10 Of The Best Funk Songs Of All Time
Funk music is often overlooked and usually categorized under disco or R&B music. Nevertheless, funk or funky music has been an integral part of the American urban music scene. From its origins in the 1950s to its reincarnation in the 1990s, funk music has given rise to several legendary songs.
Aretha Franklin - "Rock Steady"
The Queen of Soul didn't sing a lot of funky songs during her time, but when she did she got funkier than thou. This track proved that Aretha Franklin's phenomenal vocals could handle almost any genre of music from soul and country to funk and R&B.
Parliament – "Give Up the Funk"
The Parliament-Funkadelic collaboration has been lauded as one of the greatest projects to come out of the funk music world. Parliament and Funkadelic went where no groove music artists had gone before and produced tracks that were decades ahead of their time.
Stevie Wonder – "Superstition"
Although most people associate the great Stevie Wonder more with R&B and soul than funk, he did write, produce, and sing this almost ubiquitous song that makes use of live drum- and guitar-work as well as synthesizers. The result is arguably the best of his funk compositions.
Zapp – "More Bounce to the Ounce"
"More Bounce to the Ounce" was co-produced by the renowned funk artist Bootsy Collins who also played guitar for the track. It was recorded and became popular in the 1980s but gained recognition once again in the 1990s after being heavily sampled by heavyweight rap acts such as the Notorious BIG.
James Brown – "Get Up Offa That Thing"
Is there anyone over the age of 30 who hasn't danced to this song? James Brown is known today as the Godfather of Soul but it is worth noting that he was also one of the music world's first funk artists. “Get Up Offa That Thing” is as groovy as groove music gets.
Rick James – "Super Freak"
This is the song to be heralded (or blamed) as the inspiration for MC Hammer’s biggest hits. The funk classic is best known for its catchy baseline and kinky lyrics.
The Isley Brothers – "It's Your Thing"
The Isley Brothers began as gospel singers and eventually found their footing and their place in music history as purveyors of soul and funky music. "It's Your Thing", among their most recognizable hist, was one of the best funk songs released in the 1960s.
James Brown – "I Got You (I Feel Good)"
Probably the most well-known song on this list, "I Got You (I Feel Good)" embodies the message and the essence of funk music.
Sly and the Family Stone – "I Wanna Take You Higher"
It is often said that black music can be categorized into two: black music before Sly and the Family Stone and black music after Sly and the Family Stone. This track was a popular hit that inspired the music of many artists and changed the sound of funk forever.
Funkadelic – "(Not Just) Knee Deep"
This song, from the album "Uncle Jam Wants You", has George Clinton on lead vocals and is actually 15 and a half minutes long, not a second of which is forgettable.
So there you have it, ten of the best when it comes to funk. Would you agree that these are 10 of the most popular funk songs in existence or are others on your mind? Would all of these songs make your top 100?
These are certainly ten of the best known and most played funk songs there have been by artists everybody would have heard of. Whether or not they are the best in everyone's opinion, they are all definitely enjoyable songs to listen to and dance to.