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
Funky Feelings — Funk Music: Past and Present (141–150)
Papa Was A Rollin’ StoneThe Temptations
The Temptations were the cornerstone of the Motown sound in the 1960s and its biggest hitmakers, but as the 1970s began, their sound shifted strongly toward funk.
Among these, the song released in 1973 under Norman Whitfield’s direction not only reached No.
1 in the United States, but was impactful enough to change the very image of the Temptations.
Jungle LoveThe Time
A classic funk track released in 1984 by The Time.
It is considered a quintessential example of the Minneapolis sound that gained popularity from the mid to late 1980s.
It was sampled in DJ Assault’s 1997 track of the same name.
The BirdThe Time
A band that branched off from Prince’s circle.
Most of the composing and arranging was done by Prince, so it feels like Prince’s songs with a different vocalist.
The style is attraction-like, and the songs were created as numbers to be performed within a show.
They feature distinctly ’80s drum effects and shimmering synthesizers.
Amen brotherwinstons
A funk band from Washington, D.C.
in the 1960s, consisting of six members.
This instrumental track was released as the B-side, with “Color Him Father” on the A-side.
It’s a song with a beautiful melody.
WarEdwin Starr
Edwin Starr, who rose to prominence in Detroit from the mid-1960s and became a top star of Northern Soul, took this song to No.
1 in the U.S.
in 1970.
As the title suggests, it’s a song about the Vietnam War.
Not only its funky sound but also its lyrics resonated deeply, and Bruce Springsteen continues to perform it on stage to this day.