independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > Music: Non-Prince > Top 15 Funk Ballads of all time
« Previous topic  Next topic »
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 04/12/11 6:12pm

LoDog

avatar

Top 15 Funk Ballads of all time

Everybody likes it when a strong, hard, funkateer strips down to show his softer side. I'm a love songs type of guy and funk ballads are some of the best love songs in history of music. You can agree or disagree with this list but this is what I think are the 15 best funk ballads or love songs of all time. Why 15? Because 10 is too small and 20 would be diluting this list a bit. Here it is:

1. Prince-Adore

2. The Gap Band-Yearning For Your Love

3. Rick James & Teena Marie-Fire & Desire

4. Ready For The World-Love You Down

5. Earth, Wind & Fire-Reasons

6. The Time-Gigolos Get Lonely Too

7. L.T.D.-Love Ballad

8. Roger-I Want To Be Your Man

9. The Commodores-Zoom

10. Kool & The Gang-Cherish

11. Prince-Purple Rain

12. The Bar-Kays-Anticipation

13. Cameo-Sparkle

14. Mint Condition-You Don't Have To Hurt No More

15. Bootsy Collins-I'd Rather Be With You

Honorable Mentions go to: Faze-O-Riding High, Teena Marie-If I Were A Bell, and Larry Graham-One In A Million.

Peace and be wild!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 04/12/11 6:24pm

LittleBLUECorv
ette

avatar

Adore and Cherish are not Funk Ballads.

PRINCE: Always and Forever
MICHAEL JACKSON: Always and Forever
-----
Live Your Life How U Wanna Live It
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #2 posted 04/12/11 6:27pm

MickyDolenz

avatar

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Adore and Cherish are not Funk Ballads.

Yeah, just because a song is by a funk group doesn't mean it's funky. lol

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #3 posted 04/12/11 6:37pm

LoDog

avatar

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Adore and Cherish are not Funk Ballads.

That's your opinion and I respect that, but there are probably others out there (including myself) that would disagree. Besides, a ballad is defined as something slow or intimate. Nuff said!

[Edited 4/12/11 18:37pm]

Peace and be wild!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #4 posted 04/12/11 6:40pm

LittleBLUECorv
ette

avatar

LoDog said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Adore and Cherish are not Funk Ballads.

That's your opinion and I respect that, but there are probably others out there (including myself) that would disagree. Besides, a ballad is defined as something slow or intimate. Nuff said!

[Edited 4/12/11 18:37pm]

True, but Funk is hard hitting and rough. The only song that's fits alow, intimate and hard hitting is I'd Rather be with You. It's Funky yet slow.

There is nothin funky about Cherish or Adore.

PRINCE: Always and Forever
MICHAEL JACKSON: Always and Forever
-----
Live Your Life How U Wanna Live It
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #5 posted 04/12/11 7:21pm

MickyDolenz

avatar

This is a ballad I would consider funky. A song like One In A Million You is not funky at all. It's more like adult contemporary.

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #6 posted 04/12/11 7:30pm

LittleBLUECorv
ette

avatar

PRINCE: Always and Forever
MICHAEL JACKSON: Always and Forever
-----
Live Your Life How U Wanna Live It
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #7 posted 04/12/11 10:13pm

novabrkr

"If I Was Your Girlfriend" could be called a "funk ballad". "Adore", well, it's more of a ballad that sounds good on an album after a funk song...

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #8 posted 04/13/11 12:04am

minneapolisFun
q

avatar

Purple Rain?

Lol wut?

Define "funk ballad".

Most ballads are slow and unfunky so it would be hard to categorize them with the provided label.

If any Prince ballad were to be considered 'funky', It would have to be 'do me baby' simply because of the bassline.

You're so glam, every time I see you I wanna slam!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #9 posted 04/13/11 1:48am

BlaqueKnight

avatar

I'd Rather Be With You is a funk ballad. Adore is not. If you want to pick a Prince song, why not Do Me Baby? That's much funkier than Adore.

Try this one on for size:

or this:

or this:

or even this:

[Edited 4/13/11 2:11am]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #10 posted 04/13/11 2:26am

hhhhdmt

If You Want Me To Stay- Sly and the Family Stone

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #11 posted 04/13/11 2:32am

BlaqueKnight

avatar

How could I forget possibly one of the funkiest songs PERIOD (which can count as a ballad because of the tempo):

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #12 posted 04/13/11 8:38am

vainandy

avatar

Great thread idea. I'll be back when I'm at home and have time to respond.

Andy is a four letter word.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #13 posted 04/13/11 8:57am

paisleypark4

avatar

Yeah funk ballads...have to have some funk in it....or else it could not be clarified as a funk ballad. Some of those titles can be refered to as a ballad by a funkateer.

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #14 posted 04/13/11 12:40pm

minneapolisFun
q

avatar

I'm still laughing at the thought of Purple Rain being considered a 'funk ballad'. Lol What the fuck.

You're so glam, every time I see you I wanna slam!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #15 posted 04/13/11 1:46pm

mimi2

Just wanna add "Love's Train" by Con Funk Shun music love love this jam

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #16 posted 04/13/11 2:57pm

BlaqueKnight

avatar

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #17 posted 04/13/11 3:27pm

funkymf

avatar

BlaqueKnight said:

The BOMB! worship

The Funk, the whole funk & nothin' but the funk, ya dig?!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #18 posted 04/13/11 3:51pm

paisleypark4

avatar

minneapolisFunq said:

I'm still laughing at the thought of Purple Rain being considered a 'funk ballad'. Lol What the fuck.

I know he meant well; but lets be nice. He just had to be re-edumacated.

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #19 posted 04/13/11 3:55pm

paisleypark4

avatar

Love the rhythm guitar, Linn and Moog bass on this track. J&T on their shit as usual.

Dam Funk too:

I Wanna Thank U 4 Steppin In2 My Life

das my shit dancing jig

[Edited 4/13/11 15:59pm]

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #20 posted 04/13/11 3:57pm

Shaolin325

Here are some that I like:

Jamiroquai - "Butterfly"

Slave - "For The Love Of You" and "Starting Over"

Cameo - "Sparkle", "It's Over" and "Why Have I Lost You" - Version 1 - it's little funkier than the second version

Average White Band - "A Love Of Your Own"

Rufus/Chaka Khan - "An Everlasting Love"

Maxwell - "Welcome"

I can't think of any others right now.........

[Edited 4/13/11 16:00pm]

[Edited 4/13/11 16:05pm]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #21 posted 04/13/11 4:02pm

paisleypark4

avatar

Shaolin325 said:

Here are some that I like:

Cameo - "Sparkle", "It's Over" and "Why Have I Lost You" - Version 1 - it's little funkier than the second version

Oh lawd jesus yes! music

Average White Band - "A Love Of Your Own"

That bass is nasty

Rufus/Chaka Khan - "An Everlasting Love"

That bass is even funkier...makes your lip just curl up and your nose tickle a little bit...too nasty..

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #22 posted 04/13/11 4:30pm

Timmy84

Purple Rain is all ROCK & ROLL. Adore is all SOUL.

Anyway:

  • Yearning for Your Love
  • What's a Telephone Bill
  • Be Alright
  • Hollywood
  • I Want You (the bass and the riffs... music )
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #23 posted 04/13/11 5:42pm

vainandy

avatar

I don't consider any slow jams as actual funk because funk is something you can shake ass to. However, I have used the term "funk slow jams" myself when referring to slow jams that were made by funk groups because they are the best slow jams. I mean, when you got a bunch of men collaborating on a slow jam together, how can it not be sexy? lol

Some of my favorites are....

Sparkle - Cameo

Say Yes - Lakeside

Yearning For Your Love - Lakeside

Something In The Past - One Way

Slow Jam - Midnight Star

Feels Like I'm Falling In Love - The Barkays

Spacey Love - Rick James

Do Me, Baby - Prince

Feel Me - Cameo

Goin' Through School And Love - Raydio

Andy is a four letter word.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #24 posted 04/13/11 5:49pm

Timmy84

I Want To Be Free by the Ohio Players

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #25 posted 04/13/11 7:39pm

thatruth

In no particular order:

1. Prince - Do Me Baby

2. The Commodores - Just To Be Close To You

3. Bootsy - I Rather Be With You

4. Roger - Computer Love (I Wanna Be Your Man & Slow & Easy are strong also)

5. Gap Band - Yearning For Your Love

6. Isley Brothers - Between The Sheets (all of their ballads can fill this list)

7. Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing (Damn near any slow cut from Marvin)

8. Rose Royce - Love Don't Live Here Anymore

9. Kool & the Gang - Summer Madness

10. One Way - If You Play Your Cards Right

11. Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long

12. Keith Sweet - Make It Last Forever

13. Michael Cooper - Dinner For Two

14. Maze - Reachin Down Inside

15. Earth, Wind & Fire - Can't Hide Love

Lots of honorable mentions:

The Brothers Johnson - Q

Quincy Jones - Tell Me A Bedtime Story

Minnie Riperton - Inside My Love

Maze - Happy Feelin'

LTD - Concentrate On You

Rick James - When Love Is Gone (and plenty of his ballads also)

Teena Marie - Portuguese Love (same thing)

Ray Parker - I Don't Think That Man Should Sleep Alone

Klymaxx - I Still Say Yes

Alexander O'Neal - If You Were Here Tonight

The SOS Band - No One's Gonna Love You

Heatwave - Sho Nuff Must Be Love

LeVert - Pop Pop Pop Goes My Mind

Con Funk shun - Straight From The Heart

[Edited 4/13/11 20:03pm]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > Music: Non-Prince > Top 15 Funk Ballads of all time