Women of Funk: Essential Albums You Need to Hear
Funk isn’t just a man’s game. Since the beloved genre’s beginnings, women have been trailblazing a path through it, and breaking barriers in the process.
By Brandon Ousley
Funk music is too often viewed as a male-dominant genre. Read any famous music publication or ask a random music fan about all-time funk greats, they’d likely point to obvious male figures, like James Brown, George Clinton, Sly Stone, and Prince. Even some hardcore funk aficionados sideline women, going as far as to reduce their contributions to model album sleeves. It’s a terrible oversight, as a bevy of female artist pushed the envelope right at funk music’s height.
Little ink has been spilled on the vital work of James Brown’s female protégés Vicki Anderson, Lyn Collins, Marva Whitney, and Yvonne Fair. Similarly, the short-lived female trio, Little Sister, which was overseen by Sly Stone and led by his younger sister, Vet Stewart, remains overlooked, despite churchy, rhythmic-based goldmines like “You’re the One” and their cover of “Somebody’s Watching’ You.” When it comes to George Clinton’s Parliament–Funkadelic collective, female funk offshoots like Brides of Funkenstein and Parlet amassed strong cult followings in their prime, but their work doesn’t get the recognition of their flagship brothers.
Yet, there have been a few women who haven’t fallen through the cracks. Chaka Khan, whose fiery, versatile voice spans her decorated six-year career, remains one of the most recognizable and enduring titans of the game. Another is the late Betty Davis, whose pioneering work has now become reappraised as funk-rock benchmarks and her openly sexual lyrics helped shatter the genre’s double standard.
From Labelle’s daring feminist and political romps to Janelle Monáe’s genre-bending sci-fi sagas, plenty of ladies — past, present, and future — have torn the roof off as hard as the men, bringing their own idiosyncrasies, energy, and fierceness to the forefront. Here are 20 essential albums that honor their towering musical contributions.
Lyn Collins
Think (About It) (1972)
Long before Rick James and Prince lent their production talents to several female-laden side projects, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown collaborated with several women in the 1960s and 1970s, like Vicki Anderson and Marva Whitney. Although they were dynamic soul shouters who put their own spin on the formula, there was another who held her own.
Lyn Collins was one of the most prominent hitmakers of Brown’s 1970s funk period. Known for her tougher-than-nails voice and commanding stage presence, which earned her the nicknames “The Female Preacher” and “Mama Feelgood,” she proved to be a force on Brown’s People Records imprint.
She broke big when her self-penned second single, the driving “Think (About It),”which hit the airwaves in the spring of 1972. Bottom-heavy and rhythmically in-pocket as anything Brown himself churned out during his early 1970s stride with the J.B.’s crew, the feminist anthem finds Collins laying down the law against men who continually take advantage of their wives and girlfriends with the memorable chorus line: “It takes two to make a thing go right, it takes two to make it outta sight.”
The single’s parent album, Think (About It), is filled with a slew of soul groovers like the hip Aretha Franklin-inspired “Wheels of Life” and the James Brown-assisted doo-wop ballad “Just Won’t Do Right.” It’s all the more worth investigating for its monstrous title track alone, though, which has proved fertile ground for the hip-hop generation — most notably on Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s 1988 platinum smash, “It Takes Two,” and countless others.
Labelle
Pressure Cookin’ (1973)
The road to reinvention proved to be a long, hard-fought battle for Patti LaBelle and her Blue Belle sisters. At the onset of the ‘70s, Labelle established themselves across the pond and back as vocal powerhouses with surefire determination, sensuality, and fierceness. Their gospel-charged voices contained intense emotion in every wail, coo, and shout. This sorely forgotten 1973 gem, (the lone album they cut for RCA Records), Pressure Cookin‘ signaled the group settling into their groove just a year before they catapulted into the stratosphere.
Cookin’ flaunted Labelle’s versatility and Nona Hendryx‘s songwriting in a hybrid of righteous funk and meditative ballads that reflect the changing social landscape. It’s one of Labelle’s rarest, best albums, and a must-hear for classic soul and funk enthusiasts who believe “Lady Marmalade,” and possibly its parent album, their 1974 breakthrough, Nightbirds, is the end-all to be all of Labelle’s legacy.
Vicki Anderson
Mother Popcorn (Vicki Anderson Anthology) (2004)
In his 2003 autobiography, The Godfather of Soul, James Brown cited Vicki Anderson as “the best singer he ever had and probably the best he ever witnessed.” The Texas native first toured with Brown’s live revue during the late 1960s and late 1970s. Once she entered the fold, she brought fire and femininity to Brown’s sound. While she never cut a full-length album, the thoughtful folks on the U.K. soul and funk reissue label Soul Brother Records honored her with the 2004 compilation, Mother Popcorn: Vicki Anderson Anthology.
The 17-track overview bridges several of the hard-socking R&B singles she cut during the mid-to-late 1960s with the uncut funk modes of her classic 1970s sides under the Brown. The crown jewel, of course, is the bold feminist classic, “Message from the Soul Sisters,” which finds Anderson’s mighty voice strutting around Bootsy Collins’ bumping bass.
Betty Davis
They Say I’m Different (1974)
Miles Davis wouldn’t have made his brave turn into jazz fusion without his then-wife, Betty Davis, introducing him to the far-out sounds of Jimi Hendrix and Sly & the Family Stone. If that’s not enough confirmation of how ahead of the pack Betty was, then listening to any of the three original albums she recorded during the mid-’70s certainly will.
Every bit a precursor to the brash hip-hop of Foxy Brown and Lil’ Kim, the sensual freedom of Madonna, and the genius of Prince, Davis personified artistic and sexual liberation at a crucial time when women, specifically Black women, weren’t afforded the space to create art on their own terms, from their own lens. Her second album, 1974’s They Say I’m Different laid out her modus operandi loud, proud, and clear.
In the same hard-hitting funk-rock mold as her landmark 1973 self-titled debut, They Say I’m Different is noteworthy for Davis’ increased input as she took over the producer’s reins and assembled a new band of unknown musicians — albeit a few cameos from power drummer Buddy Miles on guitar and Headhunters drummer Mike Clark.
In one corner, Davis fires all cylinders with her brash observations on sex, snarling and growling her way through the smoky “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him” and “Your Mama Wants You Back.” Then, she gets personal, saluting the blues pioneers who shaped her upbringing on the title track, while flipping off slut-shaming on the searing,“Don’t Call Her No Tramp.”
Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan
Rufusized (1974)
Equipped with a booming, versatile voice and free-spirited style, Chaka Khan is one of the undisputed queens in the funk game. By 1974, she and the Chicago-based band Rufus were riding high on their first hit single, the Stevie Wonder-penned, “Tell Me Something Good” and its parent album, Rags to Rufus. But on their third album, Rufusized, they more than delivered on their funk promise.
Khan’s golden vocal prowess is peppered across Rufusized — from the relentlessly driving “Once You Get Started,” where she unfurls her soaring growl before plunging into the frantic funk groove, trading leads with guitarist Tony Maiden, to her letting loose on the heartfelt, “Pack’d My Bags.” The band cooks on versions of Janis Joplin’s mystical rocker, “Half Moon” and Bobby Womack’s love call “You’re Welcome, Stop on By,” giving Khan enough room to flaunt her frisky vocals.
Millie Jackson
Caught Up (1974)
Millie Jackson’s music defies all stereotypes about women musicians. Whether you cite her as a rap pioneer (she’s known for her songs’ hilarious spoken word monologues that predate hip-hop) or one of the all-time great soul singers, she always brings a brazen, uncensored style. Her 1974 masterpiece, Caught Up is one music’s all-time greatest concept albums. Cut down at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, this is a soul opera with a strong funk pulse, detailing a twisted story of an extramarital relationship.
One side of the album revolves around the perspective of “the other woman,” highlighted by Jackson’s devastating rendition of Luther Ingram’s “(If Loving You is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right.” The other side is devoted to the wife. More importantly, the album’s social commentary on Black sexual politics, marriage, and family forever distinguished Jackson’s voice, which led some listeners to be confused with that of fellow Georgia native Gladys Knight.
Yvonne Fair
The Bitch Is Black (1975)
Artists weren’t typically treated fair by the Motown machine during the 1960s and 1970s. Some acts, albeit talented, had huge successes, whereas other acts didn’t, despite being equal, or in Yvonne Fair’s case, more primed for success than others.
As history has it, Fair signed to Berry Gordy‘s label in 1969 after signing with The Chantels and then performing in the soul revues of James Brown and Chuck Jackson. She also had a small role in the 1972 Diana Ross-starring vehicle on Billie Holiday‘s life, Lady Sings the Blues as the feisty club singer. But despite her raspy powerhouse voice, the label put her on the back burner until 1974, when a session with Norman Whitfield resulted in a modest hit remake of “Funky Music Sho’ Nuff Turns Me On,” which was originally cut by previous Whitfield protégés Edwin Starr, The Undisputed Truth, and The Temptations.
Her provocatively titled 1975 album, The Bitch Is Black is packed with vigor and ballads, with Whitfield taking the lion’s share of the production credits. She enjoyed a U.K. hit with the poignant cover of “It Should Have Been Me,” but it’s the gutsy funk workouts that make this a highlight, including a cover of Rufus & Chaka Khan’s “Tell Me Something Good,” which almost rivals the original.
The Pointer Sisters
Steppin’ (1975)
Those who grew up in the golden age of MTV know The Pointer Sisters for their hit-laden run of bright, synth-spiked pop (“Automatic,” “I’m So Excited,” and “Jump (For My Love)”). But in the ‘70s, they helmed their adventurous and funkiest work during their Blue Thumb Records tenure.
The sisters’ third album, Steppin’ proves how potent their early period was. In paying homage to the jazz staples and history they grew up on back in their Oakland, California, they found space for a six-minute revisionist jazz medley devoted to the memory of the recently-deceased Duke Ellington and a cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David‘s “Wanting Things.”
They didn’t hang their funk tricks up, as three slices of heavy groove scorchers anchor the album — the propulsive psych-funk epic “How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side),” the spacey fusion jam “Chainey Do,” and their funk-rock cover of Allen Toussaint‘s “Going Down Slowly.”
Mother’s Finest
Another Mother Further (1977)
Joyce Kennedy has one of those commanding voices that often makes fans wonder why she isn’t more widely known as many of her contemporaries. But those who have ever heard her as a solo act or as the frontwoman of the Southern funk-rockers Mother’s Finest know that she could turn anything into gold.
Her Tina Turner-inspired intonation and flair crackles on several prime cuts on the band’s third album, Another Mother Further. For example, listen to how she tears into the guitar-laden barnburner “Baby Love” with its clavinet-rooted groove. Or how she torches down the driving kiss-off “Truth’ll Set You Free,” which she co-leads with guitarist and husband, Glenn Murdock.
Brides Of Funkenstein
Funk Or Walk (1978)
Originally composed of singers Dawn Silva and Lynn Mabry after both performed as back-up singers for Sly & the Family Stone, the Brides of Funkenstein fit right in with the Parliament-Funkadelic mold with their quirky, playful vocal talents. The duo’s 1978 debut, Funk or Walk was a major success, spawning the infectious Clinton and Bootsy Collins-helmed gem, “Disco to Go,” which flaunted their knack for nursery rhyme-like hooks and unison harmony. Other funk nuggets include “Birdie” and “Amorous,” but the duo also proved they were adept at being avant-garde without losing their funk charm, like on the futuristic “War Ship to Touchante” or the jazzy “Nappy.”
Patrice Rushen
Pizzazz (1979)
Patrice Rushen’s contributions to music are second to none. As a piano prodigy, she began her career focusing on instrumental jazz and fusion. By the late ’70s, she switched lanes into a lush R&B-based sound with excellent results. Pizzazz was her second offering on Elektra Records and is widely considered her crossover breakthrough based on the strength of the dance anthem “Haven’t You Heard.”
Like much of everything she cut during this period, Pizzazz synthesizes dance, funk, disco, and R&B. In other words, it’s a front-to-back killer. “Haven’t You Heard” is the album’s centerpiece with its effervescent orchestrations and bouncy grooves, but there’s no denying the power of the quiet storm ballad, “Settle for My Love,” the soulful grinder “Givin’ Up Is Givin’ Up,” which features undervalued soul and gospel figure, D. J. Rogers, and perky dance jams, “Keepin’ Faith in Love” and “Call on Me.”
Parlet
Invansion Of The Booty Snatchers (1979)
Parliament-Funkadelic ringmaster George Clinton was a busy man during the collective’s heyday. With a number of side projects already under his belt, he decided to construct a girl group, in hopes of them becoming the female version of Parliament. Collins’ enlisted former Parliament back-up singers Jeanette Washington, Debbie Wright, and Mallia Franklin to lead his project, and soon after Shirley Hayden and Janice Evans joined the fold. Personnel changes and behind-the-scenes drama aside, each woman was destined to assume an essential role in the genre’s history.
The trio’s animated vocal interplay and seamless blend colored the disco-minded funk jams of their stellar second album, Invasion Of The Booty Snatchers. Released during a period where disco rhythms were ubiquitous in all of pop music, Parlet brought spunk and spontaneity to the mix.. Alongside its popping bass and swaggering horns, their playful vocals flutter around the Chic-like groove of “Ridin’ High,” which may very well be one of the most underrated cuts in the entire P-Funk catalog.
Teena Marie
Irons In The Fire (1980)
Teena Marie recorded many notable albums throughout her illustrious four-decade career. But with Irons In The Fire she broke through, truly finding her sound as she took the reins as a producer and primary writer. It’s also the one where we get a full-fledged glimpse of her unique musical range, particularly her deep love for both jazz and funk. As much as she was well-known for her fiery dance floor rave-ups, she packed so much depth and musicality into her ballads.
Not too many artists could soar all over a breezy jam like “I Need Your Lovin’” or “Chains,” spin into a Latin-soul groove as “You Make Love Like Springtime,” and then pour their devotion into an arresting love call like “Tune Into Tomorrow” on the same dime as Marie. Also, the close-knit cast of musicians and collaborators that she entrusted in giving her a helping hand were equally instrumental to this self-produced labor of love.
Vanity 6
Vanity 6 (1982)
In the early ‘80s, Prince rose as one of the architects of the Minneapolis Sound. He was determined as ever to further increase the hype surrounding the Minneapolis scene and proving his prowess as a “one-man band machine” who could juggle a number of spin-off projects. One of his female side projects was Vanity 6, composed of Susan Moonsie, Brenda Bennett, and Denise Matthews (known then by her stage name, Vanity).
The trio’s image — lacy lingerie, sheer stockings, long overcoats, and heels — turned the wholesome girl-group image on its head. The opener of their 1982 debut, “Nasty Girl,” is one of the seminal minimalist grooves of the ‘80s, combining skittish drum machine beats with a zesty synths and bass. But there’s far more to admire on the album, like the new wave-tinged pop of “He’s So Dull,” “Drive Me Wild,” and “Make-Up,” as well as the hilarious funk and rap mishmash, “If a Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up).”
Sheila E.
In The Glamorous Life (1984)
1984 was a banner year for Prince and his entire coalition of protégés he wrote for. One of the most notable of the lot was Sheila E. Along with cutting a few albums with her father Pete Escovedo, Sheila spent many years in the music business as a sought-after percussionist, backing Alphonso Johnson, Con Funk Shun, Johnny Hammond, George Duke, and Marvin Gaye. Once she landed in the Prince orbit, she brought her Latin jazz chops into his purple-stained funk touch. This unique dynamic is finely embellished on Sheila’s 1984 solo debut, In The Glamorous Life, which boasts highlights like the classic title track, the sweaty MPLS funk in “Strawberry Shortcake,” and “Oliver’s House.”
Klymaxx
Meeting In The Ladies Room (1984)
Funk polymath Bernadette Cooper did the unthinkable back in the late ‘70s when she formed an all-female funk band that could play just as hard as the men. The result was Klymaxx, which after two albums for Solar Records (1981’s Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman and 1982’s Girls Will Be Girls) moved to MCA for their third chart-topping release, 1984’s Meeting in the Ladies Room.
Always effused with the femme sensuality and “females can funk, too” attitude that made them treasured among discerning R&B and dance audiences in their prime, the album is highlighted by nasty synth-spiked funk jams, like the clubby “Men All Pause,” “Lock and Key,” and the title track, which were as convincing and white-hot as anything Prince, Rick James, or The Gap Band were putting out at the time.
Me’Shell NdegéOcello
Peace Beyond Passion (1996)
A maverick musician, Me’shell NdegeOcello expanded on the heady approach of her acclaimed 1993 debut, Plantation Lullabies, and explored serious topics with the bass-popping funk of her 1996 masterpiece, Peace Beyond Passion. Boasting thoughtfully stark tales on homophobia, dysfunctional families and abuse, NdegéOcello struck a nerve with many listeners, establishing herself as a fierce, uncompromising artist in the process.
Peace Beyond Passion isn’t only tailored toward the dark. Always a master seductress, she turns her sexual and romantic desires for women and men into soul nirvana on the silky “Stay” and “Bittersweet,” which boasts intricate, jazz-like improvisation throughout. True to her genre-bending virtuosity, Peace Beyond Passion plays as a fluid tribute to yesteryear’s soul, jazz fusion, and funk, with some of its legendary giants sprinkling their gifts onto the musical tapestry (guitarist Wah Wah Watson, former Headhunters sideman Bennie Maupin, and keyboard extraordinaire Billy Preston.)
Erykah Badu
Worldwide Underground (2003)
As if declaring “Neo-soul is dead” on its cover wasn’t brave enough, Erykah Badu staged one of her most daring artistic leaps with 2003’s Worldwide Underground. Oddly dubbed as an EP upon its initial release, this underrated 50-minute excursion evokes a non-stop jam session, full of loose, kinetic funk grooves and hip-hop soul attitude. Sprawling jams, like the sensuous 10-minute fest, “I Want You” and “Bump It” flaunt Badu’s improvisatory chops, stacking jazzy keyboard riffs, turntable scratches, heady guitar solos, old-school samples, and mind-altering vocal harmonies over hypnotic digital beats.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Naturally (2005)
Cited by some as the female James Brown, the late Sharon Jones certainly held her own when it came to raw, unadulterated soul and funk that recalled the past. Before her breakthrough success in the music business, Jones spent many years working as a corrections officer before beginning a career as a back-up singer. Soon she signed with flagship retro-soul label, Daptone Records and cut a slew of critically acclaimed albums with the Dap-Kings (who famously worked with Amy Winehouse for her 2006 classic, Back to Black).
Of those albums, 2005’s Naturally is their earthiest release, emblematic of the hard-edged modes of early-period ‘60s funk melding with ‘70s bold soul sister R&B. Jones was a dynamic frontwoman with a throaty, soul-stirring voice that makes one think she could’ve been as huge as any leading soul and funk diva from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Her retro-loving savviness shines on modern funk gems like “How Long Do I Have to Wait for You,” “How Do I Let a Good Man Down?,” “Natural Born Lover,” and her clever reworking of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.”
Janelle Monáe
The Electric Lady (2013)
One of today’s shining pop vanguards, Janelle Monáe is a true keeper of funk’s flame. They continued their android-centric Cindi Mayweather saga with 2013’s The Electric Lady, the follow-up to the 2010 conceptual epic, The ArchAndroid. A slicker and slightly conventional move from the balls-to-the-wall eclecticism that gave The ArchAndroid its sprawl and charm, The Electric Lady has the spirit of a era-hopping R&B album that pays homage to various periods of soul music.
In fact, with closer listens, the album plays as a virtual tour of Black pop and funk, exploring the uptown stroll of ’60s pop-soul all the way to the organic, coffee-shop cool of ’00s neo-soul. Nonetheless, the progressive edge that made Monáe’s previous work so irresistible is still present. While not conceptually linear as either The ArchAndroid or Metropolis: The Chase Suite, the Afro-futurist world Monáe steps into for The Electric Lady is a breathtaking allegory of Black America.
Brandon Ousley (he/him) is a music journalist, writer, and editor from Chicago. So far, he’s penned for publications like Bandcamp Daily, The Coda Collection, Albumism, and Discogs, specializing in soul, jazz, funk, and more. When he’s not writing, he’s at a record shop somewhere, or praising Stevie Wonder’s genius on X.
More albums from female funk pioneers
KEEP DIGGING
Don’t miss a beat
Subscribe to Discogs’ email list to learn about sales, discover music, record collecting guides, product tips, limited edition offers, and more.