Shawn McNulty
Acrylic on Cradled Board
10×10”
2024

Funkytown is an original abstract painting on cradled board by visual artist Shawn McNulty. This painting is is 1.5″ deep with pine edges, and ready to hang with wire on the back.

The Story of “Funkytown” and Its Minneapolis Roots

When you hear the first few seconds of “Funkytown,” it’s hard not to imagine disco balls spinning, shiny dance floors, and a crowd of people moving in rhythm. The track has one of those instantly recognizable grooves that still gets people dancing more than 40 years after it first hit the airwaves. But what makes the story even more interesting is that the song, despite sounding like a New York or Miami disco anthem, actually came out of Minneapolis. Yep, the same city better known for Prince, First Avenue, and its chilly winters was the birthplace of one of the defining disco hits of the late ’70s.

The Birth of Lipps Inc.

“Funkytown” came from the group Lipps Inc., which was essentially the brainchild of Minneapolis musician and producer Steven Greenberg. Greenberg wasn’t exactly a household name before “Funkytown,” but he had been working in music for years, writing jingles and experimenting with different sounds. He put together Lipps Inc. in the late 1970s as a studio project, and recruited local singer Cynthia Johnson to handle the vocals.

Johnson already had a solid musical background in the Twin Cities scene—she had been a member of the popular R&B group Flyte Tyme, which later evolved into the famous production team led by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Her soulful, funky voice was the perfect match for Greenberg’s slick production style. Together, they created something that would go far beyond the Minneapolis city limits.

Recording “Funkytown”

The track was recorded in Minneapolis in 1979 and released in 1980. Greenberg wrote “Funkytown” as a kind of daydream about moving to a bigger, flashier city. At the time, Minneapolis was a thriving regional music hub, but it wasn’t yet seen as a global music capital. Greenberg felt a bit stuck and wanted to capture the idea of leaving town for someplace more exciting—somewhere with a bigger music scene. In a way, the lyrics—“Won’t you take me to Funkytown?”—were his way of imagining a place where things were happening nonstop.

The irony is that instead of having to move, Greenberg ended up putting Minneapolis on the map with the song.

Disco’s Last Big Hurrah

By 1980, disco as a genre was starting to lose steam in the U.S. The infamous “Disco Demolition Night” in Chicago had taken place the year before, signaling a cultural backlash against the genre. But “Funkytown” slipped in just in time to become one of the last massive disco hits. It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1980, staying there for four weeks. It also topped charts around the world, including in Germany, Australia, and Canada.

The track has all the classic disco elements: pulsing bassline, four-on-the-floor rhythm, glossy production, and of course, those soaring, infectious vocals from Cynthia Johnson. But there’s also something futuristic about it—the synth-driven sound feels more like the early 1980s than the late 1970s. That forward-looking vibe may be one reason it aged better than some other disco hits.

Minneapolis Pride

For Minneapolis, “Funkytown” was more than just a global hit—it was proof that the city could produce world-class music. Before Prince exploded onto the scene in the early 1980s, Minneapolis wasn’t widely recognized as a major music city outside of the Midwest. “Funkytown” helped change that perception, showing that the Twin Cities had talent and production chops on par with New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago.

In a way, the song foreshadowed what was about to come. Just a year after “Funkytown” topped the charts, Prince released “Controversy” and began building the Minneapolis Sound—a funky, synth-heavy blend of rock, R&B, and pop that would dominate much of the decade. Lipps Inc. may not have stayed in the spotlight for long, but they opened the door.

One-Hit Wonder Legacy

Lipps Inc. released several other songs, but none came close to the success of “Funkytown.” The group is often labeled a one-hit wonder, but it’s the kind of one hit that’s hard to complain about. The track has been used in countless movies, commercials, and TV shows. It’s been covered and remixed by artists ranging from Pseudo Echo in the ’80s to modern DJs. For many people, it’s the first song that comes to mind when they think about disco.

Cynthia Johnson went on to have a long career as a singer, working on various projects and continuing to perform. Steven Greenberg stepped back from the spotlight, but his role in shaping one of the biggest hits of the era remains a key part of Minneapolis music history.

Minneapolis and Funkytown Today

Today, when people talk about Minneapolis and music, Prince usually comes up first, along with the Replacements, Hüsker Dü, and the legendary club First Avenue. But tucked into that story is “Funkytown,” a song that captured a moment in time when Minneapolis dreamed big and sent a disco anthem out into the world.

The funny thing is, the lyrics about wanting to leave Minneapolis for somewhere more exciting have flipped with time. Instead of being the city left behind, Minneapolis has become the Funkytown itself—a place that produced Prince, the Minneapolis Sound, and a long legacy of music innovation.

Why It Still Works

The staying power of “Funkytown” comes down to energy and universality. Everybody wants to be taken to a place where life feels more vibrant, exciting, and fun. The song bottles that feeling into four and a half minutes of dance-floor joy. Even if you’ve never been to Minneapolis or never thought much about its music history, the groove makes you want to move. And if you’re from the Twin Cities, it’s a point of pride that such an iconic track has local roots.