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May 15, 2024 · The groove is undeniable when it comes to funk music—thumping bass lines, syncopated rhythms and a flair for blending soul, jazz, and R&B into an irresistible dance-inducing mix. This list celebrates the best funk bands of all time, inviting funk enthusiasts to weigh in on these soulful maestros.
- The Bands & Artists
- Lakeside
- Closing Thoughts
50. Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Formed: 2000 Best Known Track: Funky Donkey Sammie Williams (Big Sam) has been leading his Funky Nation since 2000. He had a recurring role in Treme, the HBO series following New Orleans residents rebuilding their lives post-Katrina.
49. Trombone Shorty
Born: 1986 Best Known Track: Hold Up, Wait a Minute Troy Andrews has been producing and playing music since his first appearance on stage at four alongside Bo Diddley. He’s led numerous groups and appeared as a sideman on a plethora of albums.
48. Galactic
Formed: 1994 Best Known Track: Into The Deep (feat. Macy Gray) A jam band of the finest order from New Orleans, Galactic incorporates funk, jazz, hip hop, brass band, and electronic into an ever-changing style. They are a mainstay of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. During Lundi Gras, they play until the sun rises on the day of Mardi Gras.
Formed: 1969 Best Known Track: Fantastic Voyage Before finding success with Solar Records and their hit single, It’s All the Way Live, Lakeside was a Motown group finding little success. But the 1980s would change all that as they stormed the charts with Fantastic Voyageand other funk hits.
We hope you enjoyed our roundup of the best funk bands and artists of all time! Why not check out our list of the best grunge bandsnext?
- Big Gigantic
- Isaac Hayes – “Theme from ‘Shaft'” Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for two weeks beginning Nov. 20, 1971.
- Wild Cherry – “Play That Funky Music” Hot 100 peak: No. 1 for three weeks beginning Sept. 18, 1976. Listen here.
- Lyn Collins – “Think (About It)” Hot 100 peak: No. 66 for two weeks beginning Sept. 30, 1972. Listen here.
- The Isley Brothers – “It’s Your Thing” Hot 100 peak: No. 2 for one week: May 3, 1969. Listen here.
- 12 min
- James Brown – The Payback. Where to begin with James Brown, one of funk’s foremost founding fathers and greatest exponents? Well, 1973’s The Payback is probably as good a place as any.
- Isaac Hayes – Shaft. In the late 1960s, Stax songwriter, producer, and musician Isaac Hayes launched a career as a solo artist – his second album, Hot Buttered Soul, is rightly lauded as one of the greatest soul albums of all time.
- Funkadelic – Maggot Brain. George Clinton started out singing doo-wop, but by the end of the 1960s he found his groove, thanks to a fusion of soul, psychedelia, and funk.
- Rick James – Street Songs. Having formed a teenage band with Neil Young, Rick James, the nephew of one of the Temptations, eventually shot to fame in the 70s after signing to Motown.
- James Brown. Widely known as the Godfather of Soul (and rightfully so) James Brown started his music career in Toccoa, Georgia, as a gospel singer. In the mid-1950s, he gained national public attention as the lead singer of a rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd called The Famous Flames.
- Sly Stone. Sly Stone is an American musician, record producer, and songwriter who was one of the main American musicians in the 1970s. He was the head of his group called Sly & The Family Stone, and this group was the first multiracial band that gained traction internationally.
- Joe Tex. In the mid-1960s, he began to soar in his career. In 1965, Joe Tex scored 6 top-40 hit singles on the R&B charts. Some of these hits were “S.Y.S.L.J.E.M” and “The Love You Save”.
- George Clinton. George Edward Clinton is an American funk singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and bandleader. His Parliament-Funkadelic group was first called the distinct band names, Parliament and Funkadelic.
Sep 20, 2022 · Classic Rock. The Top 20 Greatest Funk Rock Songs. By Paul Elliott. ( Classic Rock ) last updated 20 September 2022. From Led Zeppelin and Mother’s Finest to Lenny Kravitz and Red Hot Chili Peppers, these are the songs that built funk rock. Red Hot Chili Peppers: funk rock kings(Image credit: Michel Linssen\/Redferns)
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