# What is the best James Brown album of all time?

> Whether you prefer the raw sweat of his early Apollo recordings, the birth of funk in the late 60s, or the groove-machine perfection of the 70s — there's a case to be made for all of them. Cast your vote!

*By YPB Team · Published April 16, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-james-brown-album-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Live at the Apollo**
   James Brown's landmark 1963 live album recorded at Harlem's Apollo Theater — one of the most electrifying concert recordings in American music history.
2. **Sex Machine**
   James Brown's raw 1970 double live album that codified the funk genre with grooves built on rhythm, repetition, and call-and-response.
3. **The Payback**
   James Brown's sprawling 1973 funk double album driven by the ferocious title track, showcasing the JBs at their tightest.
4. **Live at the Apollo, Vol. II**
   James Brown's 1968 sequel live album proving his Apollo performances only grew more spectacular, featuring extended funk workouts.
5. **Papa's Got a Brand New Bag**
   James Brown's 1965 album that introduced his groundbreaking new rhythmic approach, featuring the song that changed popular music.
6. **Revolution of the Mind**
   James Brown's 1971 live album capturing him and the JBs at the peak of their raw funk power with incendiary performances.
7. **Hell**
   James Brown's 1974 double album blending funk, soul, and social commentary, featuring 'Papa Don't Take No Mess.'
8. **There It Is**
   James Brown's hard-funk 1972 album featuring 'King Heroin' and 'Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing' at its full unedited length.
9. **It's a Man's Man's Man's World**
   James Brown's 1966 album featuring his most poetic and emotionally devastating ballad of the same name.
10. **Black Caesar**
   James Brown's gritty 1973 blaxploitation film soundtrack featuring some of his most aggressive and socially charged funk.
11. **Gravity**
   James Brown's 1986 album featuring the pop-funk hit 'Living in America,' which introduced him to a massive new audience.
12. **Get Up Offa That Thing**
   James Brown's 1976 disco-funk album featuring the irresistible title track that became a dancefloor staple worldwide.

Tags: music, 70s, 60s, funk, soul, james brown