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!
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- 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
- A roundup of classic Western jazz-funk albums—from staples to the latest releases
- [For Beginners] A Roundup of Classic Popular Soul/Funk Bands
- [Definitive Edition] Masterpieces and Hit Songs of 80s Disco
- R&B Masterpieces in Western Music: From the Latest Hits to Timeless Classics [2025]
- Back to those nostalgic days… Classic and hit Western songs of the 1960s
- Classic fusion music masterpieces. Recommended staple tracks.
Funky Feelings — Funk Music: Past and Present (141–150)
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.
Funky Vibes — Funk Music: Past and Present (151–160)
Play That Funky MusicWild Cherry
This is also a straightforward, masculine, classic funk in E with a single chord.
The unison vocals create a thick, powerful groove.
If you can play this rhythm pattern, you can pretty much join any jam session.
That kind of classic, straight-ahead vibe struck me again as really cool.
Sugah DaddyD’Angelo and The Vanguard
A sensual track featuring funky grooves, soulful piano, and a jazzy horn section.
It is included on American artist D’Angelo’s third album, Black Messiah, released in 2014.
FireOhio Players
They were a band that became a hit at the height of the 1970s disco sound.
Characterized by light, rhythmic cutting-style guitar, they brilliantly popularized funk, which typically features heavy bass.
The song is marked by electric guitar riffs played in the breaks, with a groovy sound trading back and forth—ultimately taking the number one spot in the U.
S.
Electric KingdomTwilight 22
A track released under the name Twilight 22 by Gordon Bahary, a synthesizer player who has worked with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and Ramsey Lewis.
It was sampled in DJ Maestro’s 1988 track “Cali Cuts.”