Funk / Soul-Funk / Groove R&B
familyStarted 1967Peak 1972-1985Last big hit still active
Bass-forward, rhythm-heavy soul where the groove is the song. Syncopated 'on the one' drums, slapped and popped electric bass, choppy rhythm guitar, stacked horns or synth stabs, and gang-chant or shouted soul vocals. Danceable, sweaty, locked-pocket music spanning live-band funk, synth-funk, post-disco boogie and funk-sampling rap.
History
Crystallized when James Brown shifted soul's emphasis from melody to the downbeat in the late '60s and Sly & the Family Stone and Larry Graham added slap bass. Through the '70s, P-Funk, Tower of Power and Ohio Players built band funk; the '80s brought synth-driven Minneapolis funk and boogie. The grooves later fueled West Coast G-funk and a 2010s funk revival.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funk
- https://timeline.carnegiehall.org/genres/funk
- https://www.britannica.com/art/funk