1970s funk: the sound, the scenes and the story
Funk moved the centre of gravity from the melody to the groove. In the 1970s that idea ran in several directions at once, from P-Funk’s cosmic parties to horn-driven arena bands and the dance floors of disco.
What makes it funk
Funk treats every instrument as part of the rhythm. Guitars play short, choppy patterns instead of chords that ring out; the bass line carries the hook; horns punch in like drums. James Brown’s bands made the approach famous in the late 1960s by stressing the first beat of the bar, “the one,” and building everything around it. His former players, including bassist Bootsy Collins and saxophonist Maceo Parker, went on to shape the next decade.
The main lines of 70s funk
Sly Stone and psychedelic soul
Sly & the Family Stone were a racially integrated, mixed-gender band that fused soul, rock and funk. Their 1971 album There’s a Riot Goin’ On turned inward and murky, with an early drum machine audible on several tracks. It’s a slower, darker record than their hits, and worth hearing after you know the singles.
Parliament-Funkadelic
George Clinton ran two overlapping bands. Funkadelic leaned toward heavy, guitar-led psychedelia, with Maggot Brain (1971) as the landmark. Parliament was the horn-and-concept side, with Mothership Connection (1975) as the most accessible way in. Together with Bootsy Collins and keyboardist Bernie Worrell they built a sound hip-hop producers later sampled heavily.
The big bands
Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang and the Ohio Players toured and recorded as large ensembles with horn sections. Their records are cleaner and more arranged than P-Funk, and they crossed over to the pop charts.
New Orleans
The Meters, the city’s leading studio band, played a sparse, syncopated funk rooted in second-line parade rhythms. Their records feel loose, but every part locks together.
Soundtracks and message funk
Curtis Mayfield’s Super Fly (1972) and War’s The World Is a Ghetto (1972) pair grooves with pointed social commentary. Stevie Wonder’s run of 70s albums, including Innervisions (1973), brought synthesizers into the mix.
The road to disco
Philadelphia’s studio musicians gave soul a steady four-on-the-floor pulse (see Philly soul), and by the late 70s disco had taken over dance floors. Chic, led by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards, made disco records with funk-band chops. Their 1979 hit “Good Times” supplied the bass line interpolated on the first big rap hit, “Rapper’s Delight”.
Where to start
We picked eight albums that each represent a different strand above, with what to listen for in each: Essential 1970s funk albums: where to start.
Funk and your speakers: this music lives in the low end. On phone or laptop speakers the bass lines largely disappear. Our guide to powered speakers for a small listening room explains what size of speaker gets the bass back.
Next in the story
Funk’s drum breaks became the foundation of early hip-hop. Its synths and bass lines carried on into 1980s R&B.