Artist Playlists
-
Given her stature in the culture, it's easy to forget how many boundaries Aretha Franklin broke—and gaps she bridged—to get where she got. By the time “Respect” was released in the spring 1967, Franklin had already powered through several hit singles, ten albums and one record deal. She imbued her gospel past into R&B's present, redefining the role of women—particularly black women—in pop music. As the decades passed and styles like hip-hop emerged, Franklin remained a singular performer, balancing the visceral power of her singing with an elegance and grace that was, at times, ethereal. - The legendary Queen of Soul started out as a gospel music prodigy. But when Aretha Franklin embraced the world of pop music in the early '60s, she began to record some of the most powerful love songs of all time. Featuring one of the greatest voices of the 20th century, these are some of the classic love songs Franklin has recorded over her long and prolific career.
- Nothing captured Aretha Franklin's range quite like her trove of covers, which were often so deeply felt that she all but reclaimed them as her own. She dared to reimagine classics by Dionne Warwick (“Walk On By”) and The Beatles (“Let It Be”). She put absolutely everything into civil rights anthems “Young, Gifted and Black” and “A Change Is Gonna Come”, as well as soul standards by Otis Redding and Etta James.
- In the '70s you heard her in Chaka Khan and Roberta Flack; in the '80s and '90s, you heard her in Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston; today you hear Aretha in everyone from Beyoncé to Ariana Grande. Blessed with one of pop's most powerful voices, Franklin's natural fusing of gospel and R&B made her one of the most influential (and successful) soul singers in the world. Here's a roll call of singers that owe her a debt of gratitude.
- Their original tunes have been the source material for some of modern music’s biggest hits.