100 (Or More) Great Songs With The Word "Funk" In The Title

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There are a lot. And I can't even think of one that I hate! Of course I haven't heard them all. But is it safe to assume that the MAJORITY of songs with the word "funk" somewhere in their title are worth a listen? Or am I all wet? Anyway, I'm starting small:

1) "Bad Motherfunker" - Rose Royce
2) "Funky Cold Medina" - Tone Loc

Maybe I just like a song better BECAUSE it has funk or funky or funker in the title. Could be. List the great funky titles, but make a mention of any really horrible funky titles you can think of as well.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 20 September 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

3) Lipps Inc - "Funkytown" (of course!)

― Jacob (Jacob), Monday, 20 September 2004 14:53 (twenty-one years ago)

4. Geo. Clinton and the P.Funk All-Stars, "If Anybody Gets Funked Up (It's Gonna Be You)"

[it's times like this that I wish I didn't have a job so I could be on this thread ALL FUCKING WEEK]

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Monday, 20 September 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

5. Toots - Funky Kingston

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Monday, 20 September 2004 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

6. james brown - funky drummer

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

7. Sylvester - "Do you wanna funk" (bonus points for songs where funk really means fuck...)

― Jacob (Jacob), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Nobody say "Funk #49" until No. 49!

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Renegades of Funk - Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force
Arkade Funk – Tilt
Make It Funky – JB
Who Says A Funk Band Can't Play Rock? - Funkadelic

― wtin, Monday, 20 September 2004 15:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Nobody say "Funk #49" until No. 49!

You got it, Rick!

12."Funk #48" (James Gang)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

ohio players - funky worm

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

14 :: king cobb steelie :: "punished by funk"

― dysøn (dyson), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

15. "Brand New Funk" - Adam F

― Wooden (Wooden), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

16. Kool & the Gang, "Funky Stuff"
17. Dyke & the Blazers, "Funky Broadway"
18. Whodini, "Five Minutes of Funk"
19. Ultramagnetic MCs, "Funky"
20. The D.O.C., "It's Funky Enough"
21. Outkast, "Southernplayalisticcadillacfunkymusic"

― alfalfa romeo (natepatrin), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

22. Daft Punk - "Da Funk"
23. Main Source - "Fakin' the Funk"
24. The Clash - "Overpowered by Funk"

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

25. Headhunters, "God Made Me Funky"

― alfalfa romeo (natepatrin), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:01 (twenty-one years ago)

26. Defunkt - "Avoid The Funk"
27. Rufus Thomas - "Funky Robot"
28. Lizzy Mercier Descloux - "Funky Stuff"

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

29. O'Donel Levy (or Lee Dorsey, or Brown Sugar, or Lou Donaldson) - "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On)"

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:08 (twenty-one years ago)

30. Lord Finesse - "Return of the funky man"

― Jacob (Jacob), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:13 (twenty-one years ago)

31. david johansen, "funky but chic"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Funky Man - Dee Dee "Ramone" King/"King" Ramone

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:20 (twenty-one years ago)

33. Positive Force - "We Got The Funk"

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

some highlights from my collection (I have loads with 'funk' in the title):
31. (bet there'll be xposts) Funky Chicken - Rufus Thomas
32. 21st Century Funk - A-Sides
33. Atmospheric Funk - Wax Doctor
34. Big Groovy Funker - Plump DJs
35. Funky Miracle - Meters
36. Brand New Funk - DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince
37. C Funk - Grooverider
38. Dr Funkenstein - Parliament
39. Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On) - Lee Dorsey
40. Funk Box - Sugarhill Gang
41. Funk By Numbers - Trouble Funk
42. Funky Dollar Bill - Funkadelic
43. Funk Music - Dave Angel
44. Funk World - DJ SS
45. The Funk - EPMD
46. Funkalicious - Isaac Hayes
47. Funkey Punk - Dillinger
48. Funky Flow - Dillinja
49. Funk #49 - Killdozer
50. Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter - Ike & Tina Turner
51. Funkin' Dem Up - Shy FX
52. Funkin' For Jamaica - Tom Browne
53. Funkindemup - DJ Krust
54. Funktion - Ed Rush & Optical
55. Funky Walk - Dyke & the Blazers
56. Funky Dish Rag - Little Richard
57. Funky Fresh Dressed - Missy Elliott
58. Funky Nassau - Beginning Of The End
59. Funky Noise - Nuclear Assault
60. Funky President - James Brown
61. Funky Ride - Outkast
62. Funky Shit - Prodigy
63. Get Funky - Royal House
64. Get Funky Everybody - True Mathematics
65. Get Funky In The Place - Embee
66. Who Gave Birth To The Funk? - Joe Tex
67. Guerilla Funk - Paris
68. I Feel Like Funkin' It Up - Rebirth Brass Band
69. I'm So Funkful - Eddie Floyd
70. Jazz Is The Teacher, Funk Is The Preacher - James Blood Ulmer
71. Keep The Funk - Carl Cox
72. Kinky Funky Reggae - Rupie Edwards
73. Let's Get Funky - Hound Dog Taylor
74. Make It Funky - Ice-T
75. Mother Funk - DJ Hell
76. People Funky Boy - Lee Perry
77. Space Funk - Digital
78. Ultrafunkula - Armand Van Helden
79. Velocity Funk - Kevin Saunderson
80. Prince - We Can Funk
81. Who Got The Funk? - The Streets
82. Your Funky Emotions - Rum & Black

xposts indeed. I am not retyping all those numbers. Just add three.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I wanted Beginning of the End, "Funky Nassau." But since that's gone I'll go:

86. The JB's, "Givin' Up Food For Funk"
87. Brothers Johnson, "Get Tha Funk Out Ma Face"

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:46 (twenty-one years ago)

88. Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

the return of the database!
(xpost)

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

(also I thought I was the only one who owned the Rum & Black album)

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

89. Wild Cherry, "Play That Funky Music"
90. Edwin Starr, "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On"
(The Temptations did it too.)

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:52 (twenty-one years ago)

By the way, does anyone know the FIRST appearance of "Funk" in a song title?

(I don't; I wish I did.)

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

By the way, does anyone know the FIRST appearance of "Funk" in a song title?

if ever there was a question for nick tosches, that's a question for nick tosches.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:57 (twenty-one years ago)

"Funky Broadway" = 1967, right? I'm not aware of anything before that, though I'm sure there is ...

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 20 September 2004 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

surely there were singers and songwriters playing with the word long, long before that.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)

This thread isn't indie enough!

91. Cocteau Twins - "Cherry-Coloured Funk"

There, that's better! ;)

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

92. Notorious B.I.G. - Machine Fun Funk
93. Miles Davis - Funky Tonk
94. Beastie Boys - Funky Boss

― Reed Rosenberg (reed), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

95. Munich Machine - "Get on the Funk Train"
96. Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm - "Funky Mule"

― Jeff W (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

This would make one hell of a boxed set!

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:11 (twenty-one years ago)

97. Muddy Waters - Unk in Funk

― briania (briania), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

98. Horace Silver - Opus de Funk

― briania (briania), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Yikes, I meant "Notorious B.I.G. - Machine Gun Funk"

― Reed Rosenberg (reed), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:16 (twenty-one years ago)

"Funky Dividends" - 3X Dope

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

100. 5ive "Slam Dunk (Da Funk)"

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

"Funky Broadway" = 1967, right? I'm not aware of anything before that, though I'm sure there is

a quick random internet search turned up jack teagarden's "blue funk," recorded in 1950 (and possibly earlier too, i don't know). i assume time and better research would turn up citations from the 1910s and 20s and probably much earlier.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:21 (twenty-one years ago)

What no "Funky Gibbon" / "Funky Moped"?

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Feel free to keep going, everyone! This thread is stanky with funk.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Can't believe nobody mentioned this one --
101. Brothers Johnson, "Get the Funk Outta My Face"

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

a quick random internet search turned up jack teagarden's "blue funk," recorded in 1950

but in 1950, might not "blue funk" have meant this definition?

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:25 (twenty-one years ago)

it doesn't really matter what exactly it meant to teagarden. it's not as if one day someone wrote a song called "blue funk" and it meant this and the next day someone wrote a song called "white funk" and it mean that. it's a continuum of meaning and signs and symbols, morphing gradually over time. "funky," first dictionary definition, means having a moldy, musty smell, as in funky cheese. surely that has something to do with the same word "funky" as applied to music, as, say, in the good kind of funky cheese. if you turn the phrase "blue funk" into a song title in 1950, you're bringing (or more likely continuing) that word into the musical language.

see, for a much better illustration of how this stuff works, nick tosches' etymology of the phrase "rock and roll" in his great book "country."

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

to end of last sentence in the first paragraph above, add the qualifier, "no matter what your intent."

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

sure thing, cuz, but it's a bigger leap from nervous depression than it is from mouldy cheese is all I'm saying. That extra "y" (later lost for the noun) is important.

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

OOH, and The Meters - "Funky Miracle" (i don't think anyone said it)

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I just say that one person typing 50 of these entries kind of takes the fun out of this? Besides, it didn't include "Funk Me" by Marvin Gaye, which is essential to this list.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Laurence Bergreen's Louis Armstrong bio makes mention of New Orleans' Funky Butt Hall being around when Satch was a boy, and supposedly Buddy Bolden was doing a song called "Funky Butt" prior to 1900. Sidney Bechet recorded it much later, but certainly still years earlier than "Blue Funk" or "Opus de Funk." Cuz is right - there must be some much earlier recorded instances of the funk out there. Anybody?

― briania (briania), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

106 (?). Funky Gondolier - Jacqueline Binns Ensemble (from 'His and Hers' LP; Apollo Sound, 1980)

― David (David), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post to zebedee) but what i'm saying is that even if the nervous depression and the moldy cheese have different meanings and different roots -- which they do -- once you put it in a song, those original meanings start changing and those distinctions might start going away. teagarden might've been thinking "i'm in a real funk" right now, but someone listening to him play it might've responded with "this is some really funky shit." i'm sure it wasn't quite as black-and-white as that, but over time, that IS how it tends to work. one day you're feeling agitated and depressed and then, before you know it, your name is prince and you are funky.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

103. Whodini "Funky Beat"
104. Gwen McCrae "Funky Sensation"
105. Bar Kays "Funky Thang"

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

106. Rufus Thomas "Do the Funky Penguin"

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

107. Marvin Gaye "A Funky Space Reincarnation"

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

108. Slave "Funken Town"
109. Sylvester "Do Ya Wanna Funk"
110. Horace Silver "Opus de Funk"
111. The JB's "Givin' Up Food for Funk"
112. Funkadelic "If You Got Funk, You Got Style"

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Scratch #110 as a re-post of #98, then subsitute Gene Ammons' "Funky."

113. Greg Brown - "Funky Day."

― briania (briania), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

114. funkadelic, "cholly (funk gettin ready to roll)"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

114. The Beach Boys "Funky Pretty"

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

116. Bush Tetras - You Can't Be Funky

― Michael Philip Philip Philip Annoyman (Ferg), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

117. big boys - funk off

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry, Matthew - I assume when people ask for things like this, or Halloween songs (another recent thread where I did the same thing), they want lots of suggestions, and I'm unusually well placed to make them. I don't think there is a real limit of 100, and there are many, many more examples.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 20 September 2004 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Sure, ok, Martin. Apology (sniff!) accepted.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 20 September 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

101 = 87 and 111 = 86, so please renumber accordingly. :)

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 20 September 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

and 110=98 too. Damn.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 20 September 2004 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

115 and a half (or something).
Frantique - "Strut Your Funky Stuff"

― Jeff W (zebedee), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

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