You can’t teach groove. You can’t bottle it. You just feel it—from the first bassline, the second snare hit, the way the rhythm finds your bones before your brain. Some songs are the party. Others start the party. All of these? They own the dance floor. Here are 20 of the grooviest songs ever released, alphabetized so nobody gets jealous.
“Back in Love Again” – L.T.D.
There’s a reason this ‘70s funk anthem still shows up in DJ sets: it’s all groove, no filler. Jeffery Osborne’s vocals soar over a silky rhythm section built for body movement.
“Brick House” – Commodores
The bassline. The brass. The attitude. “Brick House” isn’t just groovy—it’s practically a masterclass in how to make funk feel cool and effortless.
“Can You Feel It” – The Jacksons
This disco-funk explosion from the post-Motown Jacksons is pure groove architecture. That thumping beat and glittering production make it impossible to sit still.
“Cissy Strut” – The Meters
No vocals, no problem. This instrumental groove-fest delivers New Orleans funk straight to your soul. Zigaboo Modeliste’s drumming alone is a groove clinic.
“Dance to the Music” – Sly and the Family Stone
One of the earliest calls to funk unity, this track fuses rock, soul, and psychedelia into something fully physical. You don’t listen to this song—you join it.
“Fantastic Voyage” – Lakeside
Smooth vocals and spaceship funk combine in this slow-burn party starter. If you weren’t dancing at the beginning, you will be by the bridge.
“Flash Light” – Parliament
One of George Clinton’s finest intergalactic groove bombs. That synth-bassline (played by Bernie Worrell) is straight-up immortal.
“Get Down On It” – Kool & The Gang
A disco-funk motivational anthem that asks all the right questions: How you gonna do it if you really don’t wanna dance?
“Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)” – Parliament
Funk in its purest form. The chants. The groove. The attitude. A track that doesn’t just move the crowd—it rewires it.
“Groove Is in the Heart” – Deee-Lite
The ’90s called, and it brought the funk with it. Sampling Herbie Hancock and featuring Bootsy Collins, this dancefloor staple never stopped sparkling.
“I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” – Hall & Oates
Slick and stylish, this track blends blue-eyed soul and R&B with a drum machine groove that still feels way ahead of its time.
“I Got You (I Feel Good)” – James Brown
James Brown practically invented groove as we know it. This might be his most famous, and still the most contagious.
“Jungle Boogie” – Kool & The Gang
Less polished, more primal. This one is all about the groove as force of nature. Horns, handclaps, growls—it’s chaos with a backbeat.
“Le Freak” – Chic
Nile Rodgers’ guitar alone is enough to qualify this as one of the grooviest. But combined with Bernard Edwards’ bass and those disco strings? Next level.
“Move On Up” – Curtis Mayfield
A groove built for uplift, Curtis Mayfield’s anthem pulses with brass, congas, and optimism. It’s motivational funk at its finest.
“Once in a Lifetime” – Talking Heads
You may ask yourself… how does this groove work? A brilliant blend of Afrobeat, art-rock, and existential dance vibes. Brian Eno at the boards doesn’t hurt.
“Outstanding” – The Gap Band
The title says it all. This slow jam groove melts into your bloodstream. Ideal for head-nodding, back-seat singing, and good times with good people.
“Rock with You” – Michael Jackson
MJ’s smoothest song? Maybe. Its groove is soft and subtle, yet hypnotic. A perfect blend of Quincy Jones magic and disco’s golden hour.
“September” – Earth, Wind & Fire
Joy in musical form. That rhythm guitar. Those horns. That falsetto. “September” doesn’t just have a groove—it is a groove.
“You Dropped a Bomb on Me” – The Gap Band
Funk meets synth warfare. A groove so explosive, it practically defined the early ‘80s dance floor.
