The Top 10 Funk Music Artists

Looking for some new funk music to add to your collection? Check out our list of the top 10 funk music artists that you need to know about!

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic

George Clinton is the mastermind behind the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s. Clinton’s brand of funk was a mix of James Brown-style grooves, eccentric costumes, and psychedelic lyrics. His biggest hits include “(Not Just) Knee Deep” and “One Nation Under a Groove.”

Other important funk artists include James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, Bootsy Collins, Rick James, and Prince.

James Brown

As the Godfather of Soul, James Brown is one of the most influential figures in funk music. His career spanned over six decades, during which he released more than 100 albums and singles. He is credited with creating numerous subgenres of funk, including rap music, and his unique style influenced many subsequent artists. Brown’s music was also a major inspiration for the development of disco and hip hop.

Sly and the Family Stone

Few groups were as groundbreaking or had as much of an impact on the early evolution of Funk as Sly and the Family Stone. Formed in 1967, the band featured a racially diverse lineup that was unheard of at the time, with men and women sharing lead vocal duties and African-American, white, and Latino musicians playing side by side. Their music was equally revolutionary, fusing elements of Soul, R&B, Psychedelia, and Rock into a new sound that would come to be known as Funk. Though they never achieved the mainstream commercial success their talent deserved, Sly and the Family Stone’s influence can be heard in the work of countless artists who came after them.

Bootsy Collins

Bootsy Collins is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as a member of Parliament-Funkadelic and as the bassist for James Brown in the 1970s. He has also been credited as a key figure in the development of funk music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Prince

Though he was known for his pop music, Prince was also a master of funk. His unique blend of rock, R&B, and funk cemented him as one of the most popular and influential artists of his generation. His hits like “Kiss” and “Purple Rain” are still responsible for gettings people up and dancing today.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Hailing from Los Angeles, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of the first bands to successfully combine punk rock and funk to create their own unique sound. The band is composed of singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. The Chili Peppers have released 11 studio albums and have sold over 80 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. They have won 7 Grammy Awards, including “Best Rock Album” for Californication and “Best Hard Rock Performance” for “Dani California.”

The chili peppers are a fan favorite thanks to their high-energy live performances and catchy songs like “Give It Away,” “Under the Bridge,” and “Californication.” If you’re looking for some funky tunes, be sure to check out the Red Hot Chili Peppers!

The Meters

The Meters are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band originally consisted ofmeter for electric current or energy released bassist George Porter Jr.,(B 1951) guitarist Leo Nocentelli,(b 1944) keyboardist Art Neville, (b 1937) and drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste. (b 1947). The band performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977 and was influential in the development of funk and second-line genres of music.

Funkadelic

Funkadelic was an American band that was most prominent in the 1970s. The band’s style has been described as a combination of rock, soul, and psychedelic music. Funkadelic was led by George Clinton, and the group’s music was a major part of the P-Funk musical style.

Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. His “retro” style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop, folk, and ballads. In addition to singing lead and backing vocals, Kravitz often plays all of the instruments himself when recording. He won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance four years in a row from 1999 to 2002, breaking the record for most wins in that category as well as setting the record for most consecutive years winning in one category (a feat tied with Bob Dylan). He has been nominated and won other awards.

Living Colour

Albums: Vivid, Time’s Up, Stain

Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. They are noted for their musical style which fuses hardcore punk with heavy metal and funk, and for their politically charged lyrics. The band achieved mainstream success with their debut album Vivid in 1988. It reached #6 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. Time’s Up, their second album reached #13 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. The band has released a total of five studio albums, three of which have been certified either gold or platinum. Living Colour has also been nominated for three Grammy Awards, winning one in 1990 for their single “Cult of Personality”.