The Meters Songs Ranked
The Meters are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans by Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), George Porter Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar), and Art Neville (keyboards). The band performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977 and played an influential role as backing musicians for other artists, including Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Dr. John, and Allen Toussaint. Their original songs “Cissy Strut” and “Look-Ka Py Py” are considered funk classics. Here are all of The Meters songs ranked.
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10. Sophisticated Cissy (The Meters, 1969)
“If you are new to The Meters, or just looking to collect some classic New Orleans sounds, Sophisticated Cissy hits all of the right notes for a song list. This is a good old school music that will always be a part of my life and a part of history”
9. People Say (Rejuvenation, 1974)
“People say by the, meters is THE song that will never die, lyrically it is with the world today. Musically , they’re still trying to figure out what zigaboo was playing ! ROTFL !! My home boys , the kings of funk !! Art , George, Zig , and Leo , tooo funky, I’m about to throw up just thinking about it !!”
8. Just Kissed My Baby (Rejuvenation, 1974)
“The legendary Meters at their absolute best. One of the funkiest songs ever recorded. It’s like they turned the whole band into one big drum set. One of the funkiest joints around. Turn it up and try not to hurt yourself getting’ down to the git down!”
7. Hand Clapping Song (Struttin’, 1970)
“Hand Clapping Song” may well rate as The Meters’ most minimalistic of minimalist funk work-outs, with nothing more than drums, bass, and Nocentelli twangy guitar to counter the loud hand-clapping throughout.”
See more: The Meters Albums Ranked
6. They All Ask’d for You (Fire on the Bayou, 1975)
“This is such a great song. It’s incredibly upbeat and they sing about animals and Louisiana Creole food — who could ask for more?”
5. Look-Ka Py Py (Look-Ka Py Py, 1969)
“I can’t say enough about this disc. They’re all instrumentals with deceptively simple structures but definitely not in the interactions between the players. Syncopated drumming, guitars that chop, scrape and all of sudden strum beautiful chords. Unbelievably placed guitar chords at that. Great old school organ. Sparse but absolutely necessary.”
4. Fire on the Bayou (Fire on the Bayou, 1975)
“Very good album of the group where several of the Neville brothers were militating and that served as the germ of what they would later do as Neville Brothers. Very good Soul of a basic group in the history of black music”
See more: Albert King Albums Ranked
3. Hey Pocky a-Way (Rejuvenation, 1974)
“The song Hey Pocky Way is more widely known as a Neville Brothers tune, and that’s a great, cranking version, so I was kind of surprised to discover that an earlier template for the Neviille Brothers’ version was laid down by Art Neville’s earlier ensemble The Meters. The Meters’ version is slightly more laid-back than the Neville’s, but is still great. Whereas the Nevilles just rocked it out, the Meters get something a lot greasier going.”
2. Mardi Gras Mambo (Fire on the Bayou, 1975)
“I guess this is just a roundabout way of saying that it’s tempting in the RYM world to put the band in the “funk” box and demand that their sound be located and judged against the leading lights of that sound, but instead of space-age funk with flying saucers and synthesizers, the Meters were always more organic and just doing a funky New Orleans thing rather than attempting to adhere to some critic’s artificial funk orthodoxy.”
1. Cissy Strut (The Meters, 1969)
“I am new to this band, and heard this song on Satellite radio. Great, funky rhythm and backbeat, really captures that 60’s to 70’s funk sound. I encourage you to look up this band on the Interwebs and buy a couple of songs, they were a very influential band in their time and played with many well known artists as a backup band. Great stuff!”