The New Oldies: #5 Album of the Year 2023: Kool & the Gang – People Just Wanna Have Fun

Something seems to be missing these days. It seems that record companies, radio stations, and streaming services are pushing some the great established musicians to the background. As a result these veteran artists are not getting the attention they deserve. Enter the Top 10 Album Countdown: The New Oldies. The main point is simple – to make this list you must have at least 20 years of producing established music. The album by the artist must have been released between November 1st, 2022 and October 31st, 2023.

#5 Kool & the Gang – People Just Wanna Have Fun

Coming in at Number 5 on the 2023 New Oldies Countdown is Kool &.the Gang’s with People Just Wanna Have Fun. This is the 26th studio album by the band. It was released in 2023 in anticipation of the band’s 60th anniversary this year. It also may go down as Kool & the Gang’s swan-song.

People Just Wanna Have Fun marks the final album for three founding members of Kool & the Gang: Ronald “Khalis” Bell, Dennis “DT” Thomas, and George “Funky” Brown – all of whom have passed away. While there are other members that have become a part of Kool & the Gang, the loss of Bell, Thomas, and Brown really mark the end of an era.

Kool & the Gang has its roots in jazz, but the band has underwent many transitions over the years. This includes becoming pioneers in funk and disco, then transitioning to a classic adult-contemporary R&B sound in the 1980s. This album really encapsulates Kool & the Gang’s sound over the years. While People Just Want to Have Fun still has its foundation in R&B, we get a nice dose of Disco, and Funk. We see a some of the Minneapolis sound on Movie Star and even some Hip Hop on Na Na Na. The band pulls off the album with an ensemble of guest vocalists. There is no weak track on this album and the opening track Let’s Party is the standout one.

While the future of the band is unclear, the losses of Ronald Bell, Dennis Thomas, and George Brown are closing a not just a chapter, but a book. For this final chapter, Kool & the Gang goes out in style.