Items12The creator’s order
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The Meters: Just Kissed My BabyNew Orleans funk at its most minimalist and lethal. George Porter Jr.'s prowling bass, Leo Nocentelli's muted wah-wah guitar scratches and Zigaboo Modeliste's idiosyncratic behind-the-beat drumming weave together into a clinic of syncopated space.0 - 2
Parliament: Flash LightBernie Worrell rewrote the sonic grammar of modern bass using three interconnected Minimoog synthesizers. Locked with Jerome Brailey's crisp rimshots and Bootsy Collins's rhythmic concepts, this 1977 anthem laid the groundwork for hip-hop and electro.0 - 3
Tower of Power: What Is Hip?Bay Area funk executed with surgical virtuosity. Francis 'Rocco' Prestia's relentless, muted sixteenth-note fingerstyle bassline and David Garibaldi's linear drumming lock into a rhythm section machine that powers the razor-sharp five-piece horn section.0 - 4
Stevie Wonder: Higher GroundRecorded with Stevie playing every single instrument himself in a three-hour trance of inspiration. The driving percussive pulse of his envelope-filtered Hohner Clavinet D6 and Moog synthesizer bass create a propulsive funk train that never wavers.0 - 5
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan: Tell Me Something GoodWritten by Stevie Wonder for Rufus, this slow-burning groove is built on Tony Maiden's pioneering talk-box guitar riff and Bobby Watson's fat, deliberate bass notes. Chaka Khan's incandescent vocal delivery glides over a rhythm that leaves massive breathing room.0 - 6
Earth, Wind & Fire: Serpentine FireMaurice White constructed this polyrhythmic tour de force with breathtaking attention to detail. Verdine White's melodic bass hooks, Fred White's driving percussion, delicate kalimba plucks and the Phenix Horns' piercing fanfares create an unstoppable groove machine.0 - 7
Kool & The Gang: Jungle BoogieBuilt around Robert 'Kool' Bell's rumbling, foundational bass riff and Charles Smith's percussive rhythm guitar chops, this 1973 hit is pure physical power. Dennis Thomas's vocal chants and horn stabs provide instant, electrifying street excitement.0 - 8
The J.B.'s: Pass the PeasArranged by trombonist Fred Wesley and overseen by James Brown, this instrumental masterclass demonstrates the concept of the one in its purest form. John 'Jabo' Starks's snare work and Hearlon 'Cheese' Martin's chicken-scratch guitar leave no wasted motion.0 - 9
Sly and the Family Stone: If You Want Me to StayA nineteen-year-old Rustee Allen stepped into Larry Graham's shoes and delivered one of the most melodic, bouncy basslines ever recorded. Sly Stone cushions it with muted Clavinet chords and gentle brass whispers, keeping the groove impeccably cool.0 - 10
Commodores: Brick HouseDriven by Ronald LaPread's instantly recognisable walking bassline and Walter Orange's thumping kick drum, Brick House is a masterclass in heavy four-on-the-floor funk. Chester Fortune's staccato guitar fills stitch every vocal phrase together.0
