The cover of the 1978 Funkadelic album, “One Nation Under a Groove.”
Janet Jackson wasn’t the first musician to sing about being part of a rhythm nation. In 1978, New Jersey’s most popular funk group — the eccentric and visionary Funkadelic, led by George Clinton — had the biggest hit single of its career with its propulsive anthem “One Nation Under a Groove,” from its album of the same name.
“Here’s my chance to dance my way out of my constrictions,” Clinton sang, though more people probably remember the more flippant refrain: “One nation under a groove/Gettin’ down just for the funk of it.”
Check it out below.
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday in 2014 And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, from September 2014 to September 2015 — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. To see the entire list, click here.
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