The description and playlist below are from the weekly radio show (A Brief History Of…) that my friend and I host on
WSUM 91.7fm Madison (the University of Wisconsin's radio station). We selected songs we felt were either historically important or just representative of each specific topic. Please comment if you feel we missed something or just to give your opinion. Remember, however, that we do this show in an hour (about 50 minutes of music). Track length is a major factor in our decisions (shorter is usually better). Thanks!
A Brief History of…Funk traces James Brown’s creation from the mid-60s through its period of peak popularity in the mid-70s. The first segment explains funk’s southern origins, from Georgia’s James Brown to New Orleans’ The Meters. Following the related genre of Southern Soul, Funk lyrics often expressed social concerns. Furthermore, Funk was a genre that artists from many other genres incorporated into their own music. …