1960s rhythm and blues provides the foundation for funk music. R&B and soul had, in the '60s, become increasingly gritty in response to white artists' cleaned-up versions of the sound. During this time, James Brown's music in particular began to evolve from the more concise, melody-driven sounds of his early work into long, rhythmic workouts, often vamping on a single chord. He would fully realize this approach with his legendary backing band the JBs, featuring Bootsy and Catfish Collins, both of whom would go on to play with George Clinton. Funk was initially a term to describe an aspect of such beat-driven, danceable music (a reference to its meaning "a stink," the suggestion that such music had an earthy, sweaty quality). Eventually it became a genre in and of itself.
Sly and the Family Stone were funk pioneers in large part because their sound and attitude was so inclusive. They had bright pop melodies and positive messages (although over time their music would grow more claustrophobic and cynical, particularly on "There's a Riot Goin' On," one of the darkest and best funk records ever released) and an integrated band of multiracial, co-ed musicians.
The most notable funk artist of the '70s, and certainly the one with the greatest commitment to the form, is George Clinton, leader of Parliament/Funkadelic. In those two sometimes separate, sometimes combined bands, Clinton would explore a fun-loving, psychedelia-tinged brand of funk music that told wacky stories about characters such as Dr. Funkenstein over jams often exceeding 10 minutes in length.
Funk enjoyed its heyday in the '70s. Groups such as Eric Burdon & War, the Ohio Players and others would score big with funk hits. Gradually, over the course of the decade, the more pop-centric funk bands such as the Commodores and Kool & the Gang would help give birth to the new genre of disco, which kept funk's straight-ahead 4/4 rhythm but took the focus away from the groove and put it back on the vocals.
Funk had an pivotal role in shaping how hip-hop sounds. In the early days, many artists sampled almost exclusively from such artists as James Brown (particularly drum breaks) and Parliament/Funkadelic. Today, the influence of funk can still be felt in modern hip-hop and in some modern R&B.