Evan Gabriel | Nov 12, 2020 – 6:29 pm
Few musicians have summoned the funk gods like James Brown, George Clinton, Sly Stone, Rick James, Stevie Wonder, and Prince. Over their expansive and uniquely individual careers, each artist created vibrant catalogs that expanded the boundaries of the genre and shattered music industry norms.
James Brown gave the world “Get Up (l Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine,” while George Clinton’s “We Want The Funk” is essentially the National Anthem of funk. See Sly Stone’s “Everybody Is A Star” or Prince’s “Purple Rain” for equally undeniable anthems.
The title of “funkiest of all-time,” however, suggests extraordinary qualities beyond musical talent. By cultivating their respective sonic and sartorial styles, these fiercely talented pioneers challenged conventional notions of identity and captured the creative consciousness of generations. Still considered legends today, SPIN looks back at The 6 Funkiest Masterminds of All-Time.
LOS ANGELES - 1964: Soul singer James Brown performs at KCOP Studios on the Lloyd Thaxton Show with Lloyd Thaxton in 1964 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
NEWPORT, RI - JULY 6: "Godfather of Soul" James Brown performs with 3 drummers at the Newport Folk Festival on July 6, 1969 in Newport, Rhode Island. The license plate reads "B Proud." (Photo by Julie Snow/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 17: Musician James Brown performs on stage at the Miller Rock Thru Time Celebrating 50 Years of Rock Concert at Roseland September 17, 2004 in New York City. (Photo by Matthew Peyton/Getty Images)
American musician Rick James (born James Johnson Jr, 1948 - 2004) performs onstage at the Holiday Star Theater, Merrillville, Indiana, September 9, 1983. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
(MANDATORY CREDIT Ebet Roberts/Getty Images) Rick James performing at the Jamaican World Music Festival in Montego Bay, Jamaica on November 27, 1982. (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns)
NEW YORK - MAY 3: A young Stevie Wonder during rehearsals for THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW. Image dated May 3, 1964. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
CHANHASSEN, MN - APRIL 2016: Musician Prince Rogers Nelson was found dead at his Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, MN. Thursday morning, April 21, 2016. Aerial photo of the Paisley Park building taken that day. (Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via Getty Images)]
