40 sensational songs from the 1980s

Funk

Funk had typically simply been considered a component of a particular brand of R&B and Soul music before the late ‘60s when bands like Sly and the Family Stone, Graham Central Station, and the pieces that made up Parliament-Funkadelic began proving that the genre could sustain itself. Then Stevie Wonder took funk to the top in his glorious albums of the 1970s. By the time the ‘80s rolled around, funk, like the other genres on this list, was going in a lot of new directions.

“Funkytown” by Lipps Inc (1980)

Disco was dead. The genre, that had dominated pop culture in the second half of the 1970s, was now the stuff of caricature and ridicule. But it had left an undeniable imprint on dance music that was not about to vanish. Steven Greenberg and Cynthia Johnson used the dream of New York as the basis for their instantly recognizable number-one hit. The song combined the skittering verse, which might be a provincial dream of the city and Johnson’s demanding chorus, where the funk hit the fan – “won’t you take me to Funkytown” became the ultimate vision of the bright lights that awaited anyone with dreams of leaving home.

“Atomic Dog” by George Clinton (1982)

As much as anyone, George Clinton WAS funk music. Through Parliament-Funkadelic, he charted new territory for the genre, and he didn’t stop once that collective splintered. “Atomic Dog” comes from his Computer Games album, and on one level, it may seem like some lyrical nonsense in the service of a groove.

That may be true, but I read a bit more into the metaphor of men as dogs. But that hardly matters since the groove is so relentlessly undeniable. The fact that everyone from Public Enemy to Snoop Dogg has sampled it is a testament to that. But you don’t need to hear it in others' songs – you can just listen to the original for yourself.

“Wanna Be Starting Something” by Michael Jackson (1983)

“Wanna Be Starting Something” was on an album Jackson released in early 1982, but the single came out in 1983. You may have heard of the album. It was called Thriller. It was the album that broke all the records and established Jackson as the biggest pop star in the world.

I obviously could have chosen such titanic pop gems as “Billie Jean” or “Beat It” for the list. They weren’t as funky, but they certainly would have sufficed. But the fact is, I just like this song even more. It is simply an unbeatable groove – so much so that I don’t even mind Michael continually calling out “You’re a vegetable.” I don’t know what that means. It doesn’t matter.

“When Doves Cry” by Prince (1984)

Prince showed, beyond all reasonable doubt, that a funk song didn’t have to merely focus on funky towns, Fido, or fennel in its lyrics. “When Doves Cry” is a tortured romantic epic with a beat that comes from the gods. It has a ripping guitar intro which morphs into its Yamaha synth riff and then into its relentless attack. It’s ambitious, it’s riveting. It’s all Prince. It is also routinely included in greatest songs of the decade lists – and often on greatest of all-time.

“I Can’t Stand the Rain” by Tina Turner (1985)

Ann Peebles did the sensational original in 1973. Missy Elliott would use it as the sampled basis for her song “The Rain” in 1987. In between, the Queen of Rock took a shot. She included her cover on Private Dancer, the monster album that re-launched her as a major recording artist. As with Michael Jackson’s Thriller, there were plenty of other sensational songs to choose from on Private Dancer, including the title track, “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” and “Better Be Good to Me.”

My preference for “I Can’t Stand the Rain” may derive from the fact that it comes from a different place – more wistful than defiant. Hearing Tina Turner belt out songs is a joy. In some ways, hearing her restrained can be even more enthralling, when it is in the service of a great production.

Continued on the next slide