The Best of Heavy Metal, Funk, and Soul from the 80s
Contents
Looking for the best of heavy metal, funk, and soul from the 80s? Look no further than this blog! Here you’ll find all the best hits from the era, plus some deep cuts that you may have missed.
Defining the Genres
When thinking of the 80s, many people think of the bright, neon colors, big hair, and of course the music. The 80s was a decade of many different genres of music, including heavy metal, funk, and soul. These genres defined the 80s and are still popular today. Let’s take a closer look at each genre.
What is Heavy Metal?
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The genre’s lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.
In 1970, four landmark bands emerged from the heavy metal scene: Black Sabbath,Deep Purple,Led Zeppelin, and Uriah Heep. These four bands are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal. They introduced a number of elements common to the genre, including aggressive vocals, extended guitar solos, high volume and gain (amplification), and overall loudness. They also helped to shape the development of subsequent subgenres such as hard rock (with Led Zeppelin’s influence on bands such as Aerosmith) and glam metal (with Deep Purple’s influence on Van Halen).
What is Funk?
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s. The term “funk” refers to the particular groove of soul and R&B music. It was originally used by musicians to mean “smelling bad,” but eventually came to mean a style of music with a strong, slow beat.
musically, funk is characterized by a strong, rhythmic groove that is often repeated throughout a song. The best funk songs are usually based around a single bassline or drumbeat, which the rest of the instruments play off of. The lyrics of funk songs are often sexually suggestive or confrontational, and they often deal with themes of social justice.
The origins of funk can be traced back to the 1960s, when African-American musicians began experimenting with new ways to create soul and R&B music. James Brown was one of the earliest and most influential funk musicians, and he is credited with creating the genre’s signature sound. Other early Funk pioneers include Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, and George Clinton.
In the 1970s and 1980s, funk became increasingly popular with white audiences as well, thanks in part to artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Rick James. Funk also had a huge influence on hip hop music, as many rap songs sample or pay homage to classic funk tracks.
What is Soul?
In the simplest terms, soul is a genre of music that came out of the African-American experience. It combines elements of gospel, R&B, and blues to create a sound that is both deeply emotional and highly danceable. The genre emerged in the 1950s and reached its height of popularity in the 1970s.
While soul music is often associated with artists like Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye, it has also been incredibly influential on other genres, including funk, disco, rock, and even hip-hop. If you love music that makes you feel good and gets your body moving, then soul is definitely a genre worth exploring.
The Best of Heavy Metal
The 80s was a great decade for music, with a wide variety of genres to choose from. Heavy metal, funk, and soul were some of the most popular genres of the time. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the best of heavy metal from the 80s.
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The group’s fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship placed them as one of the founding “big four” bands of thrash metal, alongside Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. Metallica’s current lineup comprises founding members Hetfield and Ulrich, longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Robert Trujillo. Guitarist Dave Mustaine (who went on to form Megadeth) and bassists Ron McGovney, Cliff Burton (who died in 1986), Jason Newsted are former members of the band.
The band’s fifth studio album, …And Justice for All (1988), was released to critical acclaim and reached number six on the Billboard 200 chart. Metallica achieved substantial commercial success with their eponymous fifth album Metallica (1991), which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 22 million copies worldwide. In 2000, Metallica was among a number of artists who filed a lawsuit against Napster for sharing the band’s copyright-protected material without consent from the band. A settlement was reached, and Napster became a pay-to-use service.
The group returned to its roots with the release of its ninth album Death Magnetic (2008), which drew frequent comparisons to their 1980s work. In 2010, Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Megadeth
Founded in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist David Ellefson, and drummer Gar Samuelson, Megadeth rose to prominence in the mid-’80s as one of the most popular and controversial thrash metal bands ever. With their first album, 1985’s Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good!, Megadeth quickly became known for their aggressive music and Mustaine’s snarling vocals, as well as their complex song structures and lyrical themes, which often dealt with politics, death, religion, and war. Megadeth continued to evolve musically over the years, moving from thrash to a more straight-ahead metal sound on such releases as 1992’s Countdown to Extinction and 1994’s Youthanasia. While the band has experienced numerous lineup changes — most notably the exits of Samuelson and guitarist Marty Friedman in 1999 — Megadeth has remained a popular force in heavy metal, with Mustaine continuing to be its primary creative force.
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo, and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer’s fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the founding “big four” bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Slayer’s current lineup comprises King, Araya, drummer Paul Bostaph and guitarist Gary Holt. Hanneman and Lombardo are no longer with the band.
Slayer’s musical style involves fast tremolo picking, double bass drumming, riffs in irregular scales, harmonized guitar leads often in pentatonic scales as well as melodies in minor keys with a particular focus on introspective lyrics that promote topics of social concern such as warfare, violence, serial killers, religious persecution and racism. In the original line up King and Hanneman wrote the vast majority of the band’s material while Lombardo was responsible for drum arrangements. The roles occasionally would be reversed during later albums with Holt playing a major part on 2006’s Christ Illusion and guitarist Kerry King playing drums on 1996’s Undisputed Attitude due to Dave Lombardo’s departures from Slayer during those respective recording periods.
The Best of Funk
Funk is a style of music that originated in the mid-1960s. It is a blend of soul music and R&B. Funk bands often use a lot of horn instruments and have a syncopated rhythm. The best funk bands of the 1980s are Parliament, Funkadelic, and Prince.
Parliament
Formed in the 1970s by George Clinton, Parliament was a hugely successful band that helped to define the sound of funk music. With their distinctive mix of heavy metal, funk, and soul, the band produced some of the most iconic tracks of the 1980s including “Flash Light” and “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)”. Although they disbanded in the early 1990s, Parliament remains one of the most influential bands of their generation.
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band that was most prominent in the 1970s and early 1980s. The band’s style has been described as a mix of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix, with a touch of psychedelia.
The group’s best-known lineup included George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, Eddie Hazel, and Calvin Simon. The band’s debut album, Maggot Brain, was released in 1971 to critical acclaim. The album features the famous title track, which is often considered one of the best songs of the 1970s.
Funkadelic continued to release albums throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, but their popularity began to decline in the mid-1980s. The group disbanded in 1981 but has reunited several times since then.
Bootsy’s Rubber Band
Bootsy’s Rubber Band was an American funk band founded by bassist Bootsy Collins in 1976. The band’s style was a fusion of funk, soul, and psychedelic rock. They are best known for their work with Parliament-Funkadelic, but they also had success as a solo act.
The band’s lineup changed frequently over the years, but Collins remained the leader and primary songwriter. The most successful incarnation of the band featured guitarist Phelps “Catfish” Collins (no relation to Bootsy), drummer Frank Waddy, and singer Gary “Mudbone” Cooper.
The group’s 1978 album, Bootsy? Player of the Year, was their most successful release, reaching #1 on the Billboard R&B chart and #5 on the pop chart. It featured the singles “Bootzilla” and “Hollywood Squares”.
The band continued to tour and release albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, but never regained the same level of commercial success as in their heyday. They remain an influential force in funk music and have been cited as an influence by numerous contemporary artists.
The Best of Soul
The 80s was a great decade for music. Many different genres and styles emerged and the heavy metal, funk, and soul genres were some of the most popular. Let’s take a look at the best of soul from the 80s.
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 25, 1942. The fourth of five children, she began singing gospel songs at her father’s church when she was just a youngster. Aretha’s father, C.L. Franklin, was a well-known minister, and her mother, Barbara (Siggers) Franklin, was a successful gospel singer.
While still in her teens, Aretha relocated to New York City in order to pursue a career in secular music. She recorded her first album for Columbia Records in 1961; however, it was not until the release of “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” in 1967 that Aretha finally achieved crossover success. The album also featured “Respect,” which became both a signature song for Franklin and an anthem for the Civil Rights movement.
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, including “Ain’t That Peculiar”, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”. As he continued to record music throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he moved into more socially conscious material, including the acclaimed albums What’s Going On (1971) and Sexual Healing (1982).
Gaye’s final recordings included protracted battle with drug addiction and depression. On April 1, 1984, Gaye was fatally shot by his father at their home in Los Angeles.
Stevie Wonder
Theodore Thomas “Stevie” Wonder (born May 13, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan) is an American singer, songwriter and rock harmonica player. A prominent figure in popular music, Wonder is one of the most successful songwriters and performers of the late 20th century. He has won 22 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and he is a recipient of the legends award at the 2004 World Music Awards. In addition, Wonder is noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his support for Nelson Mandela.
