The 28 Best James Brown Songs, from Please, Please, Please to The Payback

What is James Brown's most famous song?

"I Got You (I Feel Good)" is James Brown's most famous song, a 1965 hit with one of the most recognizable screams in music. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" and "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" are his other signature songs.

James Brown's early soul hits

1. "Please, Please, Please", 1956: his first hit with The Famous Flames.
2. "Try Me", 1958: his first R&B number one.
3. "Think", 1960: a fast, driving soul number.
4. "Night Train", 1962: a roaring instrumental-style dance hit.
5. "Prisoner of Love", 1963: a dramatic ballad.
6. "Out of Sight", 1964: an early step toward funk.

James Brown's 60s classics

7. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", 1965: a Grammy winner and a new rhythmic sound.
8. "I Got You (I Feel Good)", 1965: his biggest pop hit.
9. "It's a Man's Man's Man's World", 1966: a sweeping, orchestral soul ballad.
10. "Cold Sweat", 1967: often called the first true funk record.
11. "There Was a Time", 1967: a live showcase for his dance moves.
12. "I Got the Feelin'", 1968: a tight, jittery funk single.
13. "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)", 1968: an anthem of the civil rights era.
14. "Licking Stick, Licking Stick", 1968: a stripped-down funk groove.
15. "Mother Popcorn", 1969: a relentless dance track.
16. "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose", 1969: a breakbeat favorite of early hip-hop DJs.

James Brown's 70s funk

17. "Funky Drummer", 1970: home to one of the most sampled drum breaks ever.
18. "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine", 1970: a call-and-response funk classic.
19. "Super Bad", 1970: a raw, wild single.
20. "Soul Power", 1971: a long, hypnotic groove.
21. "Hot Pants", 1971: a playful dance number.
22. "Make It Funky", 1971: a tight band workout.
23. "Get on the Good Foot", 1972: a funk hit with a dance to match.
24. "The Payback", 1973: a slow, menacing groove.
25. "Papa Don't Take No Mess", 1974: a long, swaggering number one R&B hit.
26. "Funky President (People It's Bad)", 1974: a socially conscious funk single.

Later James Brown songs

27. "Living in America", 1985: a Grammy-winning hit from Rocky IV.
28. "Unity", with Afrika Bambaataa, 1984: a meeting of funk and hip-hop.

Who was James Brown?

James Brown was born in 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina, and grew up in poverty in Augusta, Georgia. He joined the gospel group that became The Famous Flames and scored his first hit in 1956. Over the next two decades he became known as the Godfather of Soul and "the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", famous for his splits, spins and the cape routine that ended his shows. He was one of the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and he died on Christmas Day in 2006.

How James Brown invented funk

In the mid-60s, Brown began building songs around the rhythm rather than the melody, treating every instrument, including the horns and guitar, like a drum. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" pointed the way, and "Cold Sweat" in 1967 is often called the first true funk record. His bands, featuring players such as Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins and drummers Clyde Stubblefield and John "Jabo" Starks, shaped the sound of funk, disco and hip-hop.

The most sampled artist in music

Hip-hop producers have sampled James Brown more than almost any other artist. Clyde Stubblefield's drum break on "Funky Drummer" alone appears on countless records, and grooves from "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose", "The Payback" and "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" became building blocks of rap music in the 80s and 90s.

Live at the Apollo

Brown paid for the recording of his 1962 show at Harlem's Apollo Theater himself when his label doubted a live album would sell. Live at the Apollo became a huge hit in 1963 and is still considered one of the greatest live albums ever made. It is the best place to start for anyone new to his music.

The Boston concert

The night after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April 1968, Brown played a concert in Boston that was broadcast live on television. City leaders hoped it would keep people at home, and Brown spoke from the stage to calm the crowd. The show is remembered as one of the moments when music helped hold a city together.

James Brown songs for a party or a workout

For a party, "I Got You (I Feel Good)", "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine", "Get on the Good Foot" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" guarantee a full dance floor. For a workout, "Super Bad", "Mother Popcorn" and "The Payback" keep the energy high. See our Motown songs and songs about dancing for more.

A funky song about your story

For a James Brown fan, a personalized song can bring that funky, high-energy spirit to their own story: their name, the people they love and a groove made for dancing, in an R&B, hip-hop or pop style. It makes a fun birthday or retirement gift.

How to create a personalized R&B song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: R&B, hip-hop, pop and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three memories or details about them.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $35.99, or $40.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give them a song that makes them feel good: create a song and hear four previews for free.