

So what exactly is funk? In its simplest form, it is a style of music that is based on groove and rhythm, with a focus on bass and drums. It often incorporates elements of soul, R&B, and jazz, and is usually danceable. The genre developed in the 1960s and 1970s, with its roots in James Brown and Sly Stone. George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic collective were also hugely influential in taking funk to a new level in the 1970s.

However, it was in the 1980s that funk really came into its own. The decade saw a number of different sub-genres emerge, each with its own unique sound. Hip hop began to incorporate funk samples into its tracks, while artists like Prince took the genre in a new direction with his brand of ” Minneapolis sound.” Here are just a few of the defining tracks of 80s funk:

– “Krush Groove” by RUN-DMC (1984)
– “Atomic Dog” by George Clinton (1982)
– ” 1999″ by Prince (1982)
– “Walk This Way” by RUN-DMC ft. Aerosmith (1986)
– “Get Down On It” by Kool & The Gang (1981)

The Funk of Today

Funk is a genre of music that originated in the African-American community in the late 1960s. Funk is characterized by a strong, repetitive bassline, often played on electric bass or drums. Other funk elements include a syncopated drumbeat, horns, and an improvised feeling.

The word “funk” can be traced back to the West African word for “unpleasant odor.” In the 1970s, funk was used to describe a type of music that was different from what was popular at the time. Funk was not mainstream, and it often had a raw and gritty feel to it.

Funk music became popular in the 1980s with artists like Prince, George Clinton, and Rick James. The popularity of funk continued into the 1990s with groups like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Parliament-Funkadelic.

Today, funk is enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to artists like Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar, and Childish Gambino. These artists have brought fun back to music while still keeping the genre’s original elements intact.

The Funk of the 1980s: Music That Makes You Move

The 1980s was a decade of big hair, big shoulders, and big fun. The music of the decade reflected those larger-than-life personalities and attitudes. Funk was a popular genre of music in the 1980s, and it is still popular today. Funk is a style of music that is characterized by a strong groove and often features syncopated rhythms. If you’re looking for a genre of music that will make you want to get up and move, funk is the perfect choice.

The Funk of the 1980s: Music That Makes You Move

The Funk of the 1980s: Music That Makes You Move

The funk of the 1980s was a style of danceable, often experimental and synthesized music that drew influences from disco, post-disco, new wave, synth-pop and afrobeat. The genre emerged in black communities in the United States and Europe in the late 1970s and reached its height of popularity in the 1980s.

While it is often associated with black music, funk has been adopted by artists of all races and ethnicity. George Clinton, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Parliament-Funkadelic, Earth, Wind & Fire and Prince are some of the most well-known funk artists. The 1980s saw a surge in popularity for the genre with the release of hits such as “Flash Light” by Parliament-Funkadelic, “Atomic Dog” by George Clinton and “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars.

The funk of the 1980s has had a lasting impact on popular music and continues to be influential today.

The Funk of the 1980s: Music That Makes You Move

The funk of the 1980s was a new twist on an old genre that had been around for decades. Funk is a style of music that is characterized by a groove that is often syncopated and feminine in nature. It also has elements of soul, jazz, and R&B. The music is often danceable and uses heavy bass lines.

The funk of the 1980s was created by artists such as Prince, Parliament-Funkadelic, and James Brown. These artists took the basic elements of funk and added their own twists to create a new sound. The result was a style of music that was both fresh and familiar.

While the roots of funk can be traced back to the 1940s, the genre really came into its own in the 1970s. This was due in part to the popularity of disco music. As disco began to fade in popularity, funk became one of the most popular genres of music.

The 1980s was the decade when funk really came into its own. Artists like Prince and Parliament-Funkadelic were able to take the basic elements of funk and create something new and exciting. Their music was fresh and exciting, and it had a wide appeal.

Funk remained popular throughout the 1990s, but it began to fade in popularity after the turn of the century. While there are still some funk bands performing today, the genre is not as popular as it once was.

The Funk of the 1980s: Music That Makes You Move

Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s.i Its origins are rooted in rhythm and blues, and it is characterized by a strong bass line, repetitive patterns, and call-and-response vocals. Funk songs are often based on a central groove or riff, and they often have a syncopated or polyrhythmic structure.

The 1980s was a pivotal decade for funk music, as artists like Prince, Rick James, and George Clinton took the genre to new heights with their unique styles and electrifying performances. In this guide, we’ll explore the history of funk music and its evolution during the 1980s. We’ll also recommend some of the best funk songs of the decade so you can get your groove on!