The genre-blending, integrated funk-soul pioneers who reshaped American popular music from Woodstock triumph to darker, political grooves.
MOODS · euphoric · psychedelic · funky · soulful · politically charged · gritty · groove-driven · celebratory · dark · rhythmic · genre-blending · communal
BIOGRAPHY
Formed in San Francisco in 1966, Sly and the Family Stone was led by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone alongside siblings Freddie and Rose Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Greg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham. The band broke ground as the first major American rock group with a racially integrated, mixed-gender lineup, pioneering a psychedelic soul sound that fused funk, soul, gospel, R&B, and psychedelic rock.
After a slow-selling debut, the label pushed for a more commercial single, and Dance to the Music became their breakthrough hit in 1967. Their 1969 album Stand! sold over three million copies and included the number one single Everyday People, and their Woodstock set is often cited as the festival's best. As Sly Stone's addiction deepened, the music darkened into 1971's There's a Riot Going On, a chart topping, politically charged statement. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
WHY THEY'RE COOL
Sly & The Family Stone didn't just score hits, they altered the course of American popular music. AllMusic credits Sly Stone with perfecting funk after James Brown invented it, calling his records euphoric yet politically charged and hugely influential across musical and cultural lines. Critic Joel Selvin put it bluntly: there is black music before Sly Stone, and after. Brian Eno singled out the album Fresh for shifting recorded music's focus toward rhythm and bass. Ranked 43rd on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists list, with three albums on its 500 Greatest Albums list, the band's arc runs from a celebrated Woodstock performance to the shadowed, groundbreaking sound of There's a Riot Going On.
