I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

With this 1967 album, soul music got a most deserving queen. Franklin’s earthshaking vocal performance and the feel-it-in-your-knees groove on “Respect” transform an Otis Redding number into a women’s rights anthem that demands dancing. Meanwhile, the title track takes her glorious gospel performance and injects it with a shot of steamy soul, courtesy of The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. And when Aretha wails on Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” you know she speaks the truth.