Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer and musician. Franklin began her career singing gospel at her father, minister C. L. Franklin’s church as a child. In 1960, at age 18, Franklin embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records only achieving modest success. Following her signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as “Respect”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Think”. These hits and more helped her to gain the title The Queen of Soul by the end of the 1960s decade.
Franklin eventually recorded a total of 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and twenty number-one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in the chart’s history. Franklin also recorded acclaimed albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Lady Soul, Young, Gifted & Black and Amazing Grace before experiencing problems with her record company by the mid-1970s. After her father was shot in 1979, Franklin left Atlantic and signed with Arista Records, finding success with a cameo appearance in the film, The Blues Brothers and with the albums, Jump to It and Who’s Zoomin’ Who?. In 1998, Franklin won international acclaim for singing the opera aria, “Nessun Dorma”, at the Grammys of that year replacing Luciano Pavarotti. Later that same year, she scored her final Top 40 recording with “A Rose Is Still a Rose”.
Franklin has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling female artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records worldwide. Franklin has been honored throughout her career including a 1987 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in which she became the first female performer to be inducted. She was inducted to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In August 2012, Franklin was inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Franklin is listed in at least two all-time lists on Rolling Stone magazine, including the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, in which she placed number 9, and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time in which she placed number 1 – Wikipedia
| 1 | I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (with George Michael) |
| 2 | Freeway of Love |
| 3 | Spanish Harlem |
| 4 | Who’s Zoomin’ Who |
| 5 | Respect |
| 6 | Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves (with Eurythmics) |
| 7 | Another Night |
| 8 | Jimmy Lee |
| 9 | Jumpin’ Jack Flash |
| 10 | Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do) |
| 11 | Think |
| 12 | Baby I Love You |
| 13 | Chain of Fools |
| 14 | (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone |
| 15 | It Isn’t, It Wasn’t, It Ain’t Never Gonna Be (with Whitney Houston) |
| 16 | I Say a Little Prayer |
| 17 | Angel |
| 18 | Day Dreaming |
| 19 | Through the Storm (with Elton John) |
| 20 | Don’t Play That Song (with The Dixie Flyers) |
| 21 | A Rose Is Still a Rose |
| 22 | Bridge Over Troubled Water |
| 23 | (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman |
| 24 | See Saw |
| 25 | Willing to Forgive |
| 26 | Jump to It |
| 27 | The Weight |
| 28 | A Deeper Love |
| 29 | Eleanor Rigby |
| 30 | I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) |
| 31 | The House That Jack Built |
| 32 | Rock Steady |
| 33 | Call Me |
| 34 | Get It Right |
| 35 | Share Your Love with Me |
| 36 | I’m in Love |
| 37 | Here We Go Again |
| 38 | I Can’t See Myself Leaving You |
| 39 | You’re All I Need to Get By |
| 40 | Ever Changing Times (with Michael McDonald) |
| 41 | Spirit in the Dark (with The Dixie Flyers) |
| 42 | Rock-A-Lott |
| 43 | Border Song (Holy Moses) |
| 44 | Ain’t Nobody Ever Loved You |
| 45 | Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing |
| 46 | Love All the Hurt Away (with George Benson) |
| 47 | Master of Eyes (The Deepness of Your Eyes) |
| 48 | What a Fool Believes |
| 49 | All the King’s Horses |
| 50 | Without Love |
| 51 | Everyday People |
| 52 | Take a Look |
| 53 | Ain’t No Way |
| 54 | Something He Can Feel |
| 55 | Oh Me Oh My (I’m a Fool for You Baby) |
| 56 | My Song |
| 57 | Look into Your Heart |
| 58 | If Ever a Love There Was (with Four Tops) |
| 59 | United Together |
| 60 | The Only Thing Missin’ |
| 61 | Mr. D.J. (5 for the D.J.) |
| 62 | Won’t Be Long |
| 63 | You Send Me |
| 64 | Break It to Me Gently |
| 65 | Runnin’ Out of Fools |
| 66 | Jump |
| 67 | The Tracks of My Tears |
| 68 | Come to Me |
| 69 | Almighty Fire (Woman of the Future) |
| 70 | Operation Heartbreak |
| 71 | Gentle on My Mind |
| 72 | Gimme Your Love (with James Brown) |
| 73 | Today I Sing the Blues |
| 74 | When I Think About You |
| 75 | One Step Ahead |
| 76 | Cry Like a Baby |
| 77 | You Made Me Love You |
| 78 | Honey |
| 79 | (No, No) I’m Losing You |
| 80 | Lee Cross |
| 81 | Mockingbird |
| 82 | Put You Up on Game (with Fantasia) |
| 83 | Wonderful |
| 84 | It Hurts Like Hell |
| 85 | Rolling In the Deep (The Aretha Version) |
| 86 | I Surrender, Dear |
| 87 | Don’t Cry, Baby |
| 88 | Rough Lover |
| 89 | Are You Sure |
| 90 | Soulville |
