The Ohio Players originally formed in 1959 as the Ohio Untouchables, but after several years of line-up changes, name-changes and struggling to find success, they finally settled on the classic line-up and the name Ohio Players in 1971.
Their first big hit was "Funky Worm", which topped the R&B chart in 1973. "Funky Worm" has since been sampled many times by hip-hop artists, including stars such as Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, N.W.A., Ice Cube, the Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Public Enemy and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.
They also had big hits with "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster", which was later covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. "Love Rollercoaster" was also famous for supposedly featuring the scream of a woman being murdered in the background. The band stayed silent on the rumour at the time, adding to the mystique, but have since come out and refuted such suggestions.
The Ohio Players were also famous for their cover art, which tended to feature naked or near-naked women in provocative poses.
