Sly and the Family Stone Albums Ranked

Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and included Stone’s brother and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone, sister and singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Greg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham. It was the first major American rock group to have a racially integrated, male, and female lineup. The work of Sly and the Family Stone greatly influenced the sound of subsequent American funk, pop, soul, R&B, and hip hop music. Music critic Joel Selvin wrote, “there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone”.  In 2010, they were ranked 43rd in Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time,^[9] and three of their albums are included on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Here are all Sly and the Family Stone albums ranked.

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10. Small Talk

“For one thing, the song sequence for this album is extremely proficient, though it lacks the powerful, even revolutionary songs on the aforementioned LPs.  With Small Talk, Sly and the Family Stone fall back to Earth somewhat, relying more on the breakthroughs of their peers than on the instincts that made them one of the most transformative bands of the late 60s and early 70s.”

9. The Essential Sly & The Family Stone

“Probably the best-sounding, best-compiled Sly and the Family Stone collection of the ones that are available from their original record label, this 2002 release hits the nail on the head when it comes to including all the hits and all the good album tracks.”

8. A Whole New Thing

“There are certainly some great songs to be found here, though. ‘Underdog’ is certainly my favorite here, and perhaps the one song here that’s really endured as one of the Family Stone’s greatest. In addition to some of the most well-thought out lyrics on the album, it’s also a nice introduction to the rhythm section of Greg Errico and Larry Graham (dig that bassline!) and has some great horn lines.”

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7. Life

“Life” will forever be known as the album that slipped through the cracks; “Dance to the Music” had just burst Sly & The Family Stone out in the open, and the ‘Stand!’ LP of 1969 all but solidified the group’s stature as groundbreaking, hit-making and funky.”

6. Anthology

“The original greatest hits from ’70 is the way to go with Sly.  Anthology drops, seemingly gratuitously,  “Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey” into the middle of the transcendent summer radio soul pop confections that compose the entirety of the previous collection – breaking up the good time flow that formerly existed on that, pretty much perfect, collection.  This one also adds some cuts from Riot and Fresh at the end, but these songs are best heard within the context of those records.”

5. Dance To The Music

“This is just one of those albums where everything comes together perfectly and everything works. There are no weak songs to be found: even the extended length “Dance to the Medley”, and the mid-tempo “Never Will I Fall in Love Again” never let the energy and excitement flag even for a moment. This is about as good a funk album as has ever been created, and although it verges on blasphemy, I’d rank this right up there with the best of James Brown’s funk output. It’s just that good.”

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4. Greatest Hits

“Containing every hit or near-hit song from all their albums up to that point as well as the fantastic new track “Thank You”, this is the perfect place to start if you are looking to hear this great band and the great artist who led them.  Every song is infectious and funky.  There is no let-up at all.  40 minutes of utterly brilliant R&B by an utterly brilliant band. Essential to any proper documentation of American soul music and the 1960s in general.  One of the greatest “Best Of” collections ever assembled.”

3. Fresh

“Fresh is a great album.  Just Sly on the front cover actually not in midair, but posing on a sheet of glass with a photographer underneath it.  The band is featured in the sleeve this time, in contrast to Riot this feels more like a group project.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that the performances are better, but perhaps it does account for the more smooth sounding production this time.”

2. Stand!

“The title-track, a very sharp, socio-political waxing that still resonates as the anthem of oppressed people everywhere, stresses that the little guy will, in time, get over. While the lyrical segment of the song is musically quite low key, the blistering instrumental coda (played by an entirely different band) is funk at its fiercest: crashing drums, sturdy bass and punchy horns.”

1. There’s A Riot Goin’ On

“The greatest funk album of all time was, there would be no question. There’s a Riot Goin’ On torches everything else. With this he established himself as funk’s greatest bona fide musical genius except James Brown himself- the creator of the entire genre. It is one of those discs which works best in its entirety- you need to immerse yourself in this thick, enveloping funky stew- but there are stand-out tracks.”