# The Waxonia Desk: Where the Accent Moved

Five records where rhythm stopped being the setting for a song and became the song. Every rhythm guitarist and every sampler of the last fifty years has been living off this tradition.

- **Picks:** 5
- **Genre:** Funk
- **Years:** 1967–1975
- **Curator:** The Waxonia Desk
- **Updated:** 2026-08-29
- **Curator's page:** https://waxonia.com/artist/the-desk/
- **Canonical page:** https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-accent-moved/

## The picks

Selected, not ranked — the order is the curator’s, and carries no claim about which is best.

### [James Brown](https://waxonia.com/artist/james-brown/) — [Cold Sweat](https://waxonia.com/track/james-brown--cold-sweat/)

*1967 · King*

The moment the accent moved and harmony stopped being the point. Everything filed under funk since is an argument with the arrangement on this one record.

Also on: [Funk](https://waxonia.com/genre/funk/), [Roots](https://waxonia.com/theme/the-desk-roots/), [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/James%20Brown%20Cold%20Sweat) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=qkgIoMuaoQ0)

### [Sly & the Family Stone](https://waxonia.com/artist/sly-and-the-family-stone/) — [Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)](https://waxonia.com/track/sly-and-the-family-stone--thank-you-falettinme-be-mice-elf-agin/)

*1969 · Epic*

A bass technique invented to cover for a missing drummer, and imitated for fifty years afterwards. Limitations make signatures far more often than intentions do.

Also on: [Funk](https://waxonia.com/genre/funk/), [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Sly%20%26%20the%20Family%20Stone%20Thank%20You%20(Falettinme%20Be%20Mice%20Elf%20Agin)) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=-T9vmaTI2LE)

### [Stevie Wonder](https://waxonia.com/artist/stevie-wonder/) — [Superstition](https://waxonia.com/track/stevie-wonder--superstition/)

*1972 · Tamla*

One man playing nearly everything, at a moment when funk was supposed to be a band sport. The studio turned out not to be the enemy of the group after all.

Also on: [Funk](https://waxonia.com/genre/funk/), [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Stevie%20Wonder%20Superstition) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ftdZ363R9kQ)

### [Herbie Hancock](https://waxonia.com/artist/herbie-hancock/) — [Chameleon](https://waxonia.com/track/herbie-hancock--chameleon/)

*1973 · Columbia*

A jazz musician of the first rank deciding that the groove was the interesting problem. The traffic between jazz training and dance records ran both ways, and this is the busiest lane on it.

Also on: [Funk](https://waxonia.com/genre/funk/), [The Waxonia Desk — One Subject](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-one-subject/), [Twice Over](https://waxonia.com/theme/twice-over/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Herbie%20Hancock%20Chameleon) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=iqomTAiRnVM)

### [Parliament](https://waxonia.com/artist/parliament/) — [Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)](https://waxonia.com/track/parliament--give-up-the-funk-tear-the-roof-off-the-sucker/)

*1975 · Casablanca*

Enormous theatre over a bass part of complete discipline. The theatre is what everybody remembers and the discipline is the reason it still works fifty years later.

Also on: [Funk](https://waxonia.com/genre/funk/).

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Parliament%20Give%20Up%20the%20Funk%20(Tear%20the%20Roof%20off%20the%20Sucker)) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=xNpNTkSkrU8)

## About the curator

The people who write the rankings on this site. We keep the lists honest, we argue about the order, and we get asked the same question more than any other: where should someone actually start. These are our answers.

Elsewhere: https://waxonia.com/

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Hand-curated by Waxonia. We host no audio; all links point to streaming platforms.