# The Essential Music Library: Funk/Disco **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616 "2005-12-08T04:02:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/1 "2005-12-08T04:02:42Z")
The Essential Music Library project is an attempt to get the many musical minds of the SDMB to sit down and discuss what works are absolutely necessary for a well-stocked musical library. There will be roughly 20 threads detailing a variety of genres so that we can get the depth that would be missing from a single-threaded discussion and the breadth necessary to cover what’s out there. This thread’s topic is funk and disco. Previous threads: [Project Planning](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335665) | [Classical](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=336834) | [Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=337956) | [Jazz](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339051) | [Modern Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=340081) | [Blues](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=341203) | [Punk/Post-Punk/New Wave](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=342310) | [Opera/Choral Music](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343551) | [Rap/Hip-Hop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=344056) | [Gospel](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=344690) | [Electronica](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345226) | [Contemporary Classical](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345831) | [Pop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345832) | [Film Music/Musicals](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=346844) | [R&B/Soul](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=347413) | [Grass & Roots](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=348001) ---
**Author:** ![Billy\_Powell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Billy\_Powell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Powell)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/2 "2005-12-08T11:08:17Z")
Herbie Hancock, “Headhunters” ----------, “Thrust” Tower of Power, “Back To Oakland” Parliament, “Chocolate City” Stuff, “Stuff” The Meters, “Look A Py Py” Charles Earland, “Black Talk” ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/3 "2005-12-08T13:02:30Z")
Funkadelic, _America Eats Its Young_ and the compilations _Finest_ or _Music for Your Mother_. Parliament, _Funked Up_ or _Tear the Roof Off_, depending on how much money you feel like spending or how much time you have to download stuff. Sly and the Family Stone, _There’s a Riot Goin’ On_. Disco is a singles thing to me, and it would take some thinking to come up with 10 or 12 songs that I’m not embarrassed to admit liking. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/4 "2005-12-08T13:23:10Z")
Guess. 😉 Hint: check username. ---
**Author:** ![nvad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@nvad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nvad)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/5 "2005-12-08T14:15:05Z")
> [@Billy Powell](#): > > Herbie Hancock, “Headhunters” > ----------, “Thrust” > Tower of Power, “Back To Oakland” > Parliament, “Chocolate City” > Stuff, “Stuff” > The Meters, “Look A Py Py” > Charles Earland, “Black Talk” Wow…that pretty much nailed it. I might add Sly Stone’s “Fresh” and Earl King’s “Street Parade” to the mix, although that really may not be considered “funk” in the purest form. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/6 "2005-12-08T14:20:42Z")
If you don’t have the soundtrack to **Saturday Night Fever** it may not be a legitimate disco collection (even though disco was on its way out when the film came out). I will also say that **Donna Summer - Live** is a must have. It makes me want dance 'til my feet bleed, snort mountains of coke, and have sex with the world (as any great disco song should). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/7 "2005-12-08T14:51:14Z")
For mainstream disco, you gotta have some KC & the Sunshine Band. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/8 "2005-12-08T19:11:32Z")
James Brown. ---
**Author:** ![ms.deanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@ms.deanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ms.deanna)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/9 "2005-12-10T04:48:00Z")
> [@AtomicDog](#): > > Guess. > > 😉 > > Hint: check username. ``` Yeah man! George Clinton. Bow wow wow yippee yo yippee yay!!!!! ``` ---
**Author:** ![ms.deanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@ms.deanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ms.deanna)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/10 "2005-12-10T04:57:16Z")
Rick James==Bustin Out of L7, The Barkays, Confunkshun, Ohio Players, Lakeside, Mary Jane Girls, I’ll think of more later. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/11 "2005-12-10T06:52:56Z")
Prince, Morris Day and The Time, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (with Full Force), The Gap Band, Chaka Kahn, Gladys Knight, Barry White, Al Green, Percy Sledge, The Commodores. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/12 "2005-12-10T07:11:35Z")
Incidentally, if you get a couple of Clinton albums - and you should - you’ll also have a good understanding of the backbone of West Coast rap. I wish I could count how many rap songs sample “Atomic Dog.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Roboto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@Mr.Roboto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Roboto)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-funk-disco/334616/13 "2005-12-10T12:17:24Z")
Funky Nassau…The Beginning of the End