When Aretha Franklin transitioned from Columbia Records to Atlantic in 1966, Jerry Wexler, Atlantic’s VP, approached the singer with song suggestions, including Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and Ray Charles’ “Drown in My Own Tears.” While receptive, Franklin had her own idea: “Respect,” a song already in her live repertoire. As Franklin’s biographer David Ritz recounts, Wexler, in a conversation with Franklin’s manager Ted White, expressed slight hesitation, “Long as she changes it up.” White confidently retorted, “You don’t gotta worry about that. She changes it up all right.” This exchange foreshadowed a musical transformation that would cement “Respect” as one of the best songs all time.
“Respect” was originally penned and performed by Otis Redding for Stax/Volt in 1965. However, Aretha Franklin irrevocably claimed the song as her own with her definitive rendition, recorded at Atlantic’s New York studio on Valentine’s Day, 1967. This powerful track became her first Number One hit, instantly establishing her reign as the undisputed Queen of Soul and solidifying its place among the best songs all time.
Redding’s version, a robust and forceful march, was a demand for equal treatment delivered with raw, masculine energy. Franklin’s interpretation transcended mere demand; it was a declaration from a position of strength. She wasn’t pleading; she was asserting a woman’s need for respect, not just in a general sense, but with a potent sexual assertiveness. Her message was clear: respect is earned, not given. Wexler, in his autobiography, Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Music, articulated this shift: “For Otis, ‘respect’ had the traditional connotation, the more abstract meaning of esteem. The fervor in Aretha’s magnificent voice demanded that respect and more: Respect also involved sexual attention of the highest order. What else could ‘Sock it to me’ mean?” This nuanced understanding of respect propelled Franklin’s version to become one of the best songs all time.
Aretha Franklin captivating an audience with her powerful performance of “Respect”, a song widely regarded as one of the best songs all time.
The unforgettable “Sock it to me” refrain, a defining feature of Franklin’s rendition and a key element that elevates it among the best songs all time, was the brainchild of Aretha and her sister Carolyn, who, along with sister Erma, provided backup vocals. Tom Dowd, the recording engineer, recalled his astonishment at Carolyn’s spontaneous breakdown where Aretha spells out “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.” Furthermore, lacking a bridge in Redding’s original, Wexler ingeniously instructed the legendary Muscle Shoals studio band to incorporate chord changes from Sam and Dave’s “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” beneath King Curtis’s tenor sax solo, adding another layer of brilliance to what many consider one of the best songs all time.
The raw emotion and disciplined delivery in Franklin’s performance were undeniable, fueled, in part, by the turbulence in her personal marriage at the time. Wexler noted, “If she didn’t live it, she couldn’t give it.” He further emphasized, “Aretha would never play the part of the scorned woman.… Her middle name was Respect.” This authenticity and emotional depth are crucial components that contribute to the song’s status as one of the best songs all time.
Leading her Atlantic debut album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, “Respect” became a catalyst, fusing rock & roll, gospel, and blues to forge the quintessential soul music template that continues to inspire artists today. Mariah Carey herself acknowledged Franklin as “my mentor.” Beyond its musical innovation, “Respect” became a potent anthem for the civil rights movement and the burgeoning feminist revolution. Franklin’s activism, including donations to the Black Panther Party and her performance at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral, further solidified her commitment to these causes. In her 1999 memoir, Franklin reflected that the song captured “the need of the average man and woman in the street, the businessman, the mother, the fireman, the teacher — everyone wanted respect.” This universal and timeless message is why “Respect” remains not just a hit song, but an enduring cultural touchstone and rightfully earns its place among the best songs all time. Its resonance continues to echo, reminding us that the desire for respect is a fundamental human need that transcends generations, securing its legacy as one of the best songs all time.
