The Musical Tradition, Musical Scene, and Criteria For My Funk and Soul Selections

The Funk and Soul scene of the early and mid 1970s created a powerful and unique musical tradition. It marked the beginning of the "club" scene, where millions of America's young adults, in particular in Urban environments, gathered to dance and forget their worries. The songs in this playlist made this possible, and are the most representative of what the soul and funk listeners of this time most demanded when at the club, listening to the the radio, etc... The funk songs were expressions of the happiness and joy the Urban youth searched for, for so long and the soul songs portray the power of love and how it affects an individual. Ultimately, these songs allowed listeners to escape the worries and problems that so many faced in the 1970s, and by doing so created a sense of relief and empowerment on the dance floor. Not only were the lyrics important in this musical scene, but instrumentation was tremendously important as well. The funk songs on this playlist all consist of extremely danceable music, as dancing was a large part of this scene. Furthermore, there is a strong, up-tempo rhythmic groove present in all the funk songs created mostly by the electric bass and the drums. The bass guitar and the bass lines were monumental in creating the funky music everyone could enjoy. Additionally, for the most part, the lyrics were catchy and easy to sing along too while on the dance floor in these funk songs. The soul songs on this list consist of clever melodies and great harmony. They still consist of a funky beat, just much more low-tempo. Lyrics were arguably more important in the soul songs, as they all speak of love, happiness, and enjoying one's self. These qualities created great songs to find a partner to dance with.









Mostly dominated by African Americans, this musical scene was an expression of the culture and tradition of letting loose on the dance floor and dancing the night away. The funk and soul scene was dominated in the urban environment. However, as the songs began to gain popularity on the pop charts, the "disco" scene was formed in the late 1970s and dance music was taken to another level, although many argue that this level was not particularly a good thing because the focus was money rather than having a good time. Because the "disco" scene was based entirely on dancing, with many of the songs including the subject of love, it can be concluded that songs such as these on the playlist significantly influenced disco. The songs on this playlist also stood the test of time, as they are still incredibly enjoyable to listen to, and therefore continue to be listened to today.