The 25 Funkiest White Boys in Music History

Play that funky music, white boy.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

There are some things that white people are great at: BMX sports, buying hybrid cars, recycling, putting their kids in time-out, inventing history, and appropriating black culture for profit.

For the dozens of things white people are great at, there are an equal number of things they are not great at. For instance: white people are not known for being very funky. Many attempts at PDF (Public Display of Funkiness) are very embarrassing for white people, as those close by will point and laugh and capture the horrific scene on camera to be used later in the r/whitepeoplegifs subreddit. Like everything else, this isn't white people's fault. They aren't born devoid of funk. It's just that most white people don't get the opportunity to flex their funk muscles growing up, so they (the funk muscles) wither away from atrophy. Again, realize we said "most."

White people with funk exist, but are essentially black rhinoceroses, rare and critically endangered. We've scoured the "White People in Music" canon and picked out the Caucasoids with the most soul. We've weeded out the classic rockers that are more "bluesy" than funky, the faux Neo Soul singers, and rappers who were simply faking the funk to come up with The 25 Funkiest White Boys in Music History.

Written by Justin Roberson (@BauceSauce)

RELATED: 20 Great Rap Songs Ruined by White People  
RELATED: The 20 Best Terrible Rap Verses
RELATED:  40 Rap Lyrics That Make No Sense

25. Kenny Loggins

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Loggins and Messina "Pathway To Glory"

You might be scratching your head, asking yourself, "How is the 'Danger Zone' guy funky? Complex, have you lost your collective digital-hive mind?"

We assure you we have not. Need we remind you that his Keep The Fire album cover is the single swaggiest piece of art made in the latter-half of the 20th century? Sure, most everyone knows Mr. Loggins from his solo career and such aggressively white hits as the aforementioned "Danger Zone" and "Footloose," but his collaboration with Messina on "Pathway To Glory" single-handedly lands him on this list, as it's considered a Chicago Steppers' classic.

A DJ could literally spin "Pathway To Glory" (skip to the 4:30 mark) in the mix with "Step in the Name of Love" by R. Kelly and Marvin Gaye songs. Totally mind-blowing. Totally awesome. Totally funky.

24. KC (of Sunshine Band fame)

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: KC & The Sunshine Band "That's The Way I Like It"

Ask any white dad between the ages of 50 and 65 "Who are some of the funkiest white boys in music history?" and Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band will be one of the first five they name. The dude is responsible for some of the most infectious and most popular disco songs ever: "Get Down Tonight," "That's the Way (I Like It)," "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty," "I'm Your Boogie Man," "Keep It Comin' Love," "Boogie Shoes."

It's nothing short of mind-boggling that one man could be a apart of that much greatness. JUST LOOK AT HIM PERFORMING LIVE. It's almost not fair for him to possess such funk when so many of us remain funkless.

23. David Axelrod

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: David Axelrod "Holy Thursday"

No, not that David Axelrod. The musician David Axelrod started off as a producer for cool jazz labels. He would later join Capitol Records as a producer and A&R rep, proving instrumental in pushing the label to develop its roster of black musicians. There, he formed a partnership with Lou Rawls and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, producing gold albums and hit singles for both.

After he showcased his talent, Capitol allowed Axelrod to make albums of his own. His first two records, Song of Innocence and Songs of Experience, provided sample material for over 100 rap songs. His track "Holy Thursday," for example, has been sampled for such things as The Beatnuts' "Hit Me With That," Lil Wayne's "Dr. Carter," Fat Joe's "Bronx Keeps Creating It," Apache's "Tonto," and more. DJ Shadow, Lauryn Hill, J Dilla and Dr. Dre have all used David Axelrod's heavy soundscapes and swinging strings as raw material.

Without David Axelrod, we wouldn't have a fistful of classic hip-hop records. We also would never have got to hear Kevin Federline's "America's Most Hated," which would be the saddest of all realities. How could David Axelrod not be deemed a funky white boy?

22. Ralf Hütter (of Kraftwerk)

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Kraftwerk "Trans Europe Express"

If you look at Ralf Hütter (leader/lead singer/keyboardist for Kraftwerk), the first thought that pops into your head is "Wow. That guy looks devoid of all funk, despite having an awesome name like Ralf."

Oh, how wrong that assumption is. Kraftwerk became the foremost pioneers of electronic music during the 70's and 80's, and had lasting influences on other genres even to this day. Though the whole robot motif is not very funky (and quite frankly a little creepy), Kraftwerk stayed on the cutting edge of musical innovation. Most of the equipment they used were either custom-built devices or self-made instruments, and their lyrics were usually run through a vocoder or created with computer-speech software. Watching concert footage from 1978 makes you realize how advanced these guys were. Instrumentals of songs like "Radio Activity" could easily be put onto a Clams Casino mixtape right now, and none of us would suspect it wasn't made by Clammy Clams himself.

Ralf's biggest contribution to the world, and the real reason he made it onto our list, is that Kraftwerk's songs "Trans Europe Express" and "Numbers" were used as the basis for Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force's quintessential hip-hop/electro hit "Planet Rock." Bambaataa used not one but two of their songs on one record. You don't get much funkier than that. It's also humorous to think that the pale-faced krautrocker you see above became one of the biggest white artists in black clubs during the formative years of hip-hop.

Just remember: You can't spell "Kraftwerk" without "twerk."

21. John Fogerty

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Creedence Clearwater Revival "Proud Mary"

John Fogerty started out with his brother's band, Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets, in the late '50s. The group—soon renamed The Golliwogs—gained little traction. After Fogerty narrowly avoided the draft by joining the Army Reserves in 1966, the singer/songwriter's career began anew, with the rechristened Creedence Clearwater Revival. And suddenly, they were stars.

Their style is often called "Swamp Rock," which is about the funkiest possible name a subgenre ever had. It started with Fogerty's composition "Susie Q," a single that peaked at No. 7 on the R&B charts and No. 27 on the Hot 100. As lead singer and primary songwriter, Fogerty was the band's focal point, although this caused some internal tension. But if you want true evidence of Fogerty's inherent funkiness, consider this: he wrote "Proud Mary," which became one of the '60s biggest anthems, receiving a definitive version via Ike and Tina Turner.

20. Bobby Caldwell

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Bobby Caldwell "What You Won't Do For Love"

Bobby Caldwell is best known for "What You Won't Do For Love," but that song almost didn't happen. Once he signed to Miami's TK Records, home of bands like KC & the Sunshine Band, he wrapped up his debut album but was told by the owner of the label that he didn't "hear a hit." Bobby returned to the studio and came back out with "What You Won't Do For Love." To ensure airplay on R&B radio stations, Caldwell's management tried to hide/downplay the fact that he was white by showing him only in silhouette and hiding his face. This charade lasted only until he did his first live performance.

In addition to having one of the most beautiful heads of hair in the history of the music industry, Bobby has also been sampled on several occasions, by artists ranging from 2Pac to Da Brat, Mariah Carey, Notorious B.I.G., 112, and Aaliyah. Just try to toss on "What You Won't Do for Love" and not start feeling libidinous. We've tried. It's impossible.

19. Boz Scaggs

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Boz Scaggs "Lowdown"

Though his solo material like "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown" spent time on the charts, it was Boz's time in Steve Miller Band that first gave him a taste of fame. William Royce "Boz" Scaggs actually received a Grammy for "Lowdown" (off his 1967 solo album Silk Degrees), making him the first "blue-eyed soul man" to receive the music industry's highest honor in the R&B category. Also, his inclusion here takes into consideration the fact that he has one of the funkier names a white man has ever possessed.

Though he has bounced around with different bands (Steve Miller, The Wigs, Mother Earth), it's safe to say that Boz has hadn't many failures. His albums cull inspiration from R&B trends, but they never sound like a white man lazily emulating black culture—more like a labor of love from someone who appreciates it. The term "blue-eyed soul" may come with some derogatory connotation, but Boz is one of the best to ever do it, effortlessly mashing up R&B, blues and rock and roll like a Boz Boss (sorry, we couldn't help it).

18. Robin Thicke

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Robin Thicke "I Need Love"

Your typical 16-year-old boy is preoccupied with boobies, sports, video games and getting his first job. Robin Thicke was not your typical 16-year-old boy. By 16, he had already written and produced songs for artists like Brandy, Color Me Badd, and Brian McKnight. Crazy, right? Well, his work ethic and success didn't stagnate after puberty. Over the next five years he amassed over 20 gold and platinum albums by writing and producing songs for Marc Anthony, Pink, Christina Aguilera and Michael Jackson (!). All that before he was able to drink legally.

Known by some as "Diet Timberlake," Robin Thicke hasn't had the same wild success as his blue-eyed soul counterpart, but he's still produced a stellar platinum-selling discography that's dripping with soul, sex and R&B. Racking up VH1 Soul/VIBE awards and nominations from BET and Soul Train for Best Male R&B Artist, Thicke's talent is undeniable. And if you throw on Sex Therapy, best believe somebody is getting pregnant. Plus, his dad is Alan Thicke, who just happened to write the original theme song for Wheel of Fortune. Timberlake's dad, Randall, hasn't done anything near that cool.

17. Adam Yauch

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: The Beastie Boys "Rhymin and Stealin"

Is there a funkier bunch of Caucasians than the Beastie Boys? Probably not. Trying to pick out the funkiest member of an already funky group is challenging in and of itself. Adam Yauch (MCA) stands out for his distinct growling voice, which served as the counterbalance to Ad Rock and Mike D's whinier tones.

The Beasties got their start as a punk band before rebranding themselves as rock-rappers. The debut album Licensed to Ill was peppered with elements of their rock heritage (Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith samples), but it wasn't until Paul's Boutique that the group really embraced the funk; a bewitching brew of obscure musical samples pervaded the release. Initially perceived as a failure because it didn't sell as much as Licensed To Ill, it has since been viewed by many critics as one of the most creative rap albums ever made. Miles Davis has even said that he never got tired of listening to Paul's Boutique. Yes. You read that right: Miles fucking Davis.

In later years Yauch became the Beastie you saw speaking out on social injustices. And it was Yauch's gritty voice you usually heard first on many of their classic records. He was a funky white boy among funky white boys.

16. Bix Beiderbecke

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: The Wolverines "Jazz Me Blues"

Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke could easily be a Harry Potter character, and he did execute wizardry with a cornet and piano. Thanks to a gift for improvisation, Bix is often credited with the invention of "cool jazz," an innovation on the jazz ballad style.

Beiderbecke learned how to play the cornet (the trumpet's cousin) by ear, making him essentially a Jazz Game Jimi Hendrix. Jimi's right-handed guitars were turned upside-down and restrung for left-hand playing, giving him an unorthodox sound. In much the same way Beiderbecke's self-taught, unorthodox fingering allowed him to create a unique sound that other trumpeters and cornetists couldn't match. Biz's counterpart was Louis Armstrong, and their rivalry was like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. One was more flashy and charismatic (Armstrong) while the other was understated and tenacious, preferring not to dazzle the audience with theatrics (Beiderbecke).

Ironically, and fittingly for this list, Bix's most influential works happened during his time with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. Critics laud him as one of the funkiest jazz musicians in history, and one of the only white guys to ever significantly shift or advance the direction of the genre.

15. Mick Jagger

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: The Rolling Stones "Beast of Burden"

Leaving aside his phenomenal career as front man of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band, Mick Jagger belongs on this list for two big reasons. Maroon 5 and Ke$ha are the world's foremost authorities on funk. Maroon 5 wrote a song about Mick Jagger. Ke$ha only likes dudes who look like Mick Jagger (or else to the curb they are kicked!). This selection is pretty straight-forward.

14. Joe Walsh

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: James Gang "Funk #49"

Joe Walsh gets the rare distinction of being in three commercially successful bands (the James Gang, Barnstorm, and The Eagles) and appearing in the tragically underrated TV show Duckman. How's that for funk?

Walsh was known for hot-wiring the pick-ups on his electric guitars to trump up the attack. That signature sound, and his pure talent, assisted him in being selected 54th on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list. Walsh's largest hit, "Life's Been Good," is one of those songs you know, even if you don't "know" it. It's a humorous deconstruction of what the rock-and-roll lifestyle is... a concept that is eerily similar to the 2013 rap game.

Walsh was also the first person to incorporate a talk box into live performances. Up to that point, talk boxes only had enough volume for studio recordings. Walsh was gifted Peter Drake's talk box, which is how he learned to build his own. He and his buddy Bob Heil were able to build one suitable for live performances. Heil eventually started building and selling commercial talk boxes, and even gave one to Peter Frampton, probably the best-known talk box user.

Who knows? Perhaps without Joe Walsh advancing the technology of the talk box we might not have the "California Love" chorus as we know it today.

13. Justin Timberlake

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Justin Timberlake (Oh No) What You Got

There was a time in our lives where there was no sexy. You couldn't find it on TV; you couldn't buy it from a store. Worldwide sexy scarcity was causing people to panic. The Yen tanked. There were riots in Greece. America was at the cusp of anarchy. But then Justin Timberlake brought sexy back. From where? Perhaps he developed a machine to create some? Perhaps he came across a long-forgotten stash while traipsing through the Amazon?

We'll never know, but that shouldn't stop us from thanking him. It takes absurd amounts of funk to overcome a Mickey Mouse Club and *NSYNC past. Justin rose up from all that and flourished. We're still not ready to forgive him for that time he wore cornrows, but we can overlook almost anything in exchange for the precious gift that was Future Sex/LoveSounds. Oh yeah, there was also Justified and The 20/20 Experience, too.

Justin's musical personality leans more toward the funky/soul side of pop. The boy can dance, sing, act—if there's one thing JT is, it's funky. And he often brings out the best in mega-producers like The Neptunes and Timbaland due to his experimental nature. Now if only Timberlake can bring back Magoo...

12. Paul McCartney

Not Available Interstitial

11. Donald "Duck" Dunn

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Sam & Dave, "Hold On! I'm A Comin'"

Not only did Donald "Duck" Dunn appear as himself in The Blues Brothers—a surefire sign of Caucasian funkiness—but he was the bass player for one of the funkiest groups of all time, Booker T and the M.G.'s.

He started with the group post-"Green Onions," replacing Lewie Steinberg in 1964, but played on many of the classic sessions for the Stax label, including Otis Redding's "Respect" and "I Can't Turn You Loose," as well as the perennial stadium anthem "Hold On! I'm A Comin'."

Dunn's bass lines were unique because he was self-taught; he was known for filling in the spaces that he felt were missing. This technique made his bass parts especially melodic, and undeniable funky.

10. Johnnie Ray

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Johnnie Ray "Just Walkin In The Rain"

Johnnie Ray may have "moved a million hearts in mono" (according to Dexy's Midnight Runners' "Come On Eileen"), but in his spare time he liked to "get cool" in gay bars (according to the Detroit Police Department, who arrested him twice in the '50s for soliciting undercover vice officers), making him sort of a proto-George Michael. 

One of the last great pop singers of the pre-Rock 'n' Roll era, Ray was also notable for being deaf in one ear and performing with a hearing aid. When he tried to have the condition corrected in the late '50s, the surgery nearly cost him his hearing altogether. Still, his popularity and influence were vast, even as his career has become little more than a footnote for modern music fans.

In addition to his namecheck by the Runners, Ray has been referenced in song by artists as varied as Billy Idol, Billy Joel, Van Morrison and, yes, Tom Jones. Ray was the true white pioneer—predating and heavily influencing Elvis and getting heavy play on black radio. What's funkier than that?

9. Bob James

Not Available Interstitial

8. Paul C

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Ultramagnetic MCs "Give the Drummer Some"

Paul C got his start in the music industry, like my most white dudes, as a bassist in a pop rock band. After that ran its course, Paul C began working with hip-hop musicians to produce and engineer their records. He worked with such acts as Grandmaster Caz, Organized Konfusion, Rahzel, Ultramagnetic MCs, Queen Latifah, Biz Markie, and Eric B. & Rakim on their Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em album. Large Professor adopted Paul C as his mentor, and Paul showed him the intricacies of sampling with an E-mu SP-1200.

Unfortunately, Paul C's life was cut short after he was shot in Queens in 1989. Even though he had only been active as a producer/engineer for four years before his death, Paul C influenced some of hip-hop's heavyweights. Cut Chemist and Pete Rock cite Paul as an influence, while artists like Kool Keith, Pharaoh Monche and Rahzel credit Paul for assisting their development. Paul C may look unassuming and vanilla, but he was a funk powerhouse.

7. Steve Cropper

Not Available Interstitial

 Funkiest Jam: Sam & Dave "Soul Man"

A founding member of Booker T and the M.G.'s, guitarist Steve Cropper began as an A&R for Stax Records catalog and later began doing session work as well. Just running through his discography is a celebration of what made Stax so amazing.

Cropper played on some of history's most celebrated soul songs—inculding cuts by Sam & Dave, Johnnie Taylor, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour," Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." (The only mark against his funkiness: he re-recorded "Dock of the Bay" with Sammy Hagar in 1979.) And, much like his bandmate "Duck" Dunn, he played himself in The Blues Brothers, indicating a funkiness beyond reproach.

6. Donald Fagen

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Steely Dan "Black Cow"

Steely Dan rose to rock 'n' roll prominence in the least rock 'n' roll way possible. They weren't particularly good-looking. They stopped touring after their third album, and they rarely spoke to the media. There weren't additional theatrics or publicity stunts to gain fans. They simply let their music, born out of meticulous perfectionism, speak for them. Rejecting the folk, blues and country strains of rock and roll, Donald Fagen instead embraced more of a jazz fusion approach that allowed Steely Dan to produce some of the most compelling rock music of the '70s and '80s.

Donald Fagen's early musical tastes were shaped by jazz and artists like John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. Later, Fagen would employ the top jazz session musicians in the country when recording albums. Complex song structures, unorthodox time signatures, jazz chord progressions, and the elusive "mu chord" are all elements of Fagen's influence on Steely Dan.

Obsessive in their quest to make the best music possible, Steely Dan's album Gaucho (despite only having seven songs) featured 42 studio musicians and 11 different engineers by the time it was completed. Fagen helped shaped rock 'n' roll by abandoning traditional rock 'n' roll principles. For that, we salute his funkiness.

5. Steve Winwood

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Steve Winwood "Spanish Dancer"

Little Stevie Winwood made his first musical mark as a young teen, providing organ and guitar backing for a veritable who's-who of African-American artists—Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, B.B. King, and the list goes on and on—when they toured the UK. At 14, he became lead singer of the Spencer Davis Group, one of the funkiest bands to emerge during the British Invasion. By the time he was 17, the group has its first UK No. 1 with "Keep On Running," and when he turned 18, their organ-and-bass-driven classic "Gimme Some Lovin'" became a cross-Atlantic Top 10 hit.

Winwood went on to form Traffic and, later, Blind Faith (whose eponymous album cover—NSFW!—is surely an R. Kelly favorite) before launching a successful solo career that saw him collaborate with artists like James Ingram, Chaka Khan and the Memphis Horns. Plus Eric Prydz sampled Winwood's "Valerie" as the vocal motif of his hit dance track "Call On Me." Not bad for a skinny white boy from Birmingham.

4. David Mancuso

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Manu Dibango "Soul Makossa"

It's crazy to think that the entirety of New York City club culture in the 1970s was born out of a bearded white man's apartment.

David Mancuso's parties were "by invitation only" and hosted in his Greenwich Village apartment affectionately known as "The Loft." Creating the framework of the modern dance club, Mancuso's parties came about from his love of playing records for his friends. An accomplished DJ, Mancuso rejected traditional tactics like beat matching, in favor of playing songs in full through audiophile-quality speaker systems. (Shouts to Klipsch and Mark Levinson "Class-A" Amplifiers.) As with anything fun, The Man tried to shut him down, claiming he needed a "Cabaret License." However, David didn't sell food or drinks at his parties. Since the parties were both underground and legal, many famous private Discotheques of the '70s and '80s modeled themselves off of The Loft's blueprint.

The Loft also served as headquarters for the New York Record Pool, allowing DJs from other venues to share and break records in their clubs. Ever the passionate DJ, Mancuso made a habit of taking unconventional records and breaking them, including "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango. Every major DJ, from Larry Levan to Frankie Knuckles, and the entire history of disco and house, owes its origin and success to The Loft. An entire aspect of hip-hop and dance culture was able to flourish—all because a dude loved funky music and sharing it with his friends.

3. Dr. John

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Dr. John "Right Place Wrong Time"

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and showman Dr. John is a veritable gumbo of funkiness, incorporating the entirety of musical history as experienced growing up in New Orleans' Third Ward. Zydeco, boogie-woogie, blues, jazz, pop—it's all stewed together in Mac Rebennack's boisterous catalog. His shows are exuberant celebrations of New Orleans culture, replete with Mardi Gras costumes, obscure voodoo references, and flashy theatricality.

He started off as a guitar player in the 1950s, ultimately scoring a regional hit with "Storm Warning" on Stax records, but he had to shift away from playing guitar when he sustained a gunshot wound. From his celebrated 1968 release Gris-Gris to his biggest hit, 1973's "Right Place Wrong Time," which hit No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Dr. John is the New Orleans ambassador to white people who happen to be funky.

2. Rod Temperton

Not Available Interstitial

Funkiest Jam: Michael Jackson "Rock With You"

Rod Temperton has the kind of name a Certified Public Accountant would commit fraud for. However, Rod's history is anything but "doing taxes"-levels of boring. For one, he was the keyboardist for the seminal funk/disco band Heatwave ("Boogie Nights"). Not only was he the keyboardist, but he was responsible for writing a majority of Heatwave's more popular songs, like "Always And Forever" and "The Groove Line."

Rod also racked up songwriting credits for acts ranging from Rufus to Michael McDonald and Donna Summer to Herbie Hancock. Eventually, Rod was recruited by none other than Quincy Jones (for whom he had written several songs) to assist in Michael Jackson's Off The Wall album. The result: "Rock With You." If Rod's inclusion still doesn't make sense, then consider that "he wrote 'Thriller'... 'Thriller'."

1. Daryl Hall

Not Available Interstitial

 

Funkiest Jam: Daryl Hall and John Oates "She's Gone"

Daryl Hall's accomplishments both as part of a duo with John Oates and as a solo artist are well documented. He has millions of records sold and numerous awards under his belt. But how funky is this guy? And why would we choose him over John Oates?

Well, first off, his name is Daryl, and there aren't enough white guys named Daryl. Second, he worked as a session musician while attending Temple University, becoming associates with The Temptations and Smokey Robinson. (This video of him performing with David Ruffin for Live Aid is awesome.) Third, his web series "Live From Daryl's House" has featured acts like Cee-Lo Green, Travie McCoy and Chiddy Bang. Hearing Daryl Hall sing, "Mo money mo problems, when I get it I'm a pile it up/Now I'm dope, Wonderbread we can toast," is one of the best things in recorded music history. This white man is just too funky for his own good.

It's also noteworthy that Darryl Hall is the only person on our list to be mentioned by someone in The Untouchable Maybach Music Empire. On his "I'm On One Freestyle," Wale says "White boys gon' set the mood/Yeah, that's word to Hall and Oates."

Latest in Music