Best Funk Songs of All Time

1. 1
   JB
   ▶

   Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine

   James Brown · from Sex Machine (1970)

   The Godfather locks into an eternal groove.

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2. 2
   PA
   ▶

   Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)

   Parliament · from Mothership Connection (1975)

   P-Funk's cosmic party anthem.

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3. 3
   FU
   ▶

   One Nation Under a Groove

   Funkadelic · from One Nation Under a Groove (1978)

   A joyous call to the dancefloor.

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4. 4
   SA
   ▶

   I Want to Take You Higher

   Sly and the Family Stone · from Stand! (1969)

   Euphoric, horn-blasted psychedelic funk.

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5. 5
   AW
   ▶

   Pick Up the Pieces

   Average White Band · from AWB (1974)

   An instrumental funk classic with a killer horn line.

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6. 6
   OP
   ▶

   Fire

   Ohio Players · from Fire (1974)

   A chart-topping blast of hot, tight funk.

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7. 7
   RJ
   ▶

   Super Freak

   Rick James · from Street Songs (1981)

   A synth-bass hook everyone knows.

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8. 8
   ZA
   ▶

   More Bounce to the Ounce

   Zapp · from Zapp (1980)

   Talk-box electro-funk that shaped hip-hop.

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9. 9
   GB
   ▶

   You Dropped a Bomb on Me

   The Gap Band · from Gap Band IV (1982)

   Explosive, synth-driven party funk.

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10. 10
    CA
    ▶

    Word Up!

    Cameo · from Word Up! (1986)

    Sleek 80s funk with an unshakeable hook.

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11. 11
    K&
    ▶

    Jungle Boogie

    Kool & the Gang · from Wild and Peaceful (1973)

    A loose, infectious early-70s jam.

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12. 12
    BR
    ▶

    Stretchin' Out (In a Rubber Band)

    Bootsy's Rubber Band · from Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band (1976)

    Bootsy's rubbery bass at its most playful.

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13. 13
    PR
    ▶

    Forget Me Nots

    Patrice Rushen · from Straight from the Heart (1982)

    A smooth, much-sampled funk-soul gem.

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