10 Funk Music Recommendations You Need in Your Life

If you’re looking for a fresh dose of funk music, look no further! Here are 10 essential recommendations that you need in your life.

Introduction to Funk Music

Funk is a genre of music that was popularized in the 1970s. It is characterized by a heavy groove and often has elements of soul, R&B, and Jazz. Funk music is often danceable and often has a call-and-response dynamic between the singer and the audience. Some well-known funk artists include James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, and Prince.

The Meters

The Meters are a legendary New Orleans funk band that formed in the 1960s. They are one of the funkiest, most soulful bands of all time and have influenced countless other artists. If you’re a fan of funk music, you need to check out The Meters.

James Brown

James Brown was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. A progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century popular music and dance, he is often referred to as the “Godfather of Soul”. In a career that lasted 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres.

Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He joined an R&B vocal group, the Famous Flames, in which he was the lead singer. With the Flames, he became one of the first artists to perform rhythm and blues or soul music on stage in the United States. Brown’s success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”. During the late 1960s, Brown moved from a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly ‘Afro-centric’ approach based on assimilation of jazz harmonic progressions; improvisation on funk riffs; rapid changes in rhythms with musical interludes that featured his distinctive staccato dance steps. His band shifted its style as well. By 1970 he had fully co-opted gospel harmonies into his sound with songs such as “Soul Power” and Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine”.

Parliament-Funkadelic

Formed in the late 1960s, Parliament-Funkadelic is a collective of rotating musicians headed up by George Clinton. They pioneered the Funk sound with their blend of R&B, Soul, Rock, and Psychedelia and helped to shape the sound of Funk music for generations to follow. If you’re looking for a starting point in your Funk journey, look no further than Parliament-Funkadelic.

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 soul, funk, rock, and psychedelic music. Heavily influenced by James Brown, Sly Stone diversified the sound of R&B by fusing it with other styles such as psychedelic rock, reggae, and hard rock to create a new genre known as funk rock.

The band’s top-selling album was their 1971 LP Fresh, which reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album’s opening track “Family Affair” is one of the most enduring songs in pop music history. Other popular songs included “Hot Fun in the Summertime”, “Everybody Is a Star”, and “Stand!”.

Sly and the Family Stone were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2019.

Bootsy’s Rubber Band

This is a band that should need no introduction, but for the uninitiated, Bootsy’s Rubber Band was one of the premier funk outfits of the 1970s. The group was led by none other than bass legend Bootsy Collins, and also featured his brother Phelps “Catfish” Collins on guitar. The band’s sound was a unique mix of funk, soul, and R&B that was impossible to resist dancing to. Some of their classic tracks include “Stretchin’ Out (In a Rubber Band),” “I’d Rather Be with You,” and “Bootzilla.”

The Gap Band

The Gap Band was an American funk band which rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers: Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson. Their world-renowned classic hits include “Outstanding”, “You Dropped a Bomb on Me”, and “Party Train”. If you are in need of a good funk band to listen to, be sure to check out The Gap Band!

George Clinton

1. “Atomic Dog”
2. “Booty Body Ready for the Plush Funk”
3. “Can You Get to That”
4. “Do Fries Go with That Shake?”
5. “(Not Just) Knee Deep”
6. “One Nation Under the Groove”
7. “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)”
8. “Flash Light”
9. “Mothership Connection (Star Child)”
10. “’70s Funk Medley: Le Freak / Good Times / Smoke on the Water / Superstition / I Wish / brick House / Play That Funky Music”

Prince

1. “Kiss” – Prince
2. “Dirty Mind” – Prince
3. “Delirious” – Prince
4. “1999” – Prince
5. “Little Red Corvette” – Prince
6. “When Doves Cry” – Prince
7. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” – Prince
8. “Pop Life” – Prince
9. “Raspberry Beret” – Prince
10. “Cream” – Prince

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the most popular funk bands of all time. Formed in 1983, the band has released eleven studio albums and sold over 60 million records worldwide. The band is known for their unique blend of funk, rock, and hip-hop, as well as their wild stage antics. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a must-see live band, and they continue to tour regularly.