In 1961, Aretha Franklin released Aretha, her debut record. Although the album didn’t produce any big hits, it was the beginning of a career that would make Franklin one of the most respected and successful artists of all time. Among her many, many hits are these four songs, which will always be timeless.
“Respect”
Perhaps her most popular song, “Respect” came out in 1967. Her second No. 1 single, “Respect” appeared on her I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You album. The song was written by Otis Redding, who released his own version of the song first. But it’s Franklin’s that remains the most revered. It also became Redding’s favorite.
Videos by American Songwriter
“That’s one of my favorite songs, because it has a better groove than any of my records,” Redding later said. “It says something, too: ‘What you want, baby, you got it. What you need, baby, you got it. All I’m asking for is a little respect when I come home.’ The song lines are great. The band track is beautiful. It took me a whole day to write it and about twenty minutes to arrange it. We cut it once, and that was it. Everybody wants respect, you know.”
“You Send Me”
In 1968, Franklin released “You Send Me”. The song is on her Aretha Now album, a record that also includes “Think” and “I Say A Little Prayer”. Before Franklin took “You Send Me” to the Top 30, it was a hit for Sam Cooke, who wrote the song, in 1957.
After Franklin, The Manhattan’s had a Top 10 hit with the song in 1985. Numerous other artists have also recorded “You Send Me”, including The Drifters, Michael Bolton, Whitney Houston, and others.
“Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing”
In 1974, Franklin released “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing”. Written by husband-and-wife duo Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, billed as Ashford & Simpson, the song was first released by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell as a duet in 1968, making it a No. 1 single for them. Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond, known as Donny & Marie, also had a hit with the song in 1976.
But it’s Franklin’s version that most people remember, likely because she put her own spin on it, with her soaring vocals. Her version earned Franklin a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female.
“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
Of course, any list of Franklin’s timeless hits has to include “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”. Out in 1967 on her Lady Soul record, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” is written by Gerry Goffin, Jerry Wexler, and Carole King.
Although it might seem like the lyrics came from King, it’s Goffin who wrote most of the words in “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”. The idea for the song came from Wexler, who suggested a song called “Natural Woman”.
Photo by Sahm Doherty/Getty Images