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Five years ago, the Rock's Backpages posse knocked their fevered crania together and came up with the 50 greatest tracks ever laid down in the name of F.U.N.K. Here are the next ten, from Cameo to Grover Washington, Jr.-- Barney Hoskyns, Editorial Director, Rock's Backpages

40. Cameo: "Candy," from Word Up! (Atlanta Artists/Polygram, 1986) A fractured, jagged groove built on slamming machine beats, interrupted every eight bars by a descending slab of metal guitar. Larry Blackmon admonishes and cajoles, frequently in his best Dick Van Dyke mockney. The killer track from a killer album--the boys from Atlanta at their absolute peak.

39. The Commodores: "Brick House," from Zoom (Motown, 1977) It's hard to remember now, but there was a time when the Commodores were more than just a backing band for the lachrymose Lionel Richie. "Brick House" is one funky blaster--a paean to, ahem, well-built gals. The horns stab, the bass thumps, the boys gleefully chant horny filth--it's one helluva party. Sadly, the ghastly "Three Times A Lady" was only months away.

38. Robert Palmer: "Sailin' Shoes/Hey Julia/Sneakin' Sally" medley--Sneakin' Sally Thru The Alley (Island, 1974) Blue-eyed Anglo-soulster Palmer rather made a rod for his own back with this medley, which opened his first solo LP: just how do you top such a slinky bunch of grooves? Backed by the Meters and various Little Feats, the performances and feel are unimpeachable. The guy made some decent records after this, but did he ever top it? Nah.

37. Rhythm Makers: "Zone," from Soul on Your Side (Vigor, 1976) From the truly obscure side of Philly, "Zone" boasts one of the bubbliest bass lines of all time, a brilliantly cheesy keyboard refrain, choppy guitar fills to die for AND Clavinet gurgles aplenty--what more could you want? A truly superb funk instrumental cut on the cusp of disco.

36. Bob Marley & the Wailers: "Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)," from Natty Dread (Island, 1974) Dark, humid, brooding, ominous, oppressive. This is Marley at his uncompromising best: militant lyrics driven home by Touter's grinding Clavinet and the magnificent Barrett brothers rhythm section ("Family Man" actually penned this one.) Jaw-dropping stuff.

35. Missy Elliott: "Dog In Heat," from MissE... So Addictive (Gold Mind/Elektra, 2001) "Man, bump this ballad s***... gimme dat fonk!" So begins the first track proper on Missy"s latest masterwork--an album furnishing all the proof you need that funk's alive and thriving in the R&B/hip hop heartland. The beat is stark and minimal, with a gnarly bass line winding around Timbaland's crisp beats and a chattering rhythm guitar slicing across Missy's rhymes. Wicked.

34. The Band: "King Harvest," from The Band (Capitol, 1969) By rights, The Band's Levon Helm should be regarded as part of the great quartet of sub-Mason-Dixon R&B drummers alongside Roger Hawkins in Muscle Shoals, Zig Modeliste in New Orleans and Al Jackson Jr. in Memphis. The fact that the rest of The Band were Canadian doesn't alter the fact that you can take the boy out of Arkansas, but you can't take Arkansas out of the boy. This gem of rural funk? Imagine the Carter Family backed by the Meters.

33. Jean Knight: "Mr Big Stuff," from Mr. Big Stuff (Malaco, 1971) Simple but bloody effective. New Orleans legend Wardell Quezergue produced this gloriously sassy classic up in Jackson, Mississippi, and it's all about the punchy bass and hissing tambourine, with the horns and guitars blaring out their rhythmic riffs more or less in unison. And guess who's holding down that groove? None other than future country music mogul James Stroud!

32 Aretha Franklin: "Jump To It," from Jump To It (Arista, 1982) Lady Ree has other claims to be in a Funky 50--"Chain Of Fools," anyone?--but this Luther Vandross--produced peach of a dance anthem has to be the Queen's finest slice of funk. Over leisurely piano chords, nigglingly busy guitar fills and a Luther-led post-disco chorus, Franklin sails--and even scats--in a breathy but intensely horny style. Fabulous.

31 Grover Washington Jr.: "Mr. Magic," from Mr. Magic (CTI/Motown, 1975) London 1975: Hot town, summer in the city. Through any open window, you'd hear either George Benson's "Breezin'" or this jazz-funk classic. Bob James' balmy Fender Rhodes, drummer Harvey Mason's immaculate groove, Eric Gale's guitar just so, and Mr. Washington keeping things simple and melodic on top. It doesn't do much or go anywhere in particular, but then it really doesn't have to. Perfect.

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