“Funky Worm” was released in 1973 by the funk band known as The Ohio Players. While the Funky Worm single topped the R&B charts back in 1973, some of the biggest names in hip hop still use the song’s synthesizer solos today. Just a few include: Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, N.W.A., DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Sicx. Funky Worm has also been featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The Ohio Players Funky Worm has been on the Billboard Hot 100 list at number 15 and Billboards Best Selling Soul Singles at number one (1973).

About the Ohio Players

The Ohio Players formed in 1959 under the name the Ohio Untouchables. When the Untouchables broke up, two band members formed the Ohio Players. The Ohio Players have been credited with pioneering a type of sound called “street funk” in the 1970s. The band’s influenced included: James Brown, Miles Davis, George Benson and Sly and the Family Stone.

Many other bands and artists went on to adopt the Ohio Players new sound, bands such as Kool & the Gang and Rick James.

The Funky Worm has been sampled by:

2Low – “Send Ya Fa Ya Mama”
3XDope – “Mr. Sandman”
Above the Law – “B.M.L. (Commercial)”
Above the Law – “Black Superman”
AMG – “Vertical Joyride”
Beastie Boys – “Funky Boss”
Big Scoob – “Suckaz Can’t Hang”
Brotha Lynch Hung – “Deep Down”
Bushwick Bill – “Dollars and Sense”
C.E.B. – “Seems that You Forgot”
Cru – “Pronto”
Daddy-O – “Funky Worm Outro”
De la Soul – “Me, Myself and I”
Digable Planets – “Escapism (Gettin’ Free)”
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince – “Boom! Shake the Room!”
DJ Krush – “Hitotsu No Marai”
Domino – “That’s Real”
Dr. Dre – “Chronic Intro”
Dre Dog – “Alcatraz”
Erick Sermon – “The Ill Shit”
Group Home – “Be Like That”
Hi-C – “?”
Ice Cube – “Wicked”
Insane Poetry – “If Rhymes Could Kill”
Jaz – “A Nation Divided”
Jungle Brothers – “Belly Dancing Dina”
Keith Murray – “The Most Beautifullest Thing in the World”
Kris Kross – “2 da Beat Ch’yall”
Kris Kross – “Jump”
Lifer’s Group – “Jack U. Back (So You Wanna Be a Gangsta)”
Masta Ace – “Born to Roll”
MC Breed – “No Future in Yo’ Frontin'”
Montell Jordan – “Gotta Get My Roll On”
Naughty by Nature – “Klickow Klickow”
NWA – “Dopeman”
NWA – “Dopeman”
NWA – “Gangsta, Gangsta”
PMD – “I Saw it Cummin'”
Public Enemy – “I Stand Accused”
Redman – “Cosmic Slop”
Ruff Ryders – “Bugout”
Rumpletilskinz – “Attitudes”
Snoop Dogg – “Serial Killa”
South Central Cartel – “You Want Sum a Dis”
Terminator X – “Back to the Scene of the Rhyme”
Tim Dog – “Skip to My Loot”
Too $hort – “Sample the Funk”
X-Clan – “Xodus”
Xzibit – “Shroomz”
Yo-Yo – “Letter to the Pen”

The Ohio Players Discography

Albums

1966: Trespassin’
1968: Observations in Time (Capitol)
1971: Pain (Westbound) – US Pop #177, US R&B #21
1972: Pleasure (Westbound) – US Pop #63, US R&B #4
1973: Ecstasy (Westbound) – US Pop #70, US R&B #19
1974: Climax (Westbound) – US Pop #102, US R&B #24
1974: Skin Tight (Mercury) – US Pop #11, US R&B #1
1974: Superpak (Capitol) – US R&B #32
1975: Fire (Mercury) – US Pop #1, US R&B #1
1975: Honey (Mercury) – US Pop #2, US R&B #1
1975: Rattlesnake (Westbound) – US Pop #61, US R&B #8
1975: Greatest Hits (Westbound) – US Pop #92, US R&B #22
1976: Contradiction (Mercury) – US Pop #12, US R&B #1
1976: Gold (Mercury) – US Pop #31, US R&B #10
1977: Angel (Mercury) – US Pop #41, US R&B #9
1977: Mr. Mean (Mercury) – US Pop #68, US R&B #11
1977: The Best of the Early Years, Vol. 1 (Westbound) – US R&B #58
1978: Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee (Mercury) – US Pop # 69, US R&B #15
1979: Everybody Up (Arista) – US Pop #80, US R&B #19
1981: Tenderness (Boardwalk) – US Pop #165, US R&B #49
1982: Ouch! (Boardwalk)
1984: Graduation (Century Vista)
1988: Back (Track Record) – US R&B #55

The Ohio Players Live Albums

1997: Ol’ School “On Tour” (Castle Records)

The Ohio Players Singles

1972: “Pain (Part 1)” – US Pop # 64, US R&B #35
1972: “Pleasure” – US R&B #45
1973: “Funky Worm” – US Pop #15, US R&B #1
1973: “Ecstacy” – US Pop #31, US R&B #12
1974: “Jive Turkey (Part 1)” – US Pop #47, US R&B #6
1974: “Skin Tight” – US Pop #13, US R&B #2
1975: “Fire” – US Pop #1, US R&B #1
1975: “I Want to Be Free” – US Pop #44 , US R&B #6
1975: “Sweet Sticky Thing” – US Pop #33, US R&B #1
1975: “Love Rollercoaster” – US Pop #1, US R&B #1
1976: “Fopp” – US Pop #30, US R&B #9
1976: “Who’d She Coo?” – US Pop #18, US R&B #1
1976: “Far East Mississippi” – US R&B #26
1977: “Feel the Beat (Everybody Disco)” – US Pop #61, US R&B #31
1977: “O-H-I-O” – US Pop #45, US R&B #9
1977: “Body Vibes” – US R&B #19
1978: “Funk-O-Nots” – US R&B #27
1978: “Good Luck Charm (Part 1)” – US R&B #51
1978: “Magic Trick” – US R&B #93
1978: “Time Slips Away” – US R&B #53
1981: “Skinny” – US R&B #46
1981: “Try a Little Tenderness” – US R&B #40

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