4 Groundbreaking Funk and Soul Classics From 1977 That Connect Dance Music’s Past to Its Future

There was no shortage of groundbreaking funk and soul classics in the 1970s. But in 1977, several tracks reflected dance music’s ongoing evolution. Using a combination of old and new production techniques and instrumentation, the four tracks below show the impressive range of funk and soul. Connecting dance music’s past to its future.

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“Flash Light” by Parliament

For those unfamiliar with the Minimoog synthesizer, let Bernie Worrell’s chromatic bass line be your introduction. On this groundbreaking track, Worrell hints at funk’s future new wave and synth-pop iterations. The machine-like notes get low, and the groove is deep. Meanwhile, George Clinton layers a multitude of vocals to create the tune’s dance-party chant. “Flash Light” closes Parliament’s 1977 album, Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome and ends with Clinton’s uplifting sentiment: “Everybody’s got a little light / Under the sun.”

“Brick House” by The Commodores

If you want to write a funk and soul classic, of course, you need a great groove. But you also need to use direct language. No beating around the bush about what the lyrics mean. Now, “Brick House” may use a sturdy architecture metaphor. But this track exists directly on the line between the literal and the figurative. One of the most recognizable funk songs in history, The Commodores’ classic jam turns the phrase “built like a brick sh*thouse” into a timeless dancefloor anthem.

“I Feel Love” by Donna Summer

Producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte sent funk and soul music right past the disco phase and straight into the future on Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”. On “Flash Light”, Bernie Worrell’s Moog synth sounds like 1977. But here, Moroder and Bellotte’s Moog groove could have been a modern track blaring out of speakers at a discotheque in the early 1990s. Soul music in the 1970s was rapidly evolving. And Summer’s groundbreaking hit shows the connection between multiple genres of dance music.

“The Pride, Pts. 1 & 2” by The Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers’ empowerment anthem has a groove more typical of 70s funk. The keyboard work recalls Stevie Wonder’s masterpiece, “Higher Ground”. The two-part track continues soul music’s socially-conscious themes. And the groove eventually breaks down to its essential elements, dominated by a persistent rhythm section to reflect the lyrics’ distilled message: “When you finally break it all down / It’s the pride.”

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