Which 1970s R&B group had a hit with 'Brick House'?

The 1970s R&B group behind “Brick House” was the Commodores.

The funk-driven song appeared on the group’s 1977 self-titled album and was released as a single by Motown on August 26 of that year. It reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the U.S. R&B chart, making it one of the group’s signature recordings.

Walter “Clyde” Orange sang lead on the track, while the band’s six-member lineup included Lionel Richie, Milan Williams, William King, Thomas McClary, and Ronald LaPread. Although Richie later became especially famous for ballads such as “Easy” and “Three Times a Lady,” the Commodores began as a prominent funk and soul group.

The title is a softened version of the expression “built like a brick shithouse.” The chorus deliberately pauses between “brick” and “house,” leaving the omitted word implied. The song is therefore associated with the Commodores’ funk side, not with Richie’s later solo career.