Funky Vibes: The Past and Present of Funk Music
Even if you don’t actually listen to funk as a music genre, many people unconsciously use the adjective “funky,” don’t they?
As a word that’s already woven into everyday life, what kind of image do you all have of “funk”?
Funk, whose prototype is said to have emerged in the 1960s, has continued to be loved into the 2020s, evolving in form and powering countless hit songs.
This time, we’ll bring you a wide array of classics—from foundational funk essentials to disco, mellow groove, and contemporary funk.
You just might encounter the destined masterpiece that awakens the funkiness sleeping inside you!
- Recommended Western funk bands. Popular overseas bands.
- Recommended Japanese funk bands. Funky Japanese artists.
- [Western Music] Tracing the Roots of Funk: Essential Albums Beginners Should Hear at Least Once
- Why Classic Disco Music Is Still Loved Today
- Legends of soul music: its history and allure revisited through classic songs
- Summary of representative Western funk artists and groups
- A classic jazz-funk masterpiece. A popular recommended track that offers a different flavor from traditional jazz.
- [Definitive Edition] Masterpieces of 70s Disco Music
- Dance music in Japanese (J-pop) that people in their 50s used to listen to. Nostalgic classic hits.
- [Japanese R&B] Notable Classics & New Tracks, Representative Songs of Japanese R&B
- Relive those feelings from back in the day! Youth anthems recommended for the Yutori generation
- A roundup of classic Western jazz-funk albums—from staples to the latest releases
- [For Beginners] A Roundup of Classic Popular Soul/Funk Bands
Feelin’ Funky: Funk Music Past and Present (11–20)
Them ChangesThundercat
Born in Los Angeles and raised in a musical family, Stephen Bruner—better known by his artist name Thundercat—is a phenomenal bassist, singer-songwriter, and Grammy-winning producer who’s active across many fields.
A devoted Japanophile and big fan of Japanese anime, Thundercat is also a familiar, likable figure to many of us.
Them Changes, a track from his third album Drunk released in 2017, is one of his signature songs and a favorite of Ariana Grande.
Its undulating, groove-heavy bass line and synth-driven funk exude a sophisticated mellowness and a futuristic vibe, creating a sonic world that could only be Thundercat’s.
Don’t miss the fact that his fellow LA native and close friend Kamasi Washington joins on sax.
Although the lyrics are essentially a plaintive, heartbroken lament, the music video is intriguingly themed around samurai.
(Not Just) Knee DeepFunkadelic
As a feature on funk music, we simply can’t leave out Funkadelic.
Formed in parallel by George Clinton—progenitor of P-Funk and leader of Parliament—the band included marquee names like P-Funk’s flagship bassist Bootsy Collins and keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and in its early days fused psychedelic rock with funk.
The track we’re highlighting here, “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” was a 1979 hit and a bona fide classic loved as a funk standard.
It’s hugely popular with the hip-hop generation as well; from De La Soul’s “Me Myself And I” onward, its explosively funky synth tones and catchy chorus have made it an obvious go-to for sampling.
Forget the logic, let it drift far away, and dance wherever your body takes you!
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)Parliament
A regular on the theme of all-time funk greats—and truly a masterpiece among masterpieces—this is the classic of funk classics: “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)”! Performed by Parliament, led by George Clinton, one of the world’s most famous funk bands and the originator of so-called P-Funk, the track appears on their hit 1976 album Mothership Connection and became their biggest hit single.
From its anthemic chorus to the uncanny groove where every instrument seems to drive the beat rather than carry a melody, every aspect earns its status as a classic.
It’s no surprise that it’s also hugely popular as a sampling source.
The title itself is a kind of paradox, hinting at a sly intelligence that adds to its allure.
Maria TambiénKhruangbin
Among today’s funk bands, the most talked-about rising act is surely Khruangbin, a trio from Houston, Texas.
Their name, which you might not know how to pronounce at first glance, is said “Kruangbin,” and it was chosen by the group’s elegant lone female member, bassist Laura Lee, who studied Thai.
Drawing influence from funk in Thailand, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, they craft exotically tinged grooves that have already earned high praise worldwide.
The track featured here, Maria También, appears on their breakout second album from 2018, Con Todo El Mundo.
It’s a cool, danceable number that incorporates flavors of Afghan music, among others.
The main guitar phrase feels completely different from what you’d call a typical rock approach, giving it a uniquely beguiling charm.
Keep in mind: this is the kind of funk that’s being made right now, in real time!
Super FreakRick James
For music lovers who adore funk, the bassline of this track is nothing short of a classic—legendary, even.
It’s the masterpiece “Super Freak,” released in 1981 by Rick James, a quintessential funk musician who was both a genius and an eccentric, and who achieved major success through the 1970s and 1980s.
It’s also well known for being sampled by M.C.
Hammer in his massive hit “U Can’t Touch This.” Rick’s bassline, which pulses throughout the entire track, has an almost magical allure, and the song itself stands as a truly sensual funk classic, boasting a level of quality that will go down in history.
It showcases Rick’s extraordinary talent both as a bassist and as a composer.