Funk Essentials

Apple Music Soul/Funk
Updated Last Week

As James Brown told both his audiences and his impeccably well-drilled band members, it’s all about “the one.” That’s what the Godfather of Soul called the downbeat, the rhythmic building block whose importance became paramount as black musicians of the ‘50s and ‘60s pared down the sounds of soul, jazz, and R&B to the barest fundamentals of rhythm and groove. Along with Brown, the supremely funky likes of Sly & the Family Stone, The Meters, and George Clinton’s sprawling Parliament-Funkadelic family spent the ‘70s making people move with music whose momentum, exuberance, and sheer relentlessness were irresistible to anything with a pulse. In the process, they created a versatile vocabulary that D’Angelo, Galactic, and other latter-day funkateers are all too happy to expand and adapt to their own rubbery and rhythmic purposes.
Parliament
Flash Light
Parliament
Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome
Curtis Mayfield
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
Superfly (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)
Stevie Wonder
Superstition
Stevie Wonder
Talking Book
James Brown
The Payback
James Brown
The Payback
Ohio Players
Love Rollercoaster
Ohio Players
Honey
Prince & The Revolution
Kiss
Prince & The Revolution
Parade (Music from the Motion Picture Under the Cherry Moon)
War
Low Rider
War
Why Can't We Be Friends?
Kool & The Gang
Jungle Boogie
Kool & The Gang
Wild and Peaceful
Sly & The Family Stone
I Want to Take You Higher (Single Version) [Bonus Track]
Sly & The Family Stone
Stand (Bonus Tracks Edition)
The Bar-Kays
Shake Your Rump to the Funk
The Bar-Kays
Funk Essentials: The Best of the Bar-Kays
The Isley Brothers
It's Your Thing
The Isley Brothers
It's Our Thing
LaBelle
Lady Marmalade
LaBelle
Nightbirds
Wild Cherry
Play That Funky Music
Wild Cherry
Wild Cherry
Rick James
Give It to Me Baby
Rick James
Street Songs
Brick
Dazz
Brick
Waiting on You
George Clinton
Atomic Dog
George Clinton
Computer Games
Zapp & Roger
More Bounce to the Ounce
Zapp & Roger
Zapp & Roger: All the Greatest Hits
The Gap Band
You Dropped a Bomb on Me
The Gap Band
Gap Gold - Best of the Gap Band
Mary Jane Girls
In My House
Mary Jane Girls
Only Four You
The J.B.'s
Pass the Peas (Single Version)
The J.B.'s
The Singles, Vol. 8: 1972-1973
Earth, Wind & Fire
Shining Star
Earth, Wind & Fire
That's The Way Of The World
The Commodores
Brick House
The Commodores
The Commodores
The Meters
Look-Ka Py Py
The Meters
Look-Ka Py Py
Rufus
Tell Me Something Good (feat. Chaka Khan)
Rufus
Rags to Rufus
Aretha Franklin
Rock Steady
Aretha Franklin
Young, Gifted and Black
Con Funk Shun
Chase Me
Con Funk Shun
The Best of Con Funk Shun
Cameo
Shake Your Pants
Cameo
Cameosis
Tower Of Power
What Is Hip?
Tower Of Power
The Very Best of Tower of Power: The Warner Years
Dr. John
Right Place Wrong Time
Dr. John
In the Right Place
Marvin Gaye
Got to Give It Up, Pt. 1
Marvin Gaye
Every Great Motown Hit of Marvin Gaye
Average White Band
Pick Up the Pieces
Average White Band
AWB
Ohio Players
Fire
Ohio Players
Gold
Parliament
Give up the Funk (Tear the Roof fff the Sucker)
Parliament
Mothership Connection
Mandrill
Fencewalk
Mandrill
The Best of Mandrill
Betty Davis
They Say I'm Different
Betty Davis
They Say I'm Different
Prince & The New Power Generation
Sexy M.F.
Prince & The New Power Generation
[Love Symbol]
The Brothers Johnson
Get the Funk out Ma Face
The Brothers Johnson
Look Out for #1
Cymande
Bra
Cymande
Cymande
James Brown
Get Up I Feel Like Being Like A Sex Machine, Pts. 1 & 2 (feat. The Original J.B.s)
James Brown
Funk Power 1970: A Brand New Thang (feat. The Original J.B.s)
Isaac Hayes
Theme from Shaft
Isaac Hayes
Shaft (Music From the Soundtrack)
Osibisa
Wango Wango
Osibisa
Heads
Sly & The Family Stone
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) [Single Version]
Sly & The Family Stone
Higher!
Stevie Wonder
Higher Ground
Stevie Wonder
Innervisions
Heatwave
The Groove Line
Heatwave
Central Heating
Lakeside
Fantastic Voyage
Lakeside
Fantastic Voyage
Tom Tom Club
Genius of Love
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Fatback Band
Backstrokin'
Fatback Band
Hot Box
The Bar-Kays
Too Hot to Stop, Pt. 1
The Bar-Kays
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Bar-Kays
Kool & The Gang
Funky Stuff
Kool & The Gang
Wild and Peaceful
George Duke
Dukey Stick (Part One)
George Duke
Don't Let Go (Expanded Edition)
Bootsy Collins
Bootzilla
Bootsy Collins
Back In the Day: The Best of Bootsy
Maceo & The Macks
Soul Power 74
Maceo & The Macks
James Brown's Funky People, Pt. 2
Earth, Wind & Fire
Getaway
Earth, Wind & Fire
Greatest Hits
The Gap Band
Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
The Gap Band
Gap Band 3
Carl Carlton
She's A Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked) [Single Version]
Carl Carlton
Carl Carlton (Expanded Edition)
Rick James
Super Freak
Rick James
Street Songs
Slave
Stellar Fungk
Slave
The Concept
Cameo
Word Up
Cameo
Gold
Klymaxx
The Men All Pause
Klymaxx
Meeting In the Ladies Room
Dazz Band
Let It Whip
Dazz Band
Keep It Live (Expanded Edition)
The Isley Brothers
Get Into Something
The Isley Brothers
Get Into Something
The Commodores
Machine Gun
The Commodores
Machine Gun
Billy Preston
Outa-Space
Billy Preston
I Wrote a Simple Song
Graham Central Station
The Jam
Graham Central Station
Ain't No 'Bout-A-doubt It
Tom Browne
Funkin' for Jamaica
Tom Browne
Funkin' for Jamaica
The Meters
Cissy Strut
The Meters
The Meters
The O'Jays
For the Love of Money
The O'Jays
Ship Ahoy
Kool & The Gang
Hollywood Swinging (Single Version)
Kool & The Gang
Wild and Peaceful
Eric Burdon & War
Magic Mountain
Eric Burdon & War
Love Is All Around
James Brown
Get on the Good Foot, Pts. 1 & 2
James Brown
Get on the Good Foot
Curtis Mayfield
(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below We're All Going To Go
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis (Expanded Edition)
B.T. Express
Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)
B.T. Express
Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)
The Temptations
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
Cloud Nine
Maxayn
Trying for Days
Maxayn
Reloaded
Betty Davis
Nasty Gal
Betty Davis
Nasty Gal
Mutiny
Lump
Mutiny
Mutiny On the Mamaship
Cameo
Rigor Mortis (Original 12" Mix)
Cameo
Funk Essentials - The 12" Collection and More: Cameo
Funkadelic
One Nation Under a Groove
Funkadelic
Young Soul Rebels (Original Soundtrack) [Remastered]
Con Funk Shun
Ffun
Con Funk Shun
Secrets
Sly & The Family Stone
Skin I'm In
Sly & The Family Stone
Fresh (Bonus Tracks Edition)
Allen Toussaint
Victims of the Darkness
Allen Toussaint
Life, Love and Faith
Earth, Wind & Fire
Saturday Nite
Earth, Wind & Fire
Spirit
Average White Band
Cut the Cake (Single Edit)
Average White Band
Cut the Cake
The J.B.'s
Doing It to Death, Pts. 1 & 2
The J.B.'s
Doing It to Death
The Pharaohs
Somebody's Been Sleeping
The Pharaohs
Awakening
Stevie Wonder
Boogie On Reggae Woman
Stevie Wonder
Fulfillingness' First Finale
The Bar-Kays
Holy Ghost
The Bar-Kays
The Best of the Bar-Kays (Remastered)
Prince & The New Power Generation
Gett Off
Prince & The New Power Generation
The Hits / The B-Sides
Bootsy Collins
Stretchin' Out (In a Rubber Band)
Bootsy Collins
Stretchin' Out In Bootsy's Rubber Band
Rick James
Dance Wit' Me
Rick James
Throwin' Down
The Gap Band
Early In The Morning
The Gap Band
Gap Band IV
Switch
We Like to Party...Come On
Switch
Switch
Zapp
Dance Floor
Zapp
Zapp II
Lyn Collins
Mr. Big Stuff
Lyn Collins
Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me By Now
The Isley Brothers
Fight the Power (Pt. 1 & 2)
The Isley Brothers
It's Your Thing: The Story Of The Isley Brothers
Ohio Players
Skin Tight
Ohio Players
Skin Tight
The Meters
Just Kissed My Baby
The Meters
Rejuvenation
Funkadelic
Get Off Your Ass and Jam
Funkadelic
Let's Take It To the Stage
James Brown & The James Brown Band
Ain't It Funky Now, Pts. 1 & 2
James Brown & The James Brown Band
Ain't It Funky
99 Songs, 8 Hours, 12 Minutes

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