The Meters were a seminal American funk band from New Orleans, Louisiana active from the 1960s until 1977. Like the Funk Brothers and Booker T. and the MGs, they are among the "unsung" progenitors of rhythm and blues and funk music. Their influence was widespread among their contempories and still affects current artists, and they are a legend in their hometown (no small feat, considering the musical talent that hovers in and around New Orleans). However, they never received significant mainstream recognition beyond Louisiana.