Funk
Also known as funk music
A rhythm-first American dance genre that emerged from soul and R&B, then spread outward into pop, hip-hop, and modern groove-based music.
Origins and context
Documented histories place funk’s emergence in mid-1960s United States Black popular music, especially around soul and R&B scenes.
The sound
Characteristics
- Electric bass
- Drums
- Rhythmic guitar
- Horns
- Keyboards
- Vocals
How to listen
Listen for
- The bass line carrying the song forward
- Drums emphasizing the pocket and downbeat
- Short, interlocking guitar or horn figures
- Call-and-response vocals or chants
History
Funk took shape in the United States in the mid-1960s out of soul, R&B, blues, gospel, and related Black popular music traditions. James Brown is widely documented as a key progenitor, and sources from the Smithsonian and Apple Music describe how his mid-1960s recordings pushed popular music toward a stripped-down, rhythm-first approach that helped define the genre. (si.edu) By the end of the 1960s, artists such as Sly and the Family Stone had widened funk’s palette with rock textures, social commentary, and a bigger pop reach. Later funk fed directly into disco, hip-hop, and other dance-oriented styles, while groups like Parliament-Funkadelic carried the sound into louder, stranger, and more cosmic territory.
Notable artists
- JBJames Brown
- SASly and the Family Stone
- PParliament-Funkadelic
Essential listening
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
