Which group sang the 1976 disco hit 'Play That Funky Music'?

Wild Cherry sang the 1976 disco hit 'Play That Funky Music.'

The group was an American funk-rock band from Mingo Junction, Ohio, led by singer and guitarist Rob Parissi. Before the hit, Wild Cherry mainly performed hard-rock covers. As disco became increasingly popular, audiences began calling out for a funkier sound, inspiring Parissi to write a song that responded directly to that change in musical taste.

“Play That Funky Music” was released in April 1976 on the Cleveland-based Sweet City label and distributed by Epic Records. The single became a major crossover success, reaching No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles chart. It was also certified platinum after selling more than two million copies in the United States.

A common mix-up is confusing Wild Cherry with better-known disco acts such as KC and the Sunshine Band, the Trammps, or Heatwave. Those groups had major dance hits of their own, but “Play That Funky Music” belongs to Wild Cherry. It was the band’s only U.S. Top 40 hit, making it both a defining song and a one-hit-wonder landmark.