Kool & the Gang started out as jazz-loving childhood friends who cut their debut album in 1969. Keeping the jazzy horns but tightening up their grooves, they quickly became one of the biggest funk bands during the genre's '70s heyday. Their earliest hits, including the iconic "Jungle Boogie," featured brassy hooks that helped them cross over to pop radio while maintaining their R&B credibility. After the disco era, the band evolved further, adding synthesizers and new lead singer James "JT" Taylor for a string of classic Top 10 hits into the mid-'80s.