Rick James

As the seventies winded down and eventually turned into the 1980's, funk music started to become a watered-down, shiny disco-fied version of its former self. Many of the formerly down 'n' dirty bands got a makeover and manicured themselves into glossy dancefloor demons or smooth r&b performers. By the eighties, the overall number of funk bands decreased sharply from only several years earlier as the clean crisp (and often sterile) sound of electronic pop and synthesizers instead filled the speakers of the discotheques. That is not to say that funk was completely dead. Groups like the Time, the Gap Band, and Cameo were all able to keep up with the times and have success after the days of disco were dead. One man who carried the torch over the changing-of-the-decade hump was Rick James. Although performing in several bands and as a session musician for over a decade, Rick emerged as a solo artist on the the music charts in the late 70's and rescued an ailing Motown label at the same time with a string of Top 40 hits. His outrageously "freaky" sleazy, sex-obsessed personae was only enhanced by his slick, spandexed, and leather get-ups.

Everything he wore was extremely tight, extremely erotic, and extremely in-your-face. And with MTV being born at this time, what he found was a perfect outlet to show off those trademark glittery beaded braids; "Superfreak" became his biggest hit when it hit heavy rotation in 1981. Prince was another funk artist who was able to make the leap into the 1980's with a considerable amount of flair and proved to be a huge influence on both pop music and fashion. After a number of successful recordings in the earlier part of the decade, the release of the film Purple Rain made him a superstar and had everyone seeing purple. During this time, Prince was almost always decked out in the color, usually a shiny sparkly version of it. He took the New Romantic styles that were big at the time (high-collared lacey blouses, military jackets, asymmetrical hair) and combined them with metallic brocade coats, stiletto-heeled boots, and the absolute tightest toreador pants imaginable making him look like some sort of demented flamenco dancer. Throughout his career, Prince has never settled for anything less than top-of-the-line when it came to his costumes, whether it's bottom-bearing lace bell-bottoms or a red leather jumpsuit. And to this day, he often channels the style and spirit of funk pioneer Sly Stone.

A 1980's Prince

And we can't forget one Michael Jackson. Before he was the freak-of-nature plastic surgery casualty that he is now, he was one extremely influential entertainer. Who can forget the video for "Rock With You", with Michael dancing as a funky vision in silver and black sequins? Then of course, with the phenom called Thriller, he was arguably the biggest star on the planet as his zipper-covered leather jackets, flood pants, and signature white glove were copied in shops from the US to Europe to Asia. A fixation with military gear has also been a standard for Michael, even today.