American band ‘Kool & the Gang’ is one of the most recognisable groups in the R&B and soul genre. The band, on Saturday, lost one of the founding members Denis ‘Dee Tee’ Thomas, who died in sleep in New Jersey at the age of 70, according to US media reports.

Here are the top songs to be produced by the band in their 5 decades of togetherness: 

1) Open Sesame

The song, which has a funky vibe, was released by the band when the United States was at the peak of its ‘disco era’. The song was even used in the pop dance-based movie ‘Saturday Night Fever’. The album, which also goes by the name ‘Open Sesame’, reportedly stayed at number one on the Billboard charts for six months straight. 

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2) Let The Music Take Your Mind

The renowned song ‘Let The Music Take Your Mind’ is one of the first songs produced by the ‘Kool & the Gang’ that made it a fan favourite group. It is also a song that has its roots in the early days of the band. Released at the peak of western pop music in the 1970s, the song was part of the album ‘Live At The Sex Machine’. The song became a top 20 hit on the U.S. Billboard R&B Charts. It also broke the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number 78, according to reports from the Classic Rock History website.

3) Music Is The Message

The song ‘Music Is The Message’ was released when the band ‘Kool & the Gang’ was in full momentum and had started garnering a major following. Released in 1972, the band decided to experiment with their productions and bent towards instrumental music. Even though the song failed to break into any of the United States Billboard music charts that year, it is loved by modern-day fans of the band.

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4) Jungle Boogie

The song ‘Jungle Boogie’, which was part of the album ‘Wild and Peaceful’, is one of the trendiest songs to be ever produced by the band. The song became a sensation after largely being played on the radio in the 1970s. 

The song went all the way up to the fourth position on the Billboard Hot 100 after its release and closely missed the top spot on the Billboard R&B charts, according to reports from the Classic Rock History website