Items12The creator’s order
  1. 1Fresh (1973)Fresh (1973)Released 1 Jan 1973Sly Stone stripped funk down to its bare, unpredictable nervous system. With Rustee Allen's agile, stuttering basslines and Andy Newmark's ultra-tight, dry hi-hat work replacing massive horn fanfares, tracks like In Time and If You Want Me to Stay constantly shift accents, leaving spaces where…0
  2. 2Innervisions (1973)Innervisions (1973)Released 1 Jan 1973Playing drums, Clavinet and Moog bass himself across most of the record, Stevie Wonder achieved an astonishing degree of rhythmic elasticity. The cascading sixteenth-note Clavinet bounce of Higher Ground and the loping, street-level syncopation of Living for the City prove that funk can carry…0
  3. 3Back to Oakland (1974)Back to Oakland (1974)Released 1 Jan 1974Tower of Power's 1974 record is a textbook in rhythmic complexity. Francis 'Rocco' Prestia's muted sixteenth-note fingerstyle bass locks with David Garibaldi's ghost-note snare patterns, so the groove seems to shift weight every bar. Play What Is Hip? for the vocal version of that engine, then the…0
  4. 4Rejuvenation (1974)Rejuvenation (1974)Released 1 Jan 1974The Meters built New Orleans funk on second-line parade rhythms and a relaxed, behind-the-beat swing. Joseph 'Zigaboo' Modeliste's idiosyncratic snare syncopation, George Porter Jr.'s heavy melodic bass and Leo Nocentelli's scratching rhythm guitar keep trading the lead, which is why Just Kissed My…0
  5. 5Rags to Rufus (1974)Rags to Rufus (1974)Released 1 Jan 1974Rufus balanced rock muscle with Chicago soul, anchored by Chaka Khan's peerless phrasing. On the Stevie Wonder-penned Tell Me Something Good, Tony Maiden's talk-box guitar and Dennis Belfield's elastic bass set up a slow, grinding pocket that keeps opening and closing around her voice; the rest of…0
  6. 6Skin Tight (1974)Skin Tight (1974)Released 1 Jan 1974The Ohio Players came out of Dayton as one of funk's most disciplined rhythm machines. Marshall 'Rock' Jones's hypnotic bass and James 'Diamond' Williams's crisp drumming roll the title track along at a languid crawl, then Jive Turkey shows the same band switching to a jauntier strut, with sultry…0
  7. 7That's the Way of the World (1975)That's the Way of the World (1975)Released 1 Jan 1975Maurice White and Charles Stepney elevated funk into symphonic grandeur without sacrificing the groove. Verdine White's driving, melodic bass work and Ralph Johnson's percussion weave seamlessly through complex brass fanfares and uplifting vocal harmonies, making Shining Star and the title track…0
  8. 8Mothership Connection (1975)Mothership Connection (1975)Released 1 Jan 1975George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell turned funk into a cosmic opera. Bootsy's squelching Space Bass and Jerome Brailey's immaculate pocket drumming anchor soaring horn fanfares from Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley, proving that theatrical space mythology and serious, unshakeable groove…0
  9. 9Stretchin' Out In (1976)Stretchin' Out In (1976)Released 1 Jan 1976William 'Bootsy' Collins stepped forward with his own Rubber Band to showcase his inventive, envelope-filtered bass wizardry. Balancing outrageous party grooves like Psychoticbumpschool with tender, melodic slow jams like I'd Rather Be with You, Bootsy treats the bass as both lead melodic voice and…0
  10. 10One Nation Under a Groove (1978)One Nation Under a Groove (1978)Released 1 Jan 1978Funkadelic's Detroit masterpiece merges psychedelic rock guitars with joyous collective dance music. Rodney 'Skeet' Curtis's walking basslines, Michael Hampton's blistering guitar leads and soaring gospel-rooted vocal arrangements transform the title track and Cholly into anthems of spiritual and…0