The band was founded by members of Terry Knight & Pack, who realized two albums and one hit (I Who Have Nothing, 1966). Its singer and guitar player Mark Farner and drummer Don Brewer formed Grand Funk Railroad with bass player Mel Schacher (formerly in Question And The Mysterias).

Technically, this power-trio was by far less talented than Cream and Jimi Hendrix’ Experience. But media had the "fault" of their success, since they heavily tried bring them down (because of their vulgar and rude music that was considered a reaction to the idealism of Woodstock), in a period were youngster fell in love with everything boycotted. So GFR became the biggest attraction of rock ‘n’ roll, even if radios always refused to propose their millionaire hits (on the contrary they use this factor to publicize their "persecution"). Farner wrote quite all their music, but their manager, Terry Knight, was equally important.

Like Led Zeppelin, their success was measured in albums, while few singles were proposed and none of them reached the top of the charts. Their most famous songs are Heartbreaker and Time Machine from On Time (Capitol, 1969), Mr. Limousine Driver from Grand Funk (Capitol, 1970), Closer To Home from Closer To Home (Capitol, 1970). When they recorded Survival (Capitol, 1971) their automatisms were perfect.

E Pluribus Funk (Capitol, 1971) was probably their quintessential album of their career, full of impetuous anthems (Footstomping Music) and political songs (Stop The War, Save The Land). Apart from their sound volume, Their intense boogie-soul never went beyond riff and elementary melodies.

Their success went on even when, in 1972, the band fired Knight and recruited a keyboardist, Craig Frost. Phoenix (1973), with Rock And Roll Soul, We're An American Band (1973), All The Girls In The World Beware (1974), Shinin' On (1974), Born To Die (1975) e Good Singin' Good Playin' (1976) still climbed the charts, even if GFR were continuously recycling their plain riffs and never going beyond the trivial refrain of We're An American Band, until they fell in he affected soul of Some Kind Of Wonderful (1974) and Bad Time (1975).

The band sold over twenty millions of records in only six years; in 1971 they broke the record of tickets in a tour (they sold more tickets in three days than the Beatles did) and generally they were a point of reference of all the future heavy metal bands.

30 Years of Funk (Capitol) is a very good anthology.

Farner recorded two soloist albums, Mark Farner (Atlantic, 1977) e No Frills (Atlantic, 1978), then he tried to re-found the band until he retired from music after he converted to religion. Other band members joined Bob Seger’s band.

Il gruppo si formo` sulle ceneri dei Terry Knight & The Pack, autori di due album e titolari di un hit (I Who Have Nothing, 1966). Il cantante e chitarrista Mark Farner e il batterista Don Brewer si unirono al bassista Mel Schacher (che aveva suonato nei Question And The Mysterians) e formarono i Grand Funk Railroad.

Tecnicamente questo power-trio era assai inferiore a quelli dei Cream e di Jimi Hendrix. Ma i media hip commisero l'errore di volerli distruggere (in quanto apostoli della musica rozza e volgare e quindi in quanto "reazione" all'idealismo di Woodstock) in un momento in cui i giovani tendevano a idolatrare tutto cio' che veniva boicottato. Cosi`, nonostante le radio si ostinassero ad ignorare i loro hit milionari e facendo anzi leva pubblicitariamete sulle persecuzioni subite, i GFR divennero la piu` grande attrazione del rock'n'roll. Farner scriveva quasi tutte le musiche, ma il manager Terry Knight era forse altrettanto importante.

Come i loro colleghi Led Zeppelin, il loro successo si misuro` soprattutto in album, mentre pochi brani uscirono su singolo e quasi nessuno scalo` le classifiche. I brani di maggior successo furono Heartbreaker e Time Machine, da On Time (Capitol, 1969), Mr Limousine Driver, da Grand Funk (Capitol, 1970), Closer To Home, da Closer To Home (Capitol, 1970). Quando registrarono Survival (Capitol, 1971), suonavano ormai a occhi chiuse.

E Pluribus Funk (Capitol, 1971) fu forse l'album quintessenziale della loro carriera, ricco di febbricitanti anthem (Footstomping Music) e di canzoni politiche (Stop The War, Save The Land). A parte il volume sonoro, il loro barbaro strimpellio boogie-soul non ando` mai oltre riff e melodie elementari.

La fortuna del gruppo continuo` anche dopo che (1972) licenziarono Knight e assunsero un tastierista, Craig Frost. Phoenix (1973), con Rock And Roll Soul, We're An American Band (1973), All The Girls In The World Beware (1974), Shinin' On (1974), Born To Die (1975) e Good Singin' Good Playin' (1976) scalarono ancora le classifiche, anche se i Grand Funk Railroad stavano riciclando riff scontati all'infinito, senza andare oltre il ritornello triviale di We're An American Band, fino a sprofondare nel soul lezioso di Some Kind Of Wonderful (1974) e Bad Time (1975).

Il complesso vendette venti milioni di dischi in soli sei anni, nel 1971 batte` il record di biglietti per un tour (vendettero in tre giorni piu` biglietti di quanti ne avessero venduti i Beatles in tre giorni) e in generale stabili` uno standard di riferimento per tutti i gruppi di heavy metal dei decenni successivi.

30 Years of Funk (Capitol) e` un'ottima antologia.

Farner pubblico` due album solisti, Mark Farner (Atlantic, 1977) e No Frills (Atlantic, 1978), provo` a formare il complesso di nuovo, e poi si ritiro` dalle scene convertendosi alla religione. Gli altri si aggregarono al gruppo di Bob Seger.