Fire - Ohio Players (1974) 4/27/21

It doesn't get any funkier than today's "Great Song of the '70s!

When Stevie Wonder heard "Fire" by The Ohio Players before its release in late 1974, he predicted it would be a massive hit, and he was right.

"Fire" (from the album of the same name), was a #1 smash on Billboard's Hot 100 and Soul Charts. (It was also big in the discos.)

The siren at the beginning of the song caught your attention right off the bat...especially if you were driving! Sirens on the radio were frowned upon by the FCC back then, but Mercury Records left it in anyway...and, luckily, complaints were minimal.

The rest of the song caught your attention because, in 1974, funk was not something you heard very often on Top 40 radio. "Fire" definitely started a trend that continues today!

In fact, its impact was felt almost immediately, as many funk-based groups like Parliament/Funkadelic, Kool & the Gang, and The Average White Band started hitting the charts on a regular basis.

Members of the group Wild Cherry claimed "Fire" was the musical inspiration for "Play That Funky Music," which we highlighted back on 10/24/20. https://www.facebook.com/MichaelCuuuk/posts/218289236311198 "Fire" by The Ohio Players: a "Great Song of 70-Funk!" (1974-75)