Sly and the Family Stone Songs 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 songs ranked.
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18. (You Caught Me) Smilin’ (There’s a Riot Goin’ On, 1971)
“Another of the more playful tracks on the “Riot”, Sly just about keeps himself together enough to get his way through what there is of the lyric while the band put together another cool combination of guitar, bass, and brass.”
17. Brave & Strong (There’s a Riot Goin’ On, 1971)
“Boasting a spare production, with funky guitar licks and contrapuntal horn fills, it’s the epitome of super cool, especially when the trumpet goes off on its own. The hippy-philosophy of the lyric only adds to the intrigue.”
16. Runnin’ Away (There’s a Riot Goin’ On, 1971)
“I was streaming There’s a Riot Goin’ On for the first time today, and when “Runnin’ Away” began, I seriously thought it was an ad because of the cheesy vocals at the beginning. But then there’s the smooth transition to those triumphant horns, and overall, the song is a very uplifting and slightly surreal experience, and ultimately, my third favorite song on the parent album (after “Family Affair” and “You Caught Me Smilin'”).”
15. Luv ‘N’ Haight (There’s a Riot Goin’ On, 1971)
“This song is just so spare and lovely, the most organic sounding drum machine in the world in place, Sly’s casual vocals drifting on top of Rose’s powerful, repetitive delivery. It’s quite an interesting song to reach number one on the goddamn charts, of all places — a somewhat experimental funk piece, really, and I love everything about it.”
See more: Sly and the Family Stone Albums Ranked
14. Family Affair (There’s a Riot Goin’ On, 1971)
“Released as the record’s first single, “Family Affair” stands as the album’s centerpiece and most immediately-appealing track. Like most of the surrounding record, the song is engulfed by a densely gritty mix – largely the result of heavy tape saturation from Stone’s frequent overdubbing and re-takes.”
13. Stand (Stand, 1969)
“Stand- they will try to make you crawl/and they know what you’re saying makes sense at all?” Uh, that doesn’t actually make any sense. Epic troll.”
12. You Can Make It If You Try (Stand!, 1969)
“Motown sounding hit “You Can Make It If You Try” which seems to feature them all on vocals trading off which is nice, showcasing their family element. Great album tons of fun, tons of heart, and many songs that are unforgettable, it endures!.”
11. Fun (Life, 1968)
“One of the ultimate ‘feel good’ songs of all time in my book. Those opening piano chords are a moment of genius, and the song is so delightfully upbeat, crazy infectious, and just perfect for chilling out. A pure joy every time its played, and my personal favorite from Sly and his Family Stoners.”
10. M’Lady (Life, 1968)
“M’lady” to paraphrase the late, great Eric Morecambe takes all the notes from “Dance To The Music” but plays them in a different order, to still good effect.”
9. Life (Life, 1968)
“Life” shows Sly’s genius most aptly here; combining fairground melodies with soulful woooh‘s, marching band horn riffs and a rock solid groove, this is quintessential quirky Sly…”
8. Everybody is a Star (Fresh, 1970)
“Everybody Is a Star”, is one of the band’s most gentle songs, multiple vocals, and a breezy trumpet carrying along its equally breezy sentiment; the single package is thus an alternately delicate and jarring farewell to the ’60s at the dawn of an uncertain decade.”
7. Everyday People (Stand!, 1969)
“It might not hit quite as hard as most of the other songs in the Sly and the Family Stone catalogue, but “Everyday People” just might have the best hook in their entire impressive catalogue. My personal favorite will always be “Stand!,” but this just might be my second favorite song by my favorite funk band.”
6. Sing a Simple Song (Stand!, 1969)
“Sing A Simple Song” is an altogether heavier affair, with some steaming funk, featuring parping horns, pumping bass and a wicked guitar lick he would somehow later top with “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin”.
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5. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Greatest Hits, 1970)
“Packed to the gills with licks, grooves, and whatever else you want to call what’s going on here, “Thank You” is jittery to the nth degree, and yet has as much (admittedly paranoid) exuberance as can be crammed into a five minute song. Strutting along – really strutting – to an early example of electric slap-bass by the great Larry Graham (a bass line that is wisely left unresolved, despite its prominence), the song shifts itself over that bass with the saxophone and trumpet first offering eerie one-note coloring (that distant voice that fades in as the chorus hook – ‘Iiiiiiiiiiiiii-I want to…’ – imitates this), and then alternately stabbing and weaving in between the groove.”
4. Dance to the Music (Dance to the Music, 1968)
“It’s surprising that they would juxtapose these two tracks: one of the greatest, most energetic disco tracks of all time, and a minimal ballad. But I actually really like the B side, which plods along patiently as the vocalist pleads with his girl that she just be honest if she is to go behind his back. The theme has obviously been done, but the backing is fantastic, starting with a simple bass line before growing into beautiful, building horns. And I mean I don’t really have to explain Dance To The Music, nor it’s obvious greatness.”
3. Hot Fun in the Summertime (Greatest Hits, 1970)
“Sepia-toned pop-soul-funk, “Summertime” balances groove and melody in ways that satisfy both camps. It’s there in the blissful keys, the atmospheric haze of the strings, the wink and inner-child weirdness in Sly and crew’s chorus delivery.”
2. I Want to Take You Higher (Stand!, 1969)
“I Want to Take You Higher” concealed something other than strictly good vibrations, even those were done with a cheekiness that kept up the celebratory stuff most of the way through, as if none of it should be taken too seriously as a social commentary, functioning moreover ‘simply’ as great music.”
1. If You Want Me to Stay (Fresh, 1970)
“They say Sly peaked with “There’s A Riot Goin On” and as far as albums were concerned that may be true, but this slinky, irresistible little number with its killer trumpet riff is as good as anything he cut in the 60’s.”