[Western Music] Tracing the Roots of Funk: Essential Albums Beginners Should Hear at Least Once
This may be sudden, but are you familiar with the music genre called “funk”? Even if you aren’t, you’ve probably heard the word “funky” in everyday life.
As a music genre, funk took shape in the 1960s and reached its peak from the 1970s onward, when many popular bands released hit funk tracks.
Funk music has had a major influence on later generations—modern hip-hop artists still love sampling songs from that era.
In this article, especially for beginners, we’ll introduce must-listen classic funk albums to get you started!
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[Western Music] Tracing the Roots of Funk: A Collection of Must-Listen Classic Albums for Beginners (21–30)
Between The SheetsIsley Brothers
The Isley Brothers have been active for more than half a century.
Their timeless classics are still being covered and sampled by many artists today, so chances are you’ve heard their songs at least once.
Among them, I believe the masterpiece of masterpieces is Between the Sheets.
Get Down On ItKool and The Gang
Formed in New Jersey in 1964, they are a flagship band of the soul-funk scene with a long-running career.
After their 1973 single “Funky Stuff” became a smash hit, they followed up with a string of successes like “Jungle Boogie” and “Hollywood Swinging.” Even into the 1980s, they continued to release many hit singles, including “Celebration” and “Get Down On It.” Their 1983 compilation album, Never Cool With Kool & The Gang, features many of their peak-era hits, making it a quick and easy way to enjoy the charm of a group renowned for crafting funky, pop-savvy tracks.
[Western Music] Tracing the Roots of Funk: Must-Listen Classic Albums for Beginners (31–40)
UpTown FunkMark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
Released in 2015, this song won numerous music awards and arguably reintroduced the brilliance of funk music to the world.
By proving that funk never loses its shine, it reached listeners of all ages in all kinds of settings.
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get EnoughMichael Jackson
A song produced by Michael Jackson and co-produced with Quincy Jones.
It held the No.
1 spot on the Billboard Soul chart for six weeks.
With this song, he won his first solo Grammy Award and American Music Award.
It was the first track to showcase his talent as a singer-songwriter and has been covered by many musicians.
Lady MarmaladePatti LaBelle
This song was a massive hit in 1974.
In 2001, Christina Aguilera and others covered it as the theme song for the film Moulin Rouge, and it became a big hit once again! Even after nearly 30 years, it’s impossible not to think that a true classic remains a classic—this is one of those songs that continues to captivate many people.
Jungle BoogieKool and The Gang
It’s a funk song released in 1973 by the American soul, R&B, and funk band Kool & the Gang.
It was very popular in nightclubs at the time.
It’s also known for being used by ECW wrestler 2 Cold Scorpio as his entrance theme song.
Party On PlasticBootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins, a heavyweight of P-Funk, is instantly recognizable by his trademark star-shaped sunglasses and a seriously funky look.
His punchy, deep voice—yet clear, almost translucent singing—is captivating.
This is a classic from the era when trends were shifting toward hip-hop.