Five floor-filling and fabulous 1970s funk songs 

It’s time for some funk again. It came to mind when I wrote recently about rock artists many Millennials won’t know. That mentioned a funk band and had me looking out for some more great sounds from the 1970s. It’s a favorite decade for so many reasons. 

The 1970s had so much going on musically. A wide range of sounds across many genres. Funk didn't start then; James Brown was doing his thing from the 1960s as were other top funk stars. Other artists brought funk more to the fore in their music in the 1970s like Stevie Wonder with “Superstition”.  There was plenty of room for many more great funk bands and their music. 

Funk has continued to be prominent ever since. We've even seen breakouts, at times adding new variations of subgenres to the sound. Looking back, though, the 1970s might have been the funkiest decade so far. As always that's going to be a matter of debate and opinion.

Five top funk songs from the 1970s

I can’t prove it one way or another and have everyone agree. I can, though, highlight a few great funk songs from the 1970s as a showcase of what was around. That might help make a start to a case for the funky 70s. Here are five top funk songs from that period, these would be great floor fillers at any party with a beat and style that’s hard to resist.

Rufus - “Tell Me Something Good.”

This was one of the last songs credited as just by Rufus. Soon after, their lead singer, Chaka Khan, was credited to the artist's name too. It’s no wonder given that excellent and powerful voice. Another claim to fame for this song is that it was written by Stevie Wonder. He had so many great tunes himself he could afford to give this one away.

The song kicks off with some great guitar in full funk mode from the off. That underpins Khan’s vocals well, and then just before two minutes in we get the guitar talk box. This was one of the earliest records that the technique was used. It’s a great blend with the guitar sound too. Add in some heavy breaths and panting to the mix, too. It may seem odd to read, but it works on the song. It's hard to listen to the record without feeling the need to walk with a confident strut.

This was a breakthrough hit for Rufus, with Khan on board. A number three in the Hot 100 was great recognition. Even more came from a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus for the song in 1975. 

War - “Low Rider”

This may be a tune that people recognize but are less sure of the name or the band. Its sound is pretty well known, though, and is a great funky tune to kick off this list of five. It was released as a single by War from their album Why Can’t We Be Friends in 1975. The album title song is pretty good too, but this is the classic top funk tune from the band. 

Written about a hit car, there is a strong and driving rhythm running through it.  That comes from a superb collection of instruments to funk it right up with some growling vocals from singer Charles Miller. As is often the case with funk there’s a hot bassline to keep it all on track. The song was a big chart hit. Scoring at number seven in the Billboard 100, number one in the R&B charts, a sixth spot in Canada, and up to number twelve in the UK. 

Parliament - “Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)”

As a mainstay of the George Clinton P-Funk collective Parliament is another strong bet for a mention here. I’ll swerve past Funkadelic to give this song a well-deserved mention on this list. It comes from their top-selling 1975 album Mothership Connection. Somewhat confusingly the single release swapped the title around to "Tear the Roof off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)."

Under either version or name it’s a funk classic. Another top seller and in the top twenty in both the Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles charts. At its core, this is a simple tune, but there's so much crammed in that elevates it to another level. Sure the bass and deep vocals are there, but horns and a gospel-style backing chorus add much more. The whole, song bubbles along terrifically and could raise the roof.

Graham Central Station - “Hair”

I mentioned earlier that it was writing about a funk band that made me think about more great examples from that 70s era. The band was Sly and the Family Stone which links in neatly with Larry Graham, their bass player, going on to form Graham Central Station. That band’s self-titled debut album had a fantastic track, “Hair." which is often quoted as a superb funk tune. It remained an album track, though, and unlike the others on this list, it didn't get released as a single. 

Graham later spoke about the song being based on a huge talking point in his life, his hefty afro hairstyle. Irrespective of the subject matter, it’s a terrific tune. Yet again the funky rhythm is quickly established from the outset with a bubbling bass line. That continues throughout with some brass and keyboards complementing alongside the deep-voiced lead vocals from Graham. Perhaps lesser known than the other songs on this list and without a chart single Success that is understandable, but it's still a great example of a top funk sound. 

Wild Cherry - “Play That Funky Music”

You can’t miss this classic song off a 1970s funk list. It has all the classic elements of a top-funk rock song. A huge bass line, a growling vocal, and great instrumentation. That includes some trumpet and saxophone that complete the sound brilliantly. 

With their heavier sound and funk rock style, Wild Cherry brought a different edge to the song. The memorable riff gives a simple but effective singalong chorus and at that point, you are well and truly hooked. It hit the charts in 1976, all the way to number one on the Hot 100 and the Hot Soul chart too. A couple of Grammy nominations were more than matched by winning an American Music Award for Top R&B Single of the Year. 

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