PEOPLE... HOLD ON. It's the ~~~ ILM 1970s SOUL/FUNK/DISCO ALBUMS POLL ~~~ results thread!

All right, here we go. It's the ILM 1970's soul/funk/disco albums poll!
23 people voted for 525 albums, out of 1139 nominations.

What came before:

LET'S GET IT ON! It's the ~~~ 1970s SOUL ALBUMS POLL ~~~ NOMINATIONS AND CAMPAIGNING THREAD

~~~ ILM 1970s SOUL/FUNK/DISCO ALBUMS POLL ~~~ VOTING THREAD

Let's get it on!

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TIE. Ruby Andrews - Black Ruby (1972)
28 points • 1 vote

By the way, we're doing a top 140. This way everyone's number 1 will show up, and there won't be too many ties.

Still, there are many ties in the lower half of the results, possibly because of my voting system (top 25 of every ballot weighted, everything else below that unweighted).

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TIE. Noir - We Had to Let You Have It (1971)
28 points • 1 vote

Also, top 140 so I could include my number 3 ^

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TIE. Love Unlimited Orchestra - Rhapsody in White (1974)
28 points • 1 vote

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137. Van Morrison - Moondance (1970)
28 points • 2 votes

I knew I'd be the sole voter for that Ruby Andrews album, so thanks for squeaking it into the rollout.

Wow, that "Moondance" cover is awful! Why would anyone want to see multiple variations of that guy's creepy look?

XP - Another favorite of yours is coming up soon, so stay tuned.

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136. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Maze (1977)
29 points • 2 votes

I agree, ^ this cover is much better!

Wow, never seen that before, it's impressive indeed! High props to them for having an actual solvable maze there!

There should've been a cover art side poll!

Also I just realized that in my haste, I left Marvin Gaye off my ballot entirely. He probably did fine without me

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135. Caston & Majors - Caston & Majors (1974)
29 points • 3 votes

Here's the gorgeous opening track.

Ooh, that's nice.

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134. Al Jarreau - We Got By (1975)
30 points • 1 vote • 1 number one

Do I hear a 'TOO LOW!'?

;_;

I bought that Jarreau record probably 12 or 13 years ago, but it's really only been within the last 2 that I've succumbed to its absolute flawless charms.

Wait, did I only listen to it for the first time two years ago?

I don't know how many times I've passed over buying We Got By in a record shop just because I liked the design of its sleeve. Now I'm finally listening to it (which is basically my first dedicated exposure to Jarreau) and "Lock All the Gates" is one of the most amazing songs I've heard in who knows how long. So excited there's about a zillion more albums to check out!

― Johnny Fever, Sunday, November 23, 2014 3:52 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I don't know. I thought I got it a long time ago.

I wonder what you like(d) about the sleeve.
What's up with the graph paper on the bottom? Why is the title in a circle around the A? Why the ugly green color?

About the only thing I do like about it is the picture.

It's overdesigned, but cleanly? It just looks ahead of its time for 1975.

About 5 years, agreed.

Anyway, the music is better than the cover. Listening to it now for the first time (full album is on YouTube).

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/579/MI0001579696.jpg
133. Ohio Players - Skin Tight (1974)
30 points • 3 votes

re: Al Jarreau, the intro to 'You Don't See Me' is really something.

Skin Tight is awesome and Im sad it's this low

hey I vote for it!

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132. Curtis Mayfield - Back to the World (1973)
30 points • 4 votes

good album

Will give Caston & Majors another chance. It is pretty unique.

It is. Some of their songs sound a little too much like a Broadway musical, but most of it is just great.

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131. The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get (1972)
30 points • 5 votes

I think Caston & Majors was number 100 on my list. Lovely album.

I've only heard that Ruby Andrews album once. It's definitely one I need to go back to.

Amazingly, I don't think I ended up voting for any Ohio Players. I ended up going for more soul than funk in the end.

Back to the World is a great album. I had four Curtis albums on my list. That one just missed out.

I voted for a different Love Unlimited Orchestra album. Happy to see this one place.

"Back to the World" is one of those albums where there's a huge discrepancy between the A and B sides... Three tunes that are unique and impressive both musically and lyrically followed by four run-of-the-mill soul jams. It seems like he ran out of creative steam after composing those three songs (a problem that marrs all of his 1970s solo albums except the debut, they all have too much filler).

Voted for the Dramatics. Probably the best sort of generic soul album I know.

Yeah, it definitely is front loaded. The second half is enjoyable but it's really all about those first three songs.

That Dramatics album is a good one. It made my long list and was one of the last albums I cut.

Mayfield I think is one of those people who would've benefitted from the slower release schedules that pop stars moved to from the 1980s onward. When he was good he was really good ("Right on for the Darkness" from this album remains an incredible, unprecedented tour-de-force as composition, as an arrangement, and as a political poem), but it seems his well of creativity couldn't keep up with the album-per-year model, so he churned out a lot of mediocre, auto-pilot jams too.

Though I guess he was never so popular he could've afforded to release only one album per every two or three years.

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TIE. Nina Simone - Emergency Ward! (1973)
31 points • 2 votes

Great album! Simone was the master of making any tune she sang her own, and the cover of "Oh My Lord" is perhaps the most impressive example of that. The mild-mannered Harrison original is turned into a powerful statement.

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TIE. Earth, Wind & Fire - Gratitude (1975)
31 points • 2 votes

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TIE. Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan (1975)
31 points • 4 votes

Nice, Rufus were awesome

Any chance you could number them?

The last two were 129, this one and the next 127.

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TIE. Parliament - Up for the Down Stroke (1974)
31 points • 4 votes

(I'll be back in a few hours.)

good album, quite underrated

Up for the Down Stroke is a really good album. I was surprised that I ended up with so little P Funk on my list. Three Parliament albums and just one by Funkadelic.

That's a great Rufus album. Hopefully the two I voted for are still to come.

Oh crap if I had knew my top album would be featured by points I should have placed something obscure at the top. I ended up giving it to one of the albums in the poll that are very probably going to make it into the top 20.

KP , I think a lot will be like you and not vote for funk as they saw it as being a soul poll, so if lots of funk places 100-140 I'll be quite happy BUT with skin tight so low I fear for a lot of my faves being nowhere near.

I forgot only the top 25 was weighted (thought it was 10) so I'd have redone my ballot if I could have but oh well.

I voted for a fair few funk albums I think. Nothing by the Ohio Players made my ballot but Skin Tight is probably my favourite by them.

I've never listened to Al Jarreau for some reason so I'll give We Got By a go.

Hi, I'm back!

I'm not giving anything away, but I don't think any of you will be disappointed in the final list.

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126. The Delfonics - The Delfonics (1970)
31 points • 5 votes

Last one for today:

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125. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - I Miss You (1972)
32 points • 2 votes

I actually was on the verge of sending a ballot for this, but there were "technical difficulties" and then I suddenly found myself with no time to get a ballot in on time. It was so frustrating, because I did actually work out a list of 100 albums and there was a fuckload of funk on there

Voted for both of these. Miss You is the best Blue Notes album simply by being unabashedly all about Teddy wrecking shit. The others have better singles but lack the cohesion. All the Thom Bell stuff is otherworldly so the Delfonics was a no-brainer.

"Black Ruby" seems like a fun record, but jeez, a bit rare... CA$132.97 Average on Discogs.

Some of my faves scraping by on my recommendation, feeling good

Whoa, that Al Jarreau record is sick. Good call on extending the countdown to include all the #1s. Going to enjoy this end of the list more than the top 20

Good morning, everyone!

Turrican, I would have gladly extended the deadline a bit if I had known about your difficulties. What a shame. In any case, now Cosmic Slop knows who to blame if one of his favorites is TOO LOW :)

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123 (TIE). Barry White - Can't Get Enough (1974)
32 points • 3 votes

Wow, that "Moondance" cover is awful! Why would anyone want to see multiple variations of that guy's creepy look?

― Tuomas

Too low on that Delfonics record!

Partly my fault. I listened to it again last night, and it should have been much higher on my list. The first side especially is great.

Barry White is on the border between complete shit and utter genius all the time. It's fascinating.

I have to admit I haven't found his genius side yet. Maybe I should try harder.

Next one is here because of Tuomas' campaigning:

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123 (TIE). Andy Bey - Experience and Judgment (1974)
32 points • 3 votes

Cool! Like I said in the nomination thread, this is my favourite music for fucking, it's even better than Meshell N'degeocello's Comfort Woman in that regard.

Such an unique world Bey inhabits here, too bad he never got to do a proper follow-up, and "Experience and Judgment" remains slept on. Though apparently he did have a comeback in the 1990s doing more straightforward jazz, has anyone heard that stuff?

http://i.imgur.com/9ttZDNE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/SmfMHFS.jpg

Andy Bey Album Highlight: 'Hibiscus'

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122. Margie Joseph - Margie Joseph Makes a New Impression (1970)
33 points • 2 votes

Album highlights: 'Punish Me' and her epic cover of 'Stop! In the Name of Love' (full 8:13 version sadly not on YouTube)

Happy to see a Barry White album make it. I had a couple of his other albums on my list. Hopefully they can squeeze in here too.

Love Margie Joseph. This and Phase II are fantastic records.

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119 (TIE). WAR - War (1971)
33 points • 3 votes

Nice!

Great album. War to Why Can't We Be Friends is one of my favourite run of albums ever. Deliver the Word is my favourite.

What's the rollout plan?

I don't really have a plan, but I just got home and tonight I'm going to post at least ten more albums. Here's the next one:

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119 (TIE). Ohio Players - Pain (1972)
33 points • 3 votes

Geez how many variants are there of that album cover

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119 (TIE). Commodores - Commodores [a.k.a. Zoom] (1977)
33 points • 3 votes

Delighted to see this Commodores album place. They have a bunch of good records but this one is by far my favourite. One of my favourite albums of all time.

Pain is a really good album. I can never choose which is my fave era junie/westbound or the mercury era. Both were superb. One of the most underrated bands of all time.

Mandrill aren't gonna make it now, are they? :(

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118. Bee Gees - Main Course (1975)
33 points • 4 votes

Mandrill aren't gonna make it now, are they? :(

― Cosmic Slop,

Mandrill Is will definitely place. It has supporters on here.

Wonder how many Ohio Players albums will place? If I'd voted for any of them, I would have gone for Honey. That's easily my favourite.

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117. Isaac Hayes - Shaft (1971)
33 points • 5 votes

Surprised how low this is.

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116. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Wake Up Everybody (1975)
34 points • 5 votes

I just listened to this on my way home. I should have given it more points.

It also has one of my favorite albums covers of this poll.

I've never heard this album. The only album I have by them is a singles compilation. I really should investigate them further.

Good to see Up For The Down Stroke place. Skin Tight and Pain too low - I suspect Pleasure will place the highest of all the OP records.

Commodores were at their best pre-1977, IMO.

Not surprised Shaft is so low - I actually find it incredibly overrated. Hayes made far better records. The theme is all-time, though.

I'm hoping the first two Mandrill albums place.

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115. Parliament - Chocolate City (1975)
34 points • 6 votes

Hmm. I've always thought of Chocolate City as a minor album in Parliament's discography. Not as good as Up For The Down Stroke, IMO.

Three classics in a row

Teddy is among the greats so it's irritating that he has no true magnum opus album-wise. All of them, including the Blue Notes stuff, are pretty good though.

116. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Wake Up Everybody (1975) is the one I voted for.

Chocolate City is probably my joint fave Parliament album.

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114. Syreeta - Syreeta (1972)
35 points • 2 votes

Chocolate City is a great album. Some days Together is my favourite song of theirs.

Syreeta! I love this woman.

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113. The Soul Children - Friction (1974)
35 points • 2 votes • 1 number one

xpost to Cosmic Slop: what, really!?

TOO LOW

(my #1)

Side 1 of Chocolate City is one of the best things P-Funk ever put to tape

Wow, someone's number one? I'm the other (unranked) vote for it. I appreciate concept albums that don't embarrass themselves and this one has a really fun dynamic to it with different vocals getting to express their own fucked up jealousy scenarios.

High five to the other vote for Syreeta.

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112. The Temptations - All Directions (1972)
36 points • 2 votes

High five to the other vote for Syreeta.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka)

I had this Syreeta album pretty high on my list. I put her second album even higher.

There is obviously some essential Whitfield stuff but I much prefer the Ruffin/Smokey period.

I voted for the 'other' Syreeta album!

Enjoying this Blue Notes album, though there is some filler on there. Don't know them as an albums band. The title track is, of course, magnificent.

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111. Jorge Ben - Negro é lindo (1971)
36 points • 3 votes

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109 (TIE). Lou Bond - Lou Bond (1974)
36 points • 4 votes

If you haven't heard 'To the Establishment' yet, please drop everything NOW and take the next 11 minutes and 19 seconds to listen to this masterpiece. It's the single best thing I've discovered through this poll and I would never have heard it otherwise. So thank you to whoever mentioned Lou Bond on the nominations thread.

Next entry in 11:19...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7psjsGe6A3g

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109 (TIE). Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby (1975)
36 points • 4 votes

Damn forgot to vote for that Lou Bond album...

Last one for today:

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108. The Spinners - Pick of the Litter (1975)
36 points • 5 votes

Lovely album.

RECAP:

108. The Spinners - Pick of the Litter (1975) 36 points • 5 votes
109 (TIE). Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby (1975) 36 points • 4 votes
109 (TIE). Lou Bond - Lou Bond (1974) 36 points • 4 votes
111. Jorge Ben - Negro é lindo (1971) 36 points • 3 votes
112. The Temptations - All Directions (1972) 36 points • 2 votes
113. The Soul Children - Friction (1974) 35 points • 2 votes • 1 number one
114. Syreeta - Syreeta (1972) 35 points • 2 votes
115. Parliament - Chocolate City (1975) 34 points • 6 votes
116. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Wake Up Everybody (1975) 34 points • 5 votes
117. Isaac Hayes - Shaft (1971) 33 points • 5 votes
118. Bee Gees - Main Course (1975) 33 points • 4 votes
119 (TIE). Commodores - Commodores [a.k.a. Zoom] (1977) 33 points • 3 votes
119 (TIE). Ohio Players - Pain (1972) 33 points • 3 votes
119 (TIE). WAR - War (1971) 33 points • 3 votes
122. Margie Joseph - Margie Joseph Makes a New Impression (1970) 33 points • 2 votes
123 (TIE). Andy Bey - Experience and Judgment (1974) 32 points • 3 votes
123 (TIE). Barry White - Can't Get Enough (1974) 32 points • 3 votes
125. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - I Miss You (1972) 32 points • 2 votes
126. The Delfonics - The Delfonics (1970) 31 points • 5 votes
127 (TIE). Parliament - Up for the Down Stroke (1974) 31 points • 4 votes
127 (TIE). Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan (1975) 31 points • 4 votes
129 (TIE). Earth, Wind & Fire - Gratitude (1975) 31 points • 2 votes
129 (TIE). Nina Simone - Emergency Ward! (1973) 31 points • 2 votes
131. The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get (1972) 30 points • 5 votes
132. Curtis Mayfield - Back to the World (1973) 30 points • 4 votes
133. Ohio Players - Skin Tight (1974) 30 points • 3 votes
134. Al Jarreau - We Got By (1975) 30 points • 1 vote • 1 number one
135. Caston & Majors - Caston & Majors (1974) 29 points • 3 votes
136. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Maze (1977) 29 points • 2 votes
137. Van Morrison - Moondance (1970) 28 points • 2 votes
138 (TIE). Love Unlimited Orchestra - Rhapsody in White (1974) 28 points • 1 vote
138 (TIE). Noir - We Had to Let You Have It (1971) 28 points • 1 vote
138 (TIE). Ruby Andrews - Black Ruby (1972) 28 points • 1 vote

The Spinners are the same as Teddy with me. Top tier artist with no top tier albums. Gave them all the unranked vote. Honest I Do from this one is all time.

The Spinners' self-titled record is as top tier as it gets for me. It's nearly a Greatest Hits record all by itself.

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106 (TIE). Ohio Players - Pleasure (1972)
37 points • 2 votes

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106 (TIE). Ashford & Simpson - Is It Still Good to Ya (1978)
37 points • 2 votes

Bonus album highlight: the 12 inch mix of 'Flashback'

xxp cryptosicko

I want to agree with you but can't. The Green Grass cover is a mistake, the filler is not great and How Could I Let You Get Away was always a weird melody and lyric to me. The highlights are crazy high of course but it's not a top tier album imo.

Is It Still Good to Ya was top 5 on my list and this feels outrageously low. Had So So Satisfied in my top 10 as well but it seems unlikely to place now. I always liked Ashford and Simpson but it took relistening for this poll to make me realize I LOVE them. Sure, they are plenty histrionic and a bit Broadwayesque and I usually hate that but on those two albums it simply works. A husband and wife duo who are professional r'n'b songwriters just dedicating albums to their love. It's really unique. Shit like It Seems to Hang On and Maybe I Can Find It is overwhelmingly beautiful. The one album I can think of that is a kindred spirit is The xx debut. The background relationships are completely different obviously but that's a great "couple" album.

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105. Ohio Players - Fire (1974)
37 points • 3 votes

I just found out that Pleasure also had a great fold-out cover. Here it is:
https://justsoulyouknow.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/pleasure.jpg

Any others I missed?

xxp myself

Womack and Womack is an obvious parallel but they are way more toxic. Same goes for Richard and Linda, the Go-Betweens, Fleetwood Mac and X. Delaney and Bonnie come the closest.

http://cdn-s3.allmusic.com/release-covers/400/0000/012/0000012511.jpg
104. The Meters - Fire on the Bayou (1975)
37 points • 4 votes

Finally decided I don't really care for New Orleans r'n'b. Sparks of genius like Prof Longhair or Mother-in-Law excepted. Still voted for Yes We Can since that one is also kind of undeniable.

Fire above Pleasure, eh? Thought that Pleasure would be higher. Good to also see that Meters album place!

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103. Minnie Riperton - Perfect Angel (1974)
37 points • 5 votes

Way too low for "Fire on the Bayou", that's an awesome album, even though Meters purists apparently don't like it so much (because it has vocals and catchy songs). I especially love "Can You Do Without" for it's ridiculously funky groove, and "They All Ask'd for You" for listing all those animals. :)

xxp One more person voted for Fire, but the number of points for both albums is the same. So the people who voted for Pleasure rated it higher than they did Fire.

Wow, I didn't expect "Perfect Angel" to place below "Adventures in Paradise"... (Which is surely yet to come, right? Right?) But that's the correct order, IMO. As transcendant as "Lovin' You" is, in general I don't think Riperton's vocals work so well in a standard funk-rock setting, with no horns or strings. The more baroque arrangements of the album before and after this complement her talent better.

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0003/562/MI0003562663.jpg
102. Roberta Flack - Chapter Two (1970)
38 points • 3 votes

That was my #3... IMO Flack is kinda unfairly remembered mostly for "Killing Me Softly", or for her various cover versions of folk tunes and Leonard Cohen (which are undoubtedly great, don't get me wrong), but her first three albums are all flawless pieces folk-soul, and this one is the best of them.

already stoked to check out a bunch of these albums I've never heard before - and there are 101 left to come!

so 2 brilliant Ohio Players albums and a brilliant meters album placed while I was in bed. 3 of my votes right there

Yeah sorry, I didn't know when you'd wake up. But stay tuned, there's more coming up in the next hour.

xp - Which ones, Sean?

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101. Smokey Robinson - A Quiet Storm (1975)
38 points • 6 votes

Not counting James Brown, Smokey is probably my favorite soul man ever but I don't love this one. It's sort of gimmicky? The filler is schmaltzy af. Hope Where There's Smoke... is still to come cause that one is awesome.

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/450/MI0001450645.jpg
100. Patrice Rushen - Pizzazz (1979)
39 points • 5 votes

Wow, cool. I love Haven't You Heard completely. Should listen to this.

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0002/191/MI0002191013.jpg
99. Fontella Bass - Free (1972)
40 points • 2 votes

Album highlights: 'It Sure Is Good' and 'Talking About Freedom'

That was my #7. A great, gritty & political album, far away from "Rescue Me", if that's what you know Bass from. "It Sure Is Good" isn't on the original album though... It's included in the CD reissue, which has 5 bonus tunes from the same era that were released as singles but not on any album.

Oops, you're right. I hadn't noticed those were bonus tracks.

https://img.discogs.com/gxLTq5zvwKMmdiDLT9EM-hfDntI=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3123644-1316886035.jpeg.jpg
97 (TIE). The Undisputed Truth - The Undisputed Truth (1971)
40 points • 3 votes

I should check that one out someday, I have their second album, which is pretty good.

Awesome cover too! (Though I'm not sure what's going on there; are they preparing for a spiritism session?)

Obvious album highlight: 'Smiling Faces Sometimes'

Slightly less obvious album highlight: 'Like a Rolling Stone'

xp - Yeah, it's hard to see what they're doing down there.

Cosmic Slop to thread!

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97 (TIE). Funkadelic - America Eats Its Young (1972)
40 points • 3 votes

Full album cover

the weakest of the funkadelic albums but has some great stuff on it

i voted for A Quiet Storm btw

How about this one:

http://whatimg.com/i/3PoMeJ.jpg
95 (TIE). Ohio Players - Honey (1975)
40 points • 4 votes

99. Fontella Bass - Free (1972)

another one for the list!

http://cdn-s3.allmusic.com/release-covers/500/0001/408/0001408410.jpg
95 (TIE). Earth, Wind & Fire - Open Our Eyes (1974)
40 points • 4 votes

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94. Sly Stone - High on You (1975)
41 points • 3 votes

I know some people like their earlier, rougher material, but to me "Open Your Eyes" is the beginning of EWF's imperial period. Everything from that album to "Raise!" is more or less great (except maybe "Spirit", which is oddly lacking in highlights). So lively and pristine!

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92 (TIE). Blue Magic - Blue Magic (1974)
41 points • 4 votes

Album highlight: 'Just Don't Want to Be Lonely'

and 'Sideshow' of course.

...and 'Tear It Down'...

Just a great album.

Honeyis possibly my fave of later period ohio players but its very close.

That Sly Stone album is great, very underrated and is as good as Fresh and better than Small Talk and most of the other lesser albums

Not counting James Brown, Smokey is probably my favorite soul man ever but I don't love this one. It's sort of gimmicky? The filler is schmaltzy af. Hope Where There's Smoke... is still to come cause that one is awesome.

― gospodin simmer,

Agreed, but "The Agony and the Ecstasy" is all time.

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91. Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend (1971)
42 points • 4 votes

Album highlights: 'Listen to Me' and 'Hard Times'

Sorry, I forgot Uncle Barry!

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92 (TIE). Barry White - Stone Gon' (1973)
41 points • 4 votes

Catching up

Way TOO LOW for Perfect Angel, not a bad track on there and Reasons and Edge of a Dream are two of the best songs of the decade

I didn't vote for any Meters stuff because I leaned more soul than funk in my ballot, but Fire on the Bayou is fantastic, particularly that title track.

Same thing with Ohio Players--leaned a little funky for what my parameters were--Fire and Pleasure are both very worthy of votes.

A Quiet Storm got a vote from me, mostly because of its influence on the succeeding decades of R&B--it's a sound and a phrase so specific that it practically created its own subgenre

Perfect Angel is way too low. Hopefully Adventures In Paradise and Come to my Garden are still to come.

Baby Huey was so good and it's a shame he died before he could really show what he was capable of.

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90. Swamp Dogg - Total Destruction to Your Mind (1970)
43 points • 3 votes

A Quiet Storm ... a sound and a phrase so specific that it practically created its own subgenre

― I know hoes that know Ali Farka Toure (voodoo chili)

This Pitchfork article from a couple of years ago is where I first the term 'quiet storm':
http://pitchfork.com/features/underscore/8822-the-quiet-storm/

first *heard*

I heard about it in the early 90s as it supposedly was used in the 70s for a radio format. Didnt hear the album until late 90s.

arch carrier thanks for the large roll out because of so many saying they saw it as a soul poll so didnt vote for funk it appears so much of my ballot is in the lower part and its nice to see them place

Sure, my pleasure! Doing this poll has been an education for me, and from the comments of others it's the same for them. A larger rollout means more albums to discover :)

I didn't listen to Swamp Dogg for this poll, but at least the title track is awesome.

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89. Aretha Franklin - Spirit in the Dark (1970)
43 points • 4 votes

This Blue Magic is fantastic. I've always been more of a stomper and a shouter when it comes to soul, so this smoother end is a total education to me.

Oh man, wait till we get to the Stylistics...

I've already bought a bunch of things from the discussion thread - Stylistics and Lou Bond have been my most joyous discoveries thus far. I don't know any 70s Smokey. Busy times...

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88. Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees (1976)
44 points • 4 votes

Sounds like an ilness

Yeah, I don't get it either.

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87. The Wild Tchoupitoulas - The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976)
45 points • 5 votes

Tentative album highlight: 'Hey Pocky a-Way'

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86. Allen Toussaint - Southern Nights (1975)
45 points • 6 votes

Didn't make my ballot but these are good albums

What is The Wild Tchoupitoulas?

Meters related New Orleans funk iirc?

old New Orleans funk/soul group led by George Landry, and backed by the Meters.

I think The Wild Tchoupitoulas are specifically about doing Mardi Gras chants, at least on that album. It's related to Mardi Gras Indians, though I don't know New Orleans traditions enough to explain it any more. It's a pretty fun album, very traditional and carnival-y. The version of "Hey Pocky A-Way" on it is hardly as good as the Meters' original though, but the original is one of the 10 best funk tunes of all time, so it's hard to improve on that.

Shows how much I know. Never heard the Tchoupitoulas before.

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85. Heatwave - Too Hot to Handle (1976)
46 points • 5 votes

Heatwave is awesome and all their albums are good, really good midpoint between funk, pop, soul and disco. Thanks for doing this poll btw. I voted, but know a lot more about funk than I do about soul, so happy to see some of that stuff charting.

You're welcome! :)

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84. WAR - All Day Music (1971)
46 points • 6 votes

super album

I love Southern Nights, the title track is so gorgeous.

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83. Slave - The Concept (1978)
47 points • 2 votes

Silk Degrees is like a sweet antidote when you overdose on Steely Dan. Not a perfect album but plenty unique and Boz is probably my favorite blue eyed soul vocalist.

Blue Magic are the weaker Stylistics but that's hardly an insult. Some spellbinding moments on that album.

Swamp Dogg is the best cult artist I can think of. A textbook example really. If you play him in the background he disappears and sounds hopelessly generic. But underneath there's a completely leftfield perspective you can't get anywhere else. Top 10 on my ballot.

aww man The Concept is so low. I thought there was a lot of Slave fans on ILM. I guess they dont vote :(

Should be top 20 imo

I didn't get a chance to really listen to anything I didn't already know for this poll, or I might have voted for it. Stone Jam is their record I play a lot, but that was '80.

I voted for a difference Toussaint album, but happy to see any of them tbh.

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82. Brick - Brick (1977)
47 points • 3 votes

yeah! This record is great -- really playful, varied stuff, even a Beatlesque ballad. Brick, at least for their first two records, were totally underrated, and should be talked about with EWF and Heatwave as one of the great pop/funk/soul bands. Also, Jimmy "Lord" Brown is kind of a jazz prodigy, laying down bebop style solos on trumpet, sax and trombone!

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81. The Isley Brothers - Go for Your Guns (1977)
47 points • 4 votes

I thought Brick were terrible but that Isley's album is great

Hey CS, just in time!

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79 (TIE). Funkadelic - Let's Take It to the Stage (1975)
48 points • 3 votes

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79 (TIE). Funkadelic - Cosmic Slop (1973)
48 points • 3 votes

Go For Your Guns is wayyyyy too low. Top ten for me.

Cosmic Slop, too. Probably my favorite P-Funk album

YES!!!

This era of Funkadelic is probably my favourite, and I'm fully expecting the LP that was released in between the two to place quite high up.

Also, this is probably not the best time to say that all of the nominated Slave albums were on the ballot that I was unable to submit. As well as Pleasure, and the two Funkadelic LP's above. But not America Eats Its Young.

Love that Toussaint album. And hoping World is a Ghetto is going to poll...

for Funkadelic, Cosmic Slop actually one of the few I didn't vote for -- it's always seemed a transitional album to me, where they weren't quite out of the early, freak-out phase, but didn't have their pop sound down yet either. Love Nappy Dugout tho. And Let's Take It to the Stage is really fun!

you would think so but people have been stating they voted soul not funk or disco so who knows

xps

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78. Donny Hathaway - Extension of a Man (1973)
48 points • 5 votes

Love Extension of A Man. Unreservedly.

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76 (TIE). Prince - Prince (1979)
48 points • 8 votes

8 votes? the most so far by miles

'Miles' is probably too strong a word, but yes, 2 more votes than Allen Toussaint and All Day Music.

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76 (TIE). Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (1973)
48 points • 8 votes

Missed the vote but loving the rollout, so much new stuff to listen to, just wanted to say.

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74 (TIE). Earth, Wind & Fire - I Am (1979)
49 points • 3 votes

xp - And we're not even half way!

^have played this EWF LP so many times over the years, the sax solo that bridges "After the Love Has Gone" and "Let Your Feelings Show" is not just great in itself but the serendipity of the way it links the two thrills me every time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xis71dIt5Nc

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74 (TIE). Barry White - Let the Music Play (1976)
49 points • 3 votes

Xxxxps I know! Great work ArchCarrier!

Shannon - 'Let the Music Play' >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Barry White - 'Let the Music Play'

Just catching up on today's albums.

Smokey's Quiet Storm is a classic. Such beautiful music. Easily the best album of his career.

I like that Meters album but it's not the one I voted for. I'm certain the one I voted for is still to come.

There's some good stuff on that Undisputed Truth album but I wouldn't say it's a great album. Some of the predictable covers make me not go back to it that much.

Cosmic Slop and Let's Take it to the Stage are very good Funkadelic albums that I did not find room for on my list. The album I voted for by them will do really well.

Stone Gon' is a fantastic album. One of my favourite Barry White releases. Hopefully Let the Music Play can sneak in here too.

That is a lot of Ohio Players albums. Good band but slightly overrated on here. It will be interesting to see if Cameo will place as they were often accused of ripping off their sound. I was expecting Cardiac Arrest to place, but now I'm not sure.

Brick! My favourite album on the list so far. I did not expect that album to place. One of my feel good albums and one of the best albums I've ever heard.

I'm shocked at how low Let's Get it on is. Brilliant record. Please Stay is the best song he ever did.

Nice Heatwave album. They're so underrated. Would be nice to see Central Heating in here too.

I Am is such a great album. Earth, Wind & Fire were too amazing.

Can't argue with that Prince album. Thought it would be higher.

All Day Music. Yes! Hope there's a couple more War albums to come. What a band.

I have a box set of those first five Slave albums. They're pretty good but not exactly my favourites. There's some good stuff on The Concept.

Great Isley Brothers album. These are all great albums. Good work everyone.

Oh nice. Let the Music Play was in my top 10. A perfect record.

I really don't get Barry White.

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73. Eugene McDaniels - Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse (1971)
49 points • 5 votes

Album highlights: 'The Parasite (for Buffy)' and 'The Lord Is Back'

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72. Gladys Knight & The Pips - Imagination (1973)
50 points • 5 votes

arch carrier thanks for the large roll out because of so many saying they saw it as a soul poll so didnt vote for funk it appears so much of my ballot is in the lower part and its nice to see them place

― Cosmic Slop

Are many people saying that they saw this as a soul poll? Unless I'm missing something there's only been two of us who said we voted for more soul than funk and that is just by preference. I didn't think funk wasn't really allowed or anything, I just prefer the soul side of this era more. I don't think you should worry too much, there's going to be loads of P Funk still to come and Sly & the Family Stone are going to do very well.

Imagination is such a great album.

for Funkadelic, Cosmic Slop actually one of the few I didn't vote for -- it's always seemed a transitional album to me, where they weren't quite out of the early, freak-out phase, but didn't have their pop sound down yet either

Well, yeah, that's exactly what it is! Why is that a bad thing?

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71. Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different (1974)
50 points • 5 votes • 1 number one

That is a lot of Ohio Players albums. Good band but slightly overrated on here.

Hahahahahaha! The fuck!?!

I gave that one some points, but unfortunately the songcraft on Betty Davis's albums doesn't really match her lyrics and attitude.

The self-titled Prince album is painfully underrated, probably because it's a snapshot of an artist before he went off and followed a more unique and individual vision. What it does, though, it does very well and Prince could have turned out albums like that for the rest of his career and still would have been worth listening to. It sounds great, too, and the first two tracks, 'Bambi' and 'I Feel For You' are all classics.

I love her persona and vocal gymnastics, and I very much would want to love the compositions too, but they're not just that inspired. Basically just solid but generic grooves for her to do her thing on top of.

OK, let's get this one out of the way then:

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70. Betty Davis - Nasty Gal (1975)
52 points • 5 votes

Hahahahahaha! The fuck!?!

― pen pineapple apple pen (Turrican)

You don't think they're a good band?

I've never been able to get into Betty Davis as much as I'd like to.

xpost:

No, I don't think they're overrated. Absolutely 100% essential funk.

Nasty Gal was literally a last-minute addition to my ballot, mainly because I'd never heard her before and because I really like 'F.U.N.K.'. Now that I've heard more from her I have to agree with the opinions above.

No, I don't think they're overrated. Absolutely 100% essential funk.

― pen pineapple apple pen (Turrican)

I do like them a lot. Unlike a lot of my favourite soul/funk bands I don't think they ever quite made their masterpiece.

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69. James Brown - The Payback (1973)
53 points • 7 votes

xp
only voted for one Betty Davis, and it wasn't either of these. Tend to agree her songs don't necessarily stack up against her peers in Funkadelic, Sly Stone, Ohio Players. Still cool tho.

Having another listen to Cosmic Slop now, but my feeling has always been this record simply didn't deliver anything as hard or raw as the first 3 records, wasn't as ambitious or weird as America Eats Its Young, didn't have the tunes of their later records (or the early ones either for that matter), wasn't as lean or on-point as Standing, etc etc. It's always just kind of sat there for me, nothing much to really get excited about, and didn't do anything in particular as well as the other records. Doesn't help that the title track has never done much for me.

Tracks I like: Nappy Dugout, You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure, This Broken Heart ("I'm hip to all that Gemini stuff"!!!), Trash A Go Go

over the years mid-period Funkadelic has become my favorite Funkadelic

I hate to sound like Geir here, but I've just never been able to get into James Brown.

GET OUT

that is the best front-to-back JB album fwiw

The title track of Cosmic Slop is the heart of the record, IMO!

The Payback was another on my ballot :/

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67 (TIE). Willie Hutch - The Mack (1973)
54 points • 5 votes

Int'l Players Anthem by UGK made me check out this album.

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67 (TIE). Parliament - Motor Booty Affair (1978)
54 points • 5 votes

This was the final TIE, by the way.

My favourite Parliament album.

How far are you counting down today?

Only a couple more, I'm getting sleepy.

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66. Mutiny - Mutiny on the Mamaship (1979)
55 points • 2 votes

ok lol no way is that better than the other P-Funk stuff posted so far

At least someone is going to be happy that his number 5 got in :)

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65. Chairmen of the Board - Skin I'm In (1974)
55 points • 3 votes

Another great album that just missed my list. Happy to see it in a respectable position.

Motor Booty Affair is one of my Top 3 favourite Parliament albums (you can probably guess the other two) ... I love the Mutiny record too (and it would have made my ballot along with the Quazar record) but not above Cosmic Slop, Let's Take It To The Stage; Up For The Down Stroke or Motor Booty Affair.

OK, last one for today:

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64. Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear (1978)
55 points • 5 votes

RECAP:

64. Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear (1978) 55 points • 5 votes
65. Chairmen of the Board - Skin I'm In (1974) 55 points • 3 votes
66. Mutiny - Mutiny on the Mamaship (1979) 55 points • 2 votes
67 (TIE). Parliament - Motor Booty Affair (1978) 54 points • 5 votes
67 (TIE). Willie Hutch - The Mack (1973) 54 points • 5 votes
69. James Brown - The Payback (1973) 53 points • 7 votes
70. Betty Davis - Nasty Gal (1975) 52 points • 5 votes
71. Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different (1974) 50 points • 5 votes • 1 number one
72. Gladys Knight & The Pips - Imagination (1973) 50 points • 5 votes
73. Eugene McDaniels - Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse (1971) 49 points • 5 votes
74 (TIE). Barry White - Let the Music Play (1976) 49 points • 3 votes
74 (TIE). Earth, Wind & Fire - I Am (1979) 49 points • 3 votes
76 (TIE). Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (1973) 48 points • 8 votes
76 (TIE). Prince - Prince (1979) 48 points • 8 votes
78. Donny Hathaway - Extension of a Man (1973) 48 points • 5 votes
79 (TIE). Funkadelic - Cosmic Slop (1973) 48 points • 3 votes
79 (TIE). Funkadelic - Let's Take It to the Stage (1975) 48 points • 3 votes
81. The Isley Brothers - Go for Your Guns (1977) 47 points • 4 votes
82. Brick - Brick (1977) 47 points • 3 votes
83. Slave - The Concept (1978) 47 points • 2 votes
84. WAR - All Day Music (1971) 46 points • 6 votes
85. Heatwave - Too Hot to Handle (1976) 46 points • 5 votes
86. Allen Toussaint - Southern Nights (1975) 45 points • 6 votes
87. The Wild Tchoupitoulas - The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976) 45 points • 5 votes
88. Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees (1976) 44 points • 4 votes
89. Aretha Franklin - Spirit in the Dark (1970) 43 points • 4 votes
90. Swamp Dogg - Total Destruction to Your Mind (1970) 43 points • 3 votes
91. Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend (1971) 42 points • 4 votes
92 (TIE). Barry White - Stone Gon' (1973) 41 points • 4 votes
92 (TIE). Blue Magic - Blue Magic (1974) 41 points • 4 votes
94. Sly Stone - High on You (1975) 41 points • 3 votes
95 (TIE). Earth, Wind & Fire - Open Our Eyes (1974) 40 points • 4 votes
95 (TIE). Ohio Players - Honey (1975) 40 points • 4 votes
97 (TIE). Funkadelic - America Eats Its Young (1972) 40 points • 3 votes
97 (TIE). The Undisputed Truth - The Undisputed Truth (1971) 40 points • 3 votes
99. Fontella Bass - Free (1972) 40 points • 2 votes
100. Patrice Rushen - Pizzazz (1979) 39 points • 5 votes
101. Smokey Robinson - A Quiet Storm (1975) 38 points • 6 votes
102. Roberta Flack - Chapter Two (1970) 38 points • 3 votes
103. Minnie Riperton - Perfect Angel (1974) 37 points • 5 votes
104. The Meters - Fire on the Bayou (1975) 37 points • 4 votes
105. Ohio Players - Fire (1974) 37 points • 3 votes
106 (TIE). Ashford & Simpson - Is It Still Good to Ya (1978) 37 points • 2 votes
106 (TIE). Ohio Players - Pleasure (1972) 37 points • 2 votes
108. The Spinners - Pick of the Litter (1975) 36 points • 5 votes
109 (TIE). Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby (1975) 36 points • 4 votes
109 (TIE). Lou Bond - Lou Bond (1974) 36 points • 4 votes
111. Jorge Ben - Negro é lindo (1971) 36 points • 3 votes
112. The Temptations - All Directions (1972) 36 points • 2 votes
113. The Soul Children - Friction (1974) 35 points • 2 votes • 1 number one
114. Syreeta - Syreeta (1972) 35 points • 2 votes
115. Parliament - Chocolate City (1975) 34 points • 6 votes
116. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Wake Up Everybody (1975) 34 points • 5 votes
117. Isaac Hayes - Shaft (1971) 33 points • 5 votes
118. Bee Gees - Main Course (1975) 33 points • 4 votes
119 (TIE). Commodores - Commodores [a.k.a. Zoom] (1977) 33 points • 3 votes
119 (TIE). Ohio Players - Pain (1972) 33 points • 3 votes
119 (TIE). WAR - War (1971) 33 points • 3 votes
122. Margie Joseph - Margie Joseph Makes a New Impression (1970) 33 points • 2 votes
123 (TIE). Andy Bey - Experience and Judgment (1974) 32 points • 3 votes
123 (TIE). Barry White - Can't Get Enough (1974) 32 points • 3 votes
125. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - I Miss You (1972) 32 points • 2 votes
126. The Delfonics - The Delfonics (1970) 31 points • 5 votes
127 (TIE). Parliament - Up for the Down Stroke (1974) 31 points • 4 votes
127 (TIE). Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan (1975) 31 points • 4 votes
129 (TIE). Earth, Wind & Fire - Gratitude (1975) 31 points • 2 votes
129 (TIE). Nina Simone - Emergency Ward! (1973) 31 points • 2 votes
131. The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get (1972) 30 points • 5 votes
132. Curtis Mayfield - Back to the World (1973) 30 points • 4 votes
133. Ohio Players - Skin Tight (1974) 30 points • 3 votes
134. Al Jarreau - We Got By (1975) 30 points • 1 vote • 1 number one
135. Caston & Majors - Caston & Majors (1974) 29 points • 3 votes
136. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Maze (1977) 29 points • 2 votes
137. Van Morrison - Moondance (1970) 28 points • 2 votes
138 (TIE). Love Unlimited Orchestra - Rhapsody in White (1974) 28 points • 1 vote
138 (TIE). Noir - We Had to Let You Have It (1971) 28 points • 1 vote
138 (TIE). Ruby Andrews - Black Ruby (1972) 28 points • 1 vote

Surprised this beat Let's Get It On.

Me too, even though I would have voted for it.

eh this is totally a better album than Let's Get It On

Wow, this Chairmen of the Board track is great!

the mutiny album is every bit as good as most pfunk. Even george said so.

the chairmen of the board album is brilliant and you guys do know who the backing band is, right?

the chairmen of the board album is brilliant and you guys do know who the backing band is, right?
― Cosmic Slop, Wednesday, October 19, 2016 8:08 PM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Well, yeah!

the mutiny album is every bit as good as most pfunk

it is, but it isn't *better* than canonical stuff like Motorbooty Affair imo

well it got less votes but 1 other voter thought highly of it along with me and it placed a bit higher. Hopefully people will check it out because of it placing who perhaps dont realise how awesome some of the spin off stuff is.

Id rate Mutiny, sweat band, Quazar albums ahead of the eddie hazel album (which i do like, its my prize possession )

I could listen to Gaye's "Is That Enough" all afternoon.

I like the Eddie Hazel album too, but I'll admit to being a bit underwhelmed when I first heard it. Count me in as another one who rates Mutiny, Quazar, Sweat Band etc. higher.

The thing about P-funk is that so many people were involved over the years that the amount of spin-offs and extra curricular stuff is just off the fucking scale.

Ranking James Brown albums is weird. All of them contain the deepest music ever made but always feel like they are a part of a much bigger whole. Like the setting is all wrong. Four hours of Star Time is the bare minimum Brown experience.

Gave points to Imagination. It's a sort of self help album that isn't all it should be but it starts with basically the realest, most powerful song ever so you let it slide.

Here, My Dear is secretly the best Marvin Gaye album

Agreed. All of his 70's albums are sort of ridiculous but everyone seems to ignore it. Here My Dear is openly bonkers and fascinating for it. It was my last cut.

*takes notes furiously*

My favorite Gaye album is In Our Lifetime, but I love his synth work on HMD: he's vamping compellingly.

I really don't get Barry White.
― ArchCarrier, Wednesday, October 19, 2016 1:26 PM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The thing about Barry White is that he made perfect music

never 4get

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpHR0-yFheY

70. Betty Davis - Nasty Gal (1975) 52 points • 5 votes
71. Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different (1974) 50 points • 5 votes • 1 number one

Too low, but ILM has never been very pro-Betty so not surprising.

Shaft and Let's get it on are underrated. Very excited about finding Swamp Dogg.

lol I voted for Betty Davis's s/t album because I conflated her with Betty Wright, who I now realize doesn't even have a s/t album.

:)

Good morning everyone! Let's see how far we get today.

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63. Curtis Mayfield - There's No Place Like America Today (1975)
57 points • 5 votes

I like the idea of Betty Davis more than the actual fact of listening to her. There's a bludgeoning aspect to her voice that wears me down.

The thing about Barry White is that he made perfect music
― 6 god none the richer (m bison)

Quick, two Funkadelic albums before Cosmic Slop gets out of bed!

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62. Funkadelic - Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow (1970)
58 points • 5 votes

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61. Funkadelic - Funkadelic (1970)
58 points • 6 votes

Full cover for Free Your Mind:

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Love this Curtis Mayfield album. It's one of his three masterpieces along with Superfly and Curtis.

Never been a big fan of Free Your Mind. It's my least favourite 70s Funkadelic record.

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60. Al Green - The Belle Album (1977)
60 points • 5 votes

Album highlights: 'I Feel Good' and 'Dream'

Often I think know "I Bet You" is my fave Funkadelic single.

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59. The O'Jays - Ship Ahoy (1973)
60 points • 7 votes

Album highlights: 'Ship Ahoy' and 'For the Love of Money'

...and 'Now That We Found Love'...
...and 'Don't Call Me Brother'...
...and 'People Keep Tellin' Me'...

Hell, pretty much the whole album is classic.

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58. The Chi-Lites - (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People (1971)
61 points • 4 votes

Album highlights: 'We Are Neighbours' and the title track

free your mind is the 2nd or 3rd best funkadelic album

I love both Funkadelic and Free Your Mind...and Your Ass Will Follow, and they both definitely deserve to be here. I'd personally rank Cosmic Slop and Motor Booty Affair above 'em, though.

I'm hoping for Standing on the Verge of Getting It On placing the highest out of all the Funkadelic records, and Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome of the Parliament ones. It'll probably be Maggot Brain and Mothership Connection, though.

I'm not a huge P-Funk fan, more of a respect for them than anything else, but is every fucking album going to place? What a myopic view of 70s soul/funk music.

...and it took 3 days before it happened. Surprised it took so long.

Look man, I'm not picking a fight with you. I don't know how many of their albums you put on your ballot, but I knew from the moment we opened the scope of the poll up (first to P-Funk and then all funk and disco in general) that it was going to swerve headlong into boring ILM canon shit.

(not you jf, it couldve been anyone saying it)

xp

save us ArchCarrier!

Yeah, it is disappointing seeing so much of it place when so many other great albums will miss out. I am a big P Funk fan but some of these albums really don't need to be here. I should save my P Funk complaints for when Maggot Brain places in the top five.

That Chi-Lites album is special. It's truly soulful. Not in a generic "gritty vocals, prominent brass" way but in that every song has these weird little personal touches in both the arrangements and the lyrics. And the vocals! Top 10 album.

JF otm about P-Funk.

This Chi-Lites album was one of the last albums I cut from my ballot. Such a great record.

Surprised to see we haven't had any Al Green up until now. All n All is my favourite from The Belle Album. That bassline is amazing. Wonder how many others of his will place. I'm guessing Call Me, Let's Stay Together and I'm Still In Love With You will definitely make it. There could be others.

I agree, I've never cared too much for these two bands, so it's boring to see all their albums place in every poll where it was possible to nominate them.

xxpost

My 2 cents on Funkadelic I didn't vote for already offered, but debut and Free Your Mind are both great, and I don't care if they're boring canon. They're still straight bourbon in a sea of stale merlot to me.

If it had been a soul only poll I could understand the complaints but ArchCarrier said he wanted a soul/funk/disco poll.

If he had said soul only I would have been fine with that, but since funk was allowed, I voted for a lot of funk as well.

It's inevitable that canon stuff will get some hate. I don't love Curtis or Clinton as much as y'all but it's probably hypocritical to talk shit since I voted for three Spinners and three Pendergrass albums. Still, I didn't vote for ten Spinners albums.

I took my daughter to the zoo, but now I'm back!

I allowed funk because there were already so many funk albums in the nominations list, and it would have been far too much work to separate them from the rest.

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57. Cymande - Cymande (1972)
61 points • 7 votes

Album highlight: 'Dove'

This one would've won my cover art poll. A fantastic album too

With 30 points max per album and 2 major funk fans in the house you might be able to deduce that the big funk wave is behind us, and we can all enjoy the fantastic soul that's still going to place.

For example...

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56. Lee Dorsey - Yes We Can (1970)
62 points • 3 votes

Voted for both of these. Yes We Can is the best New Orleans album imo. I don't even mind the goofball humour since Dorsey is so charismatic and the groove never lets up. Cymande is in that intriguing spot along with King Sunny Ade of nonshallow, nonsentimental background music. Truly rare.

Cymande and Lee Dorsey are both wonderful albums that didn't make my list.

I don't have a problem with all the funk placing, it's the just the amount of P Funk in particular that will take the place of other great albums that would add a bit more variety. I say that as a big P Funk fan. I'm still really enjoying the countdown. So many brilliant albums and my top three are still to come.

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55. Isaac Hayes - Black Moses (1971)
62 points • 7 votes

I'm not a massive fan of Black Moses. Hoping that To Be Continued might sneak in here somewhere.

Yes We Can is pretty much one of the best songs ever, I first discovered in on that great Saturday Night Fish Fry comp that Soul Jazz put out, that thing was a big gateway drug for me

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54. Minnie Riperton - Adventures in Paradise (1975)
64 points • 3 votes • 1 number one

This was my number two. When I first got into her I much preferred Perfect Angel and Come to my Garden which were much more instant. Over time this has become my favourite and one of my very favourite albums of all time. Such a stunning record by an incredible talent. Happy to see it do so well.

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53. George McCrae - Rock Your Baby (1974)
65 points • 4 votes

yessss

Filing this under "love the single, had no idea people rated the album" along with Pizzazz. Thanks!

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52. Donna Summer - Bad Girls (1979)
65 points • 7 votes

the entire Rock Your Baby album is very good. the title track was written and produced by harry wayne casey (of kc and the sunshine band)

xp was pedentically annoyed to hear that title track in the 1977 episode of The Get Down

jeez I can't spell or type today, sorry

Rock your baby must have sold heaps because along with all the Diana Ross records and the best of the stylistics, it's one that you can always find in uk charity shops ime. Despite that I've never got round to picking it up.

"Adventures in Paradise" was my #1. A great performer and songwriter at the top of her game, and unlike on the previous album, she has the sort of intricate, high class backing tracks that best suit her. It's about as far away from "gritty" and other clichés of 70s soul as you can get, and that's awesome, because Minnie Riperton is in a class of her own.

"Love and Its Glory" is the first thing I'd recommend listening from that album, it's one of the most ridiculously jubilant and awesomely melodramatic things ever recorded.

Very well. I'm ilstening to Adventure sin Paradise now.

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51. Isaac Hayes - ...To Be Continued (1970)
66 points • 4 votes

Isaac and Minnie are sort of prog rock analogues in soul. Really hard for me to access their particular aesthetic.

tbh I find Isaac Hayes albums to be really erratic/unfocused (with a couple of notable exceptions). Honestly the stuff I like best of his are live things - the 18-minute version of "Ain't No Sunshine" etc.

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50. Al Green - Let's Stay Together (1972)
66 points • 8 votes

xp Hot Buttered Soul is pretty classic, but of course that one came out in 1969. I would've voted for it very highly.

No matter how inconsistent, all Isaac Hayes 70s albums are good for a game of "Spot the Sample"

Hot Buttered Soul is def his best front-to-back album, yeah

xp

By the way, did you notice? We just entered the

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49. Terry Callier - What Color Is Love (1972)
67 points • 4 votes • 1 number one

Album highlight: 'Dancing Girl'

My least favorite major Al Green album, but we're talking a B+ instead of As and A-s.

Never heard the Collier album. Fabulous sleeve.

huh yeah I don't know this one either

One of the top discoveries for me, and very happy to see it place this high!

And yes, what a beautiful cover.

The rest of this list will just be the discographies of ten major artists right?

Feel about Callier the same as I do about Ike and Minnie.

I'd put To Be Continued just ahead of Hot Buttered Soul, but they are both close to being perfect.

No complaints about Al Green, Donna Summer (OVER 70 MINUTES OF MUSIC!) and George McCrae making it. They are all fantastic albums.

I've really tried to get into that Terry Callier album. I should give it another go.

HBS is perfect! TBC is fine too though I didn't vote for it.

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48. The Meters - Rejuvenation (1974)
67 points • 11 votes

Highest number of votes so far.

Not eligible to complain because I didn't vote but Collier is waaaaaaay too low. All time record.

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47. Betty Davis - Betty Davis (1973)
69 points • 6 votes

lol I voted for Betty Davis's s/t album because I conflated her with Betty Wright, who I now realize doesn't even have a s/t album.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever)

man lots of Betty Davis fans eh

That Meters album is so good. It's my favourite album of theirs by a mile.

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46. Bill Withers - Just as I Am (1971)
69 points • 8 votes

Perfect album

I like the two Bill Withers albums that came after this a lot more but this is a great record. What a voice.

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45. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974)
70 points • 8 votes • 1 number one

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44. Ann Peebles - I Can't Stand the Rain (1974)
71 points • 4 votes

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43. Earth, Wind & Fire - That's the Way of the World (1975)
72 points • 8 votes

Three great albums right there. I ended up going for Straight From the Heart as my Ann Peebles vote. I love this album too. Nice to see some more Earth, Wind & Fire make it. The title track is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.

I wonder how many more Stevie albums will make it? There's three really obvious ones that will be much higher up. Will Music of my Mind make it too? I always feel like Fulfillingness' First Finale is the most underrated of his big albums. It's my second favourite just behind SITKOL.

Callier was my number one. Such a great record.

Were you the one with a poster of that cover on his wall?

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42. Kool & the Gang - Wild and Peaceful (1973)
73 points • 9 votes

Were you the one with a poster of that cover on his wall?

Aye. Such a great cover.

Same here! :)

I'm surprised to see Wild & Peaceful so high. This and Spirit of the Boogie are really great records. Love the artwork for this one.

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41. Donny Hathaway - Everything Is Everything (1970)
75 points • 6 votes

OK, last one for today. I'm falling asleep here and it looks like everyone else has already done so.

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40. Parliament - Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome (1977)
75 points • 7 votes

RECAP:

40. Parliament - Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome (1977) 75 points • 7 votes
41. Donny Hathaway - Everything Is Everything (1970) 75 points • 6 votes
42. Kool & the Gang - Wild and Peaceful (1973) 73 points • 9 votes
43. Earth, Wind & Fire - That's the Way of the World (1975) 72 points • 8 votes
44. Ann Peebles - I Can't Stand the Rain (1974) 71 points • 4 votes
45. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) 70 points • 8 votes • 1 number one
46. Bill Withers - Just as I Am (1971) 69 points • 8 votes
47. Betty Davis - Betty Davis (1973) 69 points • 6 votes
48. The Meters - Rejuvenation (1974) 67 points • 11 votes
49. Terry Callier - What Color Is Love (1972) 67 points • 4 votes • 1 number one
50. Al Green - Let's Stay Together (1972) 66 points • 8 votes
51. Isaac Hayes - ...To Be Continued (1970) 66 points • 4 votes
52. Donna Summer - Bad Girls (1979) 65 points • 7 votes
53. George McCrae - Rock Your Baby (1974) 65 points • 4 votes
54. Minnie Riperton - Adventures in Paradise (1975) 64 points • 3 votes • 1 number one
55. Isaac Hayes - Black Moses (1971) 62 points • 7 votes
56. Lee Dorsey - Yes We Can (1970) 62 points • 3 votes
57. Cymande - Cymande (1972) 61 points • 7 votes
58. The Chi-Lites - (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People (1971) 61 points • 4 votes
60. Al Green - The Belle Album (1977) 60 points • 5 votes
61. Funkadelic - Funkadelic (1970) 58 points • 6 votes
62. Funkadelic - Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow (1970) 58 points • 5 votes
63. Curtis Mayfield - There's No Place Like America Today (1975) 57 points • 5 votes
64. Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear (1978) 55 points • 5 votes
65. Chairmen of the Board - Skin I'm In (1974) 55 points • 3 votes
66. Mutiny - Mutiny on the Mamaship (1979) 55 points • 2 votes
67 (TIE). Parliament - Motor Booty Affair (1978) 54 points • 5 votes
67 (TIE). Willie Hutch - The Mack (1973) 54 points • 5 votes
69. James Brown - The Payback (1973) 53 points • 7 votes
70. Betty Davis - Nasty Gal (1975) 52 points • 5 votes
71. Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different (1974) 50 points • 5 votes • 1 number one
72. Gladys Knight & The Pips - Imagination (1973) 50 points • 5 votes
73. Eugene McDaniels - Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse (1971) 49 points • 5 votes
74 (TIE). Barry White - Let the Music Play (1976) 49 points • 3 votes
74 (TIE). Earth, Wind & Fire - I Am (1979) 49 points • 3 votes
76 (TIE). Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (1973) 48 points • 8 votes
76 (TIE). Prince - Prince (1979) 48 points • 8 votes
78. Donny Hathaway - Extension of a Man (1973) 48 points • 5 votes
79 (TIE). Funkadelic - Cosmic Slop (1973) 48 points • 3 votes
79 (TIE). Funkadelic - Let's Take It to the Stage (1975) 48 points • 3 votes
81. The Isley Brothers - Go for Your Guns (1977) 47 points • 4 votes
82. Brick - Brick (1977) 47 points • 3 votes
83. Slave - The Concept (1978) 47 points • 2 votes
84. WAR - All Day Music (1971) 46 points • 6 votes
85. Heatwave - Too Hot to Handle (1976) 46 points • 5 votes
86. Allen Toussaint - Southern Nights (1975) 45 points • 6 votes
87. The Wild Tchoupitoulas - The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976) 45 points • 5 votes
88. Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees (1976) 44 points • 4 votes
89. Aretha Franklin - Spirit in the Dark (1970) 43 points • 4 votes
90. Swamp Dogg - Total Destruction to Your Mind (1970) 43 points • 3 votes
91. Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend (1971) 42 points • 4 votes
92 (TIE). Barry White - Stone Gon' (1973) 41 points • 4 votes
92 (TIE). Blue Magic - Blue Magic (1974) 41 points • 4 votes
94. Sly Stone - High on You (1975) 41 points • 3 votes
95 (TIE). Earth, Wind & Fire - Open Our Eyes (1974) 40 points • 4 votes
95 (TIE). Ohio Players - Honey (1975) 40 points • 4 votes
97 (TIE). Funkadelic - America Eats Its Young (1972) 40 points • 3 votes
97 (TIE). The Undisputed Truth - The Undisputed Truth (1971) 40 points • 3 votes
99. Fontella Bass - Free (1972) 40 points • 2 votes
100. Patrice Rushen - Pizzazz (1979) 39 points • 5 votes
101. Smokey Robinson - A Quiet Storm (1975) 38 points • 6 votes
102. Roberta Flack - Chapter Two (1970) 38 points • 3 votes
103. Minnie Riperton - Perfect Angel (1974) 37 points • 5 votes
104. The Meters - Fire on the Bayou (1975) 37 points • 4 votes
105. Ohio Players - Fire (1974) 37 points • 3 votes
106 (TIE). Ashford & Simpson - Is It Still Good to Ya (1978) 37 points • 2 votes
106 (TIE). Ohio Players - Pleasure (1972) 37 points • 2 votes
108. The Spinners - Pick of the Litter (1975) 36 points • 5 votes
109 (TIE). Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby (1975) 36 points • 4 votes
109 (TIE). Lou Bond - Lou Bond (1974) 36 points • 4 votes
111. Jorge Ben - Negro é lindo (1971) 36 points • 3 votes
112. The Temptations - All Directions (1972) 36 points • 2 votes
113. The Soul Children - Friction (1974) 35 points • 2 votes • 1 number one
114. Syreeta - Syreeta (1972) 35 points • 2 votes
115. Parliament - Chocolate City (1975) 34 points • 6 votes
116. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Wake Up Everybody (1975) 34 points • 5 votes
117. Isaac Hayes - Shaft (1971) 33 points • 5 votes
118. Bee Gees - Main Course (1975) 33 points • 4 votes
119 (TIE). Commodores - Commodores [a.k.a. Zoom] (1977) 33 points • 3 votes
119 (TIE). Ohio Players - Pain (1972) 33 points • 3 votes
119 (TIE). WAR - War (1971) 33 points • 3 votes
122. Margie Joseph - Margie Joseph Makes a New Impression (1970) 33 points • 2 votes
123 (TIE). Andy Bey - Experience and Judgment (1974) 32 points • 3 votes
123 (TIE). Barry White - Can't Get Enough (1974) 32 points • 3 votes
125. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - I Miss You (1972) 32 points • 2 votes
126. The Delfonics - The Delfonics (1970) 31 points • 5 votes
127 (TIE). Parliament - Up for the Down Stroke (1974) 31 points • 4 votes
127 (TIE). Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan (1975) 31 points • 4 votes
129 (TIE). Earth, Wind & Fire - Gratitude (1975) 31 points • 2 votes
129 (TIE). Nina Simone - Emergency Ward! (1973) 31 points • 2 votes
131. The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get (1972) 30 points • 5 votes
132. Curtis Mayfield - Back to the World (1973) 30 points • 4 votes
133. Ohio Players - Skin Tight (1974) 30 points • 3 votes
134. Al Jarreau - We Got By (1975) 30 points • 1 vote • 1 number one
135. Caston & Majors - Caston & Majors (1974) 29 points • 3 votes
136. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Maze (1977) 29 points • 2 votes
137. Van Morrison - Moondance (1970) 28 points • 2 votes
138 (TIE). Love Unlimited Orchestra - Rhapsody in White (1974) 28 points • 1 vote
138 (TIE). Noir - We Had to Let You Have It (1971) 28 points • 1 vote
138 (TIE). Ruby Andrews - Black Ruby (1972) 28 points • 1 vote

hey just want to pop in and say thanks for yall for putting this on, i didn't vote or participate due to time but 70s soul has been about 80% of my listening lately so i am closely reading this thread

Disappointed that "Everything Is Everything" placed so low, that's pretty much a perfect album (an my #2). I guess Donny Hathaway still remains somewhat obscure compared to many other singers of the same mold? But I can't imagine any soul fan who's heard that album not rating it very high. To me, it was a total eye-opener; it's everything What's Going on had promised but didn't alway manage to deliver. But Donny does deliver it all! And that incredible silky voice of his! Even without his songwriting skills and general artistry he should've become big based on that alone. That he didn't, and the way his life ended, is such a sad, sad story.

And "That's The Way Of The World" is another perfect album, that's when EWF really discovered their poppy sensibilites, such incredibly beautiful melodies there. IMO it's their second-best album, only All 'n All raises even higher.

This live version of the title track is a jam too. (It's from the "Alive in '75" album, which is highly recommended for any fan.)

Strongly disagree on Donny. Yes, it's a sad story and he does chase the What's Going On promise somewhat but there are plenty of soul fans who can't get behind him. I doubt he will ever become an essential part of the wider canon simply because his version of r'n'b plays to the genre's worst and most isolated instincts. I'm not a fan of What's Going On but Donny is not a good alternative. I know this is probably too strongly worded but so much truly canon worthy stuff has placed very low while Donny is above his paygrade here.

Love EWF as a singles band. Went with Still Bill for Withers. Voted FFF. Sabotaged P-Funk on my ballot but the track Funkentelechy goes to some sublime places.

Yeah, I cannot get into Donny Hathaway at all. I've listened to his first three albums and they all passed me by.

What are the genre's worst and most isolated instincts?

I love the results so far... several of these seem like classics and I thought they were top 20 for sure. I hope Curtis gets 1st place instead of Gaye or Wonder. What's Going On and Innervisions are good albums but they're not top 10 material for me, not even my favorite by each artist.

I'd love to see Curtis up there. I was assuming that Sly & The Family Stone were the biggest competition. They'll have slightly less split voting than Curtis, Stevie and Marvin.

Sly would be cool too. Anything that's not Whats Going On or Innervisions works for me hahaha

xxxp I think it comes down to a certain embeddedness in old time pop. A particular sort of sappiness and histrionics. Sure, Donny does use more contemporary references but they become dull mannerisms in his hands. All of it is so tame I can't quite understand why someone would prefer him to basically anyone else in the genre.

Put it this way. If I wanted to convince someone that 70's soul is the golden age of music and offers something you can't get anywhere else, Everything Is Everything would make an extremely ineffective argument. It sounds like every cliche received wisdom about r'n'b ever. And the stuff that is sort of removed is such in a bad way (his attempt at Misty for example).

Hate to be negative but I think 70's soul is desperately in need of an updated canon. It's misleading and unrewarding to focus on funk and blaxploitation so much. Giving Donny the "underappreciated genius" spotlight isn't helping this proces.

Figure Riot will take this and I have no problem with that.

huh ppl having strong opinions either one way or the other about Donny Hathaway is something I was completely unaware of until I first heard Everything is Everything a couple years ago. I knew Roberta Flack's solo stuff but not his. and was surprised to read all the gushing praise quoted in his wiki entry. I don't think Everything is Everything is incredible or anything but it's solid. Does seem like one of those cases where the artist's personal story might tend to make his actual work overestimated (I'm sure some people here feel the same way about Betty Davis)

the live album is really good. don't care about his studio albums, not really my kind of thing.

I don't really understand exactly what he does that sets him beyond the pale, compared to other stuff on this thread. Like he doesn't feel like he's in a different genre or working from a totally different template than others listed so far.

That's true sort of. But the point of many (most) albums on this list is how distinctive they are. Everything Is Everything really isn't so it irks me when Donny gets the praise I feel legitemately underappreciated geniuses like Eugene Record, Ashford and Simpson, Thom Bell, Teddy Pendergrass, August Darnell and Swamp Dogg need.

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39. Earth, Wind & Fire - All 'n All (1977)
78 points • 6 votes

When I first came across "Everything Is Everything", I didn't know anything about Donny Hathaway's story (the CD copy I bought in the nineties doesn't even have liner notes), so certainly his tragic life wasn't the reason I got into his music. I just saw the album in the soul section of a record store, loved the cover, listened to it for a bit in the store, and was sold!

Like you, I was a bit tired of "greasy" funk and "gritty" blaxploitation soundtracks being the stereotypical image of '70s R&B (and this was in the '90s, so that stuff was everywhere). I'd tried to get into "What's Going On", but besides the admittedly gorgeous title track, it all sounded a bit too samey to me. So listening to "Everything Is Everything" was a revelation! Here's this guy who was doing all sorts of things on one record, experimenting within the form of R&B, but not in that psychedelic rock-inspired way Funkadelic etc were going (which isn't my thing), it was still within that smooth sound and always with his silky voice. And that was great for me, because I love smooth and silky!

So to me that seemed like an interesting alternate route that many of the more praised soul/funk/R&B artists I was more familiar with hadn't chosen, which drew me in. And he went even further with that on Extension of a Man, which is excessive, yes, but excess can be interesting. It doesn't gel together as nicely as his debut, but I'm still glad he tried, because it's an even more unique album than "Everything Is Everything".

And I get that Donny Hathaway is mannered and puts on personas and may sometimes sound disattached from his material, like on "Misty" or "Magdalena" or "Little Girl". But I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing? When white rockers like David Bowie do that, put on all their various masks that are all not so convincing, they're praised for being chameleons and theatrical perfomers. But to me it feels that black R&B artists, at least those from the pre-Prince era, are still expected to be "real" (which also accounts for why funk and blaxploitation is still the most canonical sound of that era), which seems unfair. So certainly I don't count that as a minus fo Donny! I love "Magdalena" in all it's showtuneness!

I'm not saying Donny Hathaway is this forgotten genius who'se reappropriation can help change the '70s R&B canon, I guess that "quite there but still outside" mannered quality in his music and persona makes it sure that he will never be rated as high as some more straightforward artists within the genre. And I still rate artists like Minnie Riperton, Curtis Mayfield, Nina Simone, Leon Thomas, Roberta Flack, EWF, etc as high or higher than him. But I do feel his small output is an interesting and unfairly slept on chapter in the history soul music, and that getting more recognition would do him justice.

(xpost)

Oh, that's way to low! It's undoubtedly the best album EWF did, and one of the top 10 albums of the decade, IMO. Everything in it is so colourful, so beautiful, so filled with joie de vivre. Philip Bailey has the most gorgeous falsetto in soul music, and their genius for writing catchy songs reached its highest hights here too. A tune like "Fantasy" has like three different hooks, all of which could've been built into a separate hit, but they decided to put them all into one. It's amazing, transcendent pop music.

Very interesting what you say about Hathaway's personas, Tuomas. I hadn't picked up on that aspect. I'll listen to Everything Is Everything again with your post in mind.

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38. Mandrill - Mandrill Is (1972)
79 points • 4 votes • 1 number one

BTW, I keep seeing the Powerslave cover when I scroll up :)

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37. Gil Scott-Heron - Pieces of a Man (1971)
84 points • 9 votes

My number 1 coming up:

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36. The Stylistics - Round 2 (1972)
85 points • 6 votes • 1 number one

Album highlights:
'Children of the Night'
'Peek-a-Boo'
'You and Me'
'Pieces'

I love "Magdalena" in all it's showtuneness!

Donny Hathaway's "Magdalena" kills me. Is it a showtune? The verse is all ragtimey and sounds like it ought to be on the Toy Story soundtrack and then the chorus kicks in and the whole thing is just so good. Tuomos right otm though, dude had some pretty big, unconventional ideas for someone that might show up on the ILM 70s Soul Poll

Tuomas that's fair. I'm not big on being "real" but I much prefer the way showtuneness is handled in, say, Thom Bell stuff which is to say via Burt Bacharach. But agree to disagree. I was sort of being a prick earlier.

Fantasy is indeed a landmark. Might be the best pop expression of spirituality ever. It feels like somewhere in the middle the holy ghost really does intervene. But I don't dig the ballads on All 'n All.

Pieces of a Man is flawed but beautiful. Heron is like a fucked up, introverted version of Bill Withers. Both smart and intense but Withers is better on sex and Heron more evocative on desperation.

Round 2 shows some weaknesses imo. Russel Thompkins Jr. is the best there is at what he does when what he does is hyperromanticism. But I don't think he handles lust (Children of the Night) or genuine regret (the Carole King cover) well. It just ends up sort of awkward. Still, at least a half of this record is unfuckwithable.

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35. Curtis Mayfield - Roots (1971)
85 points • 10 votes

"Roots" is fine, but it's kinda sad how it already begins to show hints of Mayfield's decline. I guess it's really hard, after having released the perfect (solo) debut album, to try to come up with anything that'd equal it... Sadly he never did.

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34. James Brown - There It Is (1972)
86 points • 5 votes • 1 number one

Yes! Was saying how ranking Brown albums is a thankless job but this is my choice. King Heroin would be a dud if performed by anyone else but somehow I'm on a verge of tears by the time it ends. He truly cuts the beat while saying "cuttin'" on Talking Loud and it's one of those myriad moments that demonstrate that he is on a whole different playing field.

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33. Millie Jackson - Caught Up (1974)
87 points • 6 votes

Prefer the similar Soul Children album way down on the list.

Millie Jackson was my number five. I'd given up hope of her placing. Caught Up is an incredible record.

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32. Sister Sledge - We Are Family (1979)
88 points • 9 votes

Should have been a disco masterpiece but for some plodding filler and maybe an overused tittle track. Thinking Of You is sublime.

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31. Minnie Riperton - Come to My Garden (1970)
92 points • 8 votes

OK simmel, here comes your moment of glory:

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30. Stairsteps - 2nd Resurrection (1976)
94 points • 5 votes • 1 number one

Album highlights:
* 'From Us to You'
* 'Pasado'

Indeed! Just recently heard this and was amazed. Gave it the number one spot and judged all the other albums against it. A few that are yet to come match it in cohesiveness but this one is still a miracle. It just flows so well! Spectacular cover too.

I listened to it via this YouTube of the full album, that's why I highlighted the first two songs. Do you have any other particular favorites?

I had it at number 8, mostly thanks to your campaigning. I'd never heard of the group before.

Oh, I forgot to highlight 'Les Fleur' from Minnie Riperton's Come to My Garden, for the few people who haven't heard it yet.

Not just the high point of that album, but one of the most beautiful songs in music history.

Described it as a cross between Riot's murkiness and Stevie's silliness/prettiness in the noms thread and stand by that. Tell Me Why is the highlight imo but this album really does work better than it's individual parts.

Yes, even I can respect Les Fleurs.

Wow, the placement of this Stairsteps album is the biggest surprise of the list so far. Delighted to see it so high. I had it in my top 10.

I just listened to Come to my Garden again yesterday. It's such a lovely record.

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29. Eddie Kendricks - People... Hold On (1972)
97 points • 5 votes

Another classic. Eddie Kendricks is so underrated. His first five albums are all so good.

This is a great run of albums. Eddie Kendricks, Minnie Riperton, Stairsteps and Millie Jackson were all high on my list.

Frustrated by this album. Girl You Need a Change of Mind is a bolt of lightning from Olympus and then the rest is just run-of-the-mill material imo.