The Meters defined New Orleans funk, not only on their own recordings, but also as the backing band for numerous artists, including many produced by Allen Toussaint. The Meters were down-home and earthy: nearly all of their own recordings were instrumentals, putting the emphasis on organic and complex rhythms.

The syncopated, layered percussion intertwined with the gritty grooves of the guitar and organ, creating a distinctive sound that earned a small, devoted cult during the 1970s, including musicians like Paul McCartney and Robert Palmer, both of whom used the group as a backing band for recording. Despite their reputation as an extraordinary live band, the Meters never broke into the mainstream, but their sound provided the basis for much of the funk and hip-hop of the 1980s and 1990s.

Throughout their career, the Meters were always led by Art Neville, one of the leading figures of the New Orleans musical community. Around 1966, he formed Art Neville & the Sounds with his brothers Aaron and Charles on vocals, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, drummer Joseph 'Zigaboo' Modeliste and bassist George Porter. The band grew out of informal jam sessions the musicians held in local New Orleans nightclubs.

After a few months playing under the Sounds name, the band was hired by producer Allen Toussaint and played on records by Lee Dorsey, Betty Harris and others, as well as Toussaint himself. They also performed and recorded on their own, releasing danceable instrumental singles. Between 1969 and 1972, the Meters reached the R&B Top 50 consistently.

In 1972, the group moved to Reprise Records, but kept Toussaint as their producer. Ironically, the Meters didn't have nearly as many hit singles at Reprise, yet their profile remained remarkably high. If anything, the group became hipper, performing on records by Robert Palmer, Dr. John, LaBelle and Paul McCartney and opening for the Rolling Stones on their 1975 and 1976 tours.

In 1976, the group separated from Toussaint and their manager Sehorn, but Toussaint and Sehorn claimed the rights to the group's name. Instead of fighting, the band broke up, with Art and Cyril forming the Neville Brothers with Aaron and Charles, while the remaining trio became session musicians in New Orleans. Modeliste, in particular, became a well-known professional musician, moving to LA during the 1980s.

The Meters reunited as a touring unit in 1990 with Russell Batiste taking over the drum duties from Modeliste. Four years later, Nocentelli left the band, allegedly because he and Art disagreed whether the band should be paid for samples hip-hop groups took from their old records. He was replaced by Brian Stoltz, who had played with the Neville Brothers. The Meters continued to tour throughout the 1990s.