Funky President (People It's Bad)

Written and produced by James Brown, this song, which is subtitled "(People It's Bad)," was influenced by Gerald Ford's presidential takeover after Richard Nixon's departure. Released as a single after Nixon's impeachment in 1974, it charted #4 R&B and #44 on the Hot 100.

Gerald Ford is not what you'd think of as "funky," but in this song, the funk is the stink of corruption and inequality. Brown was famously photographed at the White House with Richard Nixon in 1972, shocking many of his fans. In "Funky President," he makes it clear he's a man of the people, singing about the plight of the common folks during these turbulent times.

The song's rhythmic groove has been sampled on numerous hip-hop tracks, including DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's "Summertime," Public Enemy's "Fight The Power" and Kanye West's "Clique."