Since the 1970s, Go-Go music has been the sound of Washington, D.C. Taking inspiration from funk, jazz, Latin and African rhythms, the music – defined by a funky percussive beat and a call-and-response exchange between the bandleader and the audience – was known to keep parties in the Chocolate City rocking for hours.
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Ask anyone in D.C., and they’ll tell you that Go-Go music is a local treasure, so much so that it became the official music of the District in 2020. But the music didn’t just stay in the nation’s capital; it found worldwide success and influenced future generations of hip-hop and R&B artists who put their personal touches on the winning musical formula. Now, 50 years after the first Go-Go beat dropped, we’re looking back at the history of this legendary sound.
It Started in the 1970s
Go-Go music got its start in the 1970s in Washington, D.C. A gumbo of funk, blues, soul, and Afro-Latin grooves, the sound is defined by a percussion-heavy, syncopated rhythm. Go-Go songs also include lots of horns and a call-and-response pattern between the bandleader and the audience that has the power to keep people on the dance floor for hours.
“It’s a groove. It’s a feeling, you know, that goes on and on and on. That’s why they call it Go-go,” Go-Go pioneer Chuck Brown told NPR in an interview.
The Godfather of Go-Go
Chuck Brown is considered to be the Godfather of Go-Go. Inspired by artists like James Brown, Chuck and his band The Soul Searchers created a unique sound that kept audiences coming to their live shows. Along with his band, Brown played guitar and engaged the audience, calling out everything from neighborhoods, birthdays and anniversaries to keep people on their feet.
The Musicians
The earliest Go-Go bands usually featured young musicians from local D.C. high schools, which were known at the time for their strong music programs and competitive band scene. Those teenage percussionists, horn players and keyboard players took their talents around the city playing Go-Go clubs in the area.
“Bustin’ Loose”
One of Chuck Brown’s biggest go-go hits was 1979’s “Bustin’ Loose.” The song was a hit on the R&B singles chart that year, soaring all the way to the top spot. It also climbed its way to number 34 on the Hot 100 chart.
Branchin’ Out
In addition to Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers, bands like Rare Essence, Experience Unlimited (E.U.) and Trouble Funk continued to crank out Go-Go hits and put the music on the map all over the world.
Go-Go Was The Fall Guy
During the late 1980s and 1990s, the crack-cocaine epidemic became a major problem for Washington, D.C. Some local politicians tried to place the blame for rising crime on Go-Go music, making it their mission to close clubs around D.C. that they blamed for the rising violence.
“A lot of the things that was happening where people were getting hurt at clubs, they were blaming it on the music, and it was hurting us financially because that’s how we were taking care of our families,” Anwan “Big G” Glover, rapper, actor and founding member of the BackYard Band, told Bloomberg.
A Big Screen Moment
Go-Go music made its big screen debut when it was featured on the soundtrack of School Daze, the Spike Lee film about life at a fictional HBCU. E.U.’s “Da Butt” brought Go-Go to a wider audience, climbing all the way to number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The Impact of Gentrification
As D.C. felt the impact of gentrification, many long-time residents of the Chocolate City felt their new neighbors were trying to silence their sound as noise complaints came in from residents of new buildings located around a cell phone that was known in the area for playing loud Go-Go music to get people to come inside. Residents launched the “Don’t Mute D.C.” movement in an effort to hold on to the music they loved.
There’s No Go-Go Without D.C.
In 2019, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie introduced a bill to make Go-Go music the official music of Washington, D.C. The bill passed unanimously in the Council of the District of Columbia, and in February 2020, go-go became the official music of Washington, D.C. The bill includes resources for programs that support and document the history of Go-Go music in the area.
“I’m proud to celebrate this historic moment because we know there is no DC without Go-Go, and there is no Go-Go without DC,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Music for a Movement
Go-Go music isn’t all about partying. You can also find a message in the music. Junkyard Band’s 1985 single “The Word,” is directly critical of then-President Ronald Regan’ and ‘s Reganomics polices and the impact on people of color.
Go-Go bands have also been known to play at demonstrations at Black Lives Matter Plaza in D.C. and at rallies encouraging people to get out and vote.
Go-Go’s Influence
If you need any proof of Go-Go’s influence, you don’t have to look far. It can be heard in lots of popular R&B and hip-hop hits we know and love, including “Let Me Clear My Throat” by DJ Kool, Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” and “1 Thing” by Amerie.
The Go-Go Museum
Visitors to Washington, D.C. can learn more about the sound that defines the city at the Go-Go Museum and Cafe located in the historic Anacostia district. The museum, which is dedicated to preserving the “appreciation and study of Go-Go music, history and culture,” includes live music, artifacts and food that represent the sound that defines the city.
The Next Generation
Legendary Go-Go musicians are working with D.C. students to teach them the music they love and make sure the Go-Go sound continues for generations to come.
“We want to make sure that when we pass the baton, the baton is in good hands,” musician Shorty Corleone told WUSA 9.
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