Aretha Franklin: "Respect"

It's been a week of strong female voices (Ryan Tedder included) so we'll end with the undisputed queen.

This song, which became Aretha Franklin's signature in 1967, was actually written and released by Otis Redding first in 1965. According to the infallible Wikipedia, Franklin arranged the background vocals and ad-libbed the speaking lines ("R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me / take care TCB"). And the timing was great: The 1960's feminist movement embraced a song with a woman singing lyrics about getting a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T, if ya know what I mean.

It was more than the lyrics that made this song a feminist anthem; the woman singing it is a symbol of strength herself. She's fearless; you can feel it when she sings. Her ornamentation is stunning, but the force behind it is what drives the music. No wonder it's a karaoke favorite.

I grew up listening to Aretha Franklin, and she has without a doubt influenced me more than any other recording artist. Enjoy.

"Respect," performed by Aretha Franklin.
Original on Otis Redding's "Otis Blue" (1965).