[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: Must-Listen Classic Albums for Beginners (31–40)
SuperflyCurtis Mayfield
A song from the soundtrack of the 1972 film “Superfly.” It celebrates the cunning and determination of the film’s main character.
The soul musician Curtis Mayfield, who created and produced the song, also appears in the movie.
Knee DeepFunkadelic
This track by Funkadelic, which established the P-Funk genre and fused funk with psychedelia, is famous as the original song sampled in De La Soul’s 1989 hit “Me Myself and I.” The sampled track is great, but the original really is the best!
Papa Was A Rolling StoneThe Temptations
It’s a psychedelic soul song by The Temptations, released in 1972.
It reached No.
1 on the Billboard chart and won three Grammy Awards in 1973.
Even today, it is regarded as an influential classic.
Atomic DogGeorge Clinton
Speaking of George Clinton, he is the leader of groups like Parliament and Funkadelic and is also known as the founder of so-called P-Funk—one of the most important figures in the soul and funk music scene.
The album he released under his solo name in 1982 is Computer Games.
It includes tracks like Atomic Dog, which was released as a single and hit No.
1 on the U.S.
R&B chart, and it skillfully fuses traditional funk with the then state-of-the-art electronics and synthesizer sounds.
It can be said that the work was made possible by Clinton’s youthful curiosity even in his forties.
Super FreakRick James
One of Rick James’s signature songs, released in 1981.
The slang “freak” in the song is used to refer to a wild, unruly girl.
It’s also well known for being sampled later in MC Hammer’s 1990 hit “U Can’t Touch This.”
[Western Music] Tracing the Roots of Funk: Essential Albums You Should Hear at Least Once [Beginners] (41–50)
Flash LightParliament
Parliament, one of the two leading bands representing P-Funk.
It’s hard to believe these tracks are from the ’70s! Needless to say, this song has had a tremendous influence on countless artists across various genres.
Especially for hip-hop fans, you can’t speak on the culture without knowing P-Funk!
I’d Rather Be with YouBootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins, who hails from James Brown’s backing band and also thrived as a core member of George Clinton’s P-Funk, is renowned as one of the quintessential bassists in funk music.
Under the name Bootsy’s Rubber Band as well as his own, he has released numerous hit songs.
The compilation we’re featuring here, released in 1994, covers most of the hit singles put out between 1976 and 1982, making it a perfect one-stop pick for anyone who wants a quick introduction to his peak-era work.