Sly & The Family Stone: Stand! (1969) "I Want to Take You Higher" and "Everyday People" are two of the most powerful recordings of all time. Complicated, supercharged funk with performances that shake you to the bones. A soundtrack for black power at the time: "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" was to the point, to say the least.

James Brown: Sex Machine (1970) The bridge between soul and funk. Brown is as important of a black artist in many ways as Louis Armstrong. "Sex Machine" may be the most sampled song of all time.

Parliament: Mothership Connection (1975) This recording was released in the middle of the disco era. "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) personifies slap bass and monstrous grooves. A classic.