The Best Funk Music Artists of 2020
This year has seen a resurgence in popularity for funk music. Here are some of the best funk music artists of 2020.
George Clinton
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer. His Parliament-Funkadelic collective (which primarily recorded under the distinct band names Parliament and Funkadelic) developed an influential and eclectic form of funk music during the 1970s that drew on science fiction, outlandish fashion, psychedelic culture, and surreal humor. He launched a solo career in 1981.
Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins is an American bassist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of Parliament-Funkadelic and as a solo artist. His stage name was inspired by his mother’s nickname for him, “Booty”. He has been credited as one of the pioneers of funk and as one of the most influential bass guitarists in history.
Collins has released several solo albums, including The One Giveth, The Count Taketh Away (1982), which reached number one on the Billboard 200, and Back in the Day: The Best of Bootsy (1997). He has also appeared on numerous other artists’ recordings, such as those of George Clinton, Deee-Lite, Snoop Dogg and Buckethead.
Parliament-Funkadelic
Formed in the 1970s, Parliament-Funkadelic is a musical collective led by George Clinton. The group has released a number of influential funk and psychedelic soul albums, including “Maggot Brain” (1971) and “One Nation Under a Groove” (1978). They are widely considered to be one of the most important and influential funk bands of all time.
Sly and the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Headed by singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and featuring a rotating line-up of talented musicians including saxophonist Larry Graham, guitarist Freddie Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico, bassist Rosie Stone, and keyboardists/vocalists Mary McCreary and Jerry Martini; Sly and the Family Stone’s songs often dealt with issues of race, gender, and class in America.
The band released six studio albums between 1968 and 1974; the first four were critically acclaimed commercial successes. Their fifth album fresh (1973) was less successful but still sold over two million copies; it was their last album to be certified gold by the RIAA. Sly and the Family Stone’s final album small talk (1974) was met with mixed reviews but sold poorly; it would be their last release before disbanding in 1975.
The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Prince
As the reigning prince of pop, Prince was known for his eclectic mix of R&B, rock, soul, and funk. He produced 10 platinum albums and 30 top 40 singles during his career. He also wrote songs that were hits for other artists, including “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “Manic Monday.” Prince won seven Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. Called the “Godfather of Soul”, Brown started his career as a Gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He later joined an R&B vocal group, the Famous Flames, with whom he signed to King Records in 1956 and released his debut single “Please, Please, Please”. His energetic stage presence, drug addiction problems and violent behavior prompted his fellow band members to leave him in 1968; they subsequently disbanded. He then reached his peak days as a solo artist with records such as “Get on the Good Foot” (1972) and “The Payback” (1973). With the help of producer Alfred “Pee Wee” Ellis, Brown developed a new musical style that would come to be known as funk.
