Listen: The 15 Aretha Franklin songs that prove she is the one true Queen of Soul

As the music world loses one of its timeless gems, we celebrate the life and times of Aretha Franklin with a definitive career spanning playlist. Listen below.
PUBLISHED AUG 16, 2018

The music world lost one of its most prized possessions on August 16. Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, has passed away at the age of 76 at her Detroit home, where family and friends had gathered during her final days.

The first woman ever to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Franklin's career took off after she signed onto Atlantic Records in 1967. With back to back hits such as 'Respect', '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman', 'Spanish Harlem' and 'Think', Franklin cemented herself as one of the giants of soul music, and indeed of American pop as a whole. More than any other performer, she epitomized soul at its most gospel-charged, and by the end of the 60s she rightfully earned the title of 'Queen of Soul'. 

MORE STORIES

Michael Jackson's death has been clouded with controversy, and author Randall Sullivan drops bombshell revelations about the aftermath in his book 'Untouchable'
Apr 6, 2025
Viral moments are nothing new for 'American Idol' winner Scotty McCreery, who once called out a concertgoer for hitting a woman during his show
Apr 3, 2025
"If she [Billie] ever needs me I'm going to be here for her," Justin Bieber told Zane Lowe in an interview.
Mar 29, 2025
Following Diddy’s arrest, an old clip of a rapper screaming and running away from him has resurfaced raising eyebrows
Mar 28, 2025
The model further shared that she attended Diddy's party to "see where it could take me."
Mar 27, 2025
"I feel really uncomfortable right now," replied Justin Bieber when the singer was asked to give a sex talk to a woman.
Mar 26, 2025
Shakur was also shot five times in the elevator at Quad Studios in Times Square during a robbery just two years before his murder in Las Vegas.
Mar 26, 2025
"He felt that someone was going to try and kill him," shared Lisa Marie Presley about her final conversation with Michael Jackson
Mar 24, 2025
"I loved her very much," Michael Jackson reportedly said to former friend and confidante Rabbi Shmuley Boteach in a recorded conversation
Mar 22, 2025
"90% of the time it worked," said Michael Jackson's former bodyguard while talking about the singer's tactics to manipulate the media
Mar 20, 2025