When Aretha Franklin transitioned from Columbia Records to Atlantic in 1966, Atlantic’s vice president, Jerry Wexler, approached the singer with potential cover songs, including Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and Ray Charles’ “Drown in My Own Tears.” While receptive, Franklin had a song of her own in mind: “Respect,” a tune she had been performing live. As recounted by Franklin’s biographer David Ritz, Wexler, in a conversation with Franklin’s manager Ted White, expressed some reservation, “Long as she changes it up.” White confidently replied, “You don’t gotta worry about that. She changes it up all right.” This exchange foreshadowed a transformation that would elevate “Respect” into an anthem for generations and solidify its place among the Best Songs Of All Time.
Otis Redding penned and originally recorded “Respect” for Stax/Volt in 1965. However, it was Franklin’s rendition, recorded at Atlantic’s New York studio on Valentine’s Day 1967, that claimed definitive ownership of the song. “Respect” became her first Number One hit and the single that crowned her the Queen of Soul, marking a pivotal moment in music history and cementing its legacy as one of the best songs of all time.
In Redding’s version, a robust and forceful march, he demanded respect with raw, masculine energy. Franklin’s interpretation, however, transcended a mere request. She sang from a position of inherent power, a woman articulating an end to exploitation and undervaluation with scorching sexual assertiveness. In essence: if respect is desired, it must be earned. Wexler, in his autobiography, Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Music, noted this crucial distinction: “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 shift in perspective is a key reason why Franklin’s “Respect” resonates so deeply and is considered one of the best songs of all time.
Wexler was referring to the electrifying contribution of Franklin’s backup singers—her sisters, Carolyn and Erma—whose rapid-fire chanting of “Sock it to me” was conceived by Aretha and Carolyn during the recording session. The late Tom Dowd, the recording engineer, lauded Carolyn for the ingenious breakdown where Aretha spells out “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” exclaiming, “I fell off my chair when I heard that!” Furthermore, lacking a bridge in Redding’s original, Wexler instructed the band—the renowned Muscle Shoals studio musicians—to incorporate the chord progression from Sam and Dave’s “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” beneath King Curtis’s commanding tenor saxophone solo. These musical innovations elevated the song to a new level, contributing to its status as one of the best songs of all time.
The palpable passion within Franklin’s controlled yet explosive delivery is undeniable. It’s widely believed that she drew inspiration from her own turbulent marriage at the time. “If she didn’t live it,” Wexler commented, “she couldn’t give it.” However, he added, “Aretha would never play the part of the scorned woman.… Her middle name was Respect.” This lived experience infused the song with an authenticity and emotional depth that made it incredibly relatable and powerful, further solidifying its place among the best songs of all time.
“Respect,” the opening track of her Atlantic debut album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, became a catalyst, fusing rock & roll, gospel, and blues to establish the blueprint for soul music that continues to inspire artists today. Mariah Carey has openly acknowledged Franklin as “my mentor,” highlighting the enduring influence of “Respect” and Franklin’s artistry. More profoundly, the song’s unapologetic demands resonated powerfully with both the civil rights movement and the burgeoning feminist revolution. This was particularly fitting for an artist who supported the Black Panther Party and sang at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral. 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.” Decades later, this sentiment remains universally true, underscoring why “Respect” is not just a song, but a timeless declaration and undeniably one of the best songs of all time.
