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Cratewise Editorial

Essential Soul & Funk on Vinyl

25 records that move your body and break your heart. Soul and funk were made for vinyl — on wax, you hear the horns breathe, the bass thump, the singers sweat.

From Dexx

Soul and funk were made for vinyl. The warmth, the bass, the room sound — digital compression murders this music. On wax, you hear the horns breathe, the bass thump, the singers sweat. These 25 records are the foundation.

These aren't "greatest of all time" lists — those are arguments. These are starting points. 25 records that give you the vocabulary to go deeper. Every album is on vinyl, in print, and under $40. Most are under $30.

Pick a genre. Start digging.

— Dexx

25

Albums

25

Artists

4

Genres

1963–2016

Span

By Genre

By Decade

Top Labels

The List

1Marvin Gaye — What's Going On
Marvin Gaye—What's Going On
19712Stevie Wonder — Innervisions
Stevie Wonder—Innervisions
19733Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin—I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
19674Curtis Mayfield — Superfly
Curtis Mayfield—Superfly
19725Otis Redding — Otis Blue
Otis Redding—Otis Blue
19656Sly and the Family Stone — There's a Riot Goin' On
Sly and the Family Stone—There's a Riot Goin' On
19717Al Green — Let's Stay Together
Al Green—Let's Stay Together
19728Funkadelic — Maggot Brain
Funkadelic—Maggot Brain
19719James Brown — Live at the Apollo
James Brown—Live at the Apollo
196310D'Angelo — Voodoo
D'Angelo—Voodoo
200011Parliament — Mothership Connection
Parliament—Mothership Connection
197512Prince — Sign O' the Times
Prince—Sign O' the Times
198713Erykah Badu — Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu—Mama's Gun
200014Donny Hathaway — Live
Donny Hathaway—Live
197215Isaac Hayes — Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes—Hot Buttered Soul
196916Sam Cooke — Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963
Sam Cooke—Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963
198517Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill—The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
199818Earth, Wind & Fire — That's the Way of the World
Earth, Wind & Fire—That's the Way of the World
197519The Isley Brothers — 3 + 3
The Isley Brothers—3 + 3
197320Solange — A Seat at the Table
Solange—A Seat at the Table
201621Amy Winehouse — Back to Black
Amy Winehouse—Back to Black
200622Bill Withers — Still Bill
Bill Withers—Still Bill
197223Bobby Womack — The Poet
Bobby Womack—The Poet
198124Betty Davis — Betty Davis
Betty Davis—Betty Davis
197325Cymande — Cymande
Cymande—Cymande
1972

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